Buses are very useful for many people trying to get where they are going every day. Unfortunately, sometimes buses are involved in accidents, and passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and other unlucky people nearby will get injured. Injuries from bus accidents can be very serious, easily reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for treatment as well as requiring a lengthy recovery period.
If you were injured in a bus accident in or around East Orange, you may be looking to file a lawsuit to get financial compensation. Our firm can help. We have experienced attorneys with experience representing plaintiffs injured in many kinds of accidents, and we are ready to lend our experience to getting you the justice you deserve.
For a free case review, call our bus accident lawyers from Legal Care New Jersey at (732) 838-9769.
Bus Driver and Employer Relationships in Bus Accident Lawsuits
Your first thought after a bus accident lawsuit may be to sue the bus driver. However, it may also be a good idea to include the driver’s employer as a party to the action in your lawsuit. Under the legal principle of “respondeat superior,” or “let the master answer,” plaintiffs are able to sue employers for the negligent conduct of their employees. However, the caveat is that the employee must be doing a work activity. For example, if the bus driver is driving their bus and crashes, you can sue the employer because the driver was doing a work activity. On the other hand, if the bus driver hits you with their personal vehicle when they should be at work, you cannot sue the employer because they are not doing a work activity, and even though they are on the clock, the employer cannot be liable.
The main reason that employers can be sued in addition to their employees is because frequently, employees are what is called “judgment proof.” This means that, even if found liable, they do not have enough finances to pay for your damages, so many plaintiffs would be left out to dry if employers were not able to be held liable.
Injuries from Bus Accidents in East Orange, NJ
Because buses carrying lots of passengers are quite large and heavy, bus accidents can cause grievous injuries. Additionally, there is a good chance that many people will get injured at once in a bus accident because of the amount of passengers a bus may be transporting. When our bus accident lawyers go over your case, we can get information regarding your specific injuries so that we can tailor your legal argument to suit your needs. Below, we have detailed some of the injuries that people involved in bus accidents may receive.
Broken Bones
Broken bones are common in motor vehicle accidents of all kinds, including bus accidents. An impact of sufficient force or moving a part of the body in a way it is not supposed to move can easily cause bones to snap and break. A broken bone could only require a cast or sling to heal, but more serious breaks like a pelvis fracture, broken collar bone, or compound fracture will likely require at least one surgery in addition to other treatments to heal fully. Moreover, you will likely need to go through physical therapy to restrengthen the affected area after the bone break has healed.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are caused by hard hits to the head that pierce the skull or damage the brain. The most commonly known TBI is a concussion, also known as a “mild” TBI. Concussions can result in short-term memory loss, headaches and migraines, and sensitivity to noise and light.
More severe traumatic brain injuries can have significantly worse consequences. You could lose the use of some or all of your limbs, be unable to do basic functions like speaking or even potentially die from the injuries later down the line.
Bruises and Other Blunt Trauma
Bruising and other impact-related injuries are common in bus accidents. Bruises happen when blood vessels are crushed underneath the skin. This is what causes the pain and discoloration on the surface. While small bruises will heal on their own most of the time, bruising over a large area – which can happen in a bus accident – can be indicative of much more serious injuries like internal bleeding that need immediate medical care.
Crushing Injuries
Since buses are so large and heavy, there is a possibility that a pedestrian, passenger, or other motorist can be crushed by the bus in a bus accident. This can have serious consequences, including amputation, because a limb crushed by a bus may be too severely damaged for doctors to repair.
Damages in an East Orange, NJ Bus Accident Lawsuit
If you are successful in your bus accident lawsuit, you will be awarded damages by the court based on your injuries and other circumstances. Damages can be based on many things but are generally divided into economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic damages will encompass things with readily ascertainable value. This will include your medical bills, lost pay from work, and the cost of repairing your vehicle if it was involved in the accident. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are more abstract. They will include “items” like physical pain and suffering, mental distress, and lost independence in life if your injuries are so severe that you need permanent medical aides.
Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are only meted out when defendants have acted especially badly. Courts rarely award this kind of damages, so you will need a compelling argument if you are seeking them.
Talk to Our East Orange, NJ Bus Accident Lawyers Today
Legal Care New Jersey has bus accident lawyers ready to help you with your case if you call us at (732) 838-9769.
