Many people count on public buses to get themselves where they are going every single day. Be it a sightseeing trip, work commute, or any other reason, countless people will be in or around a bus at any given moment. For that reason, bus accidents are particularly devastating events because there is a high likelihood of injuring a lot of people at once. Additionally, because buses are so large, the injuries victims incur are often very bad, and the medical care required to treat and manage those injuries can be debilitatingly expensive.
When a bus accident happens to you, you want rock-solid legal counsel in your corner. We have represented many plaintiffs injured in bus and other motor vehicle accidents, so we know how these cases work. Let us do the hard work of planning and carrying out your lawsuit while you focus on recovering and getting your life back on track.
To get a free case review from our bus accident lawyers, call Legal Care New Jersey by dialing (732) 838-9769.
Important Things to Do Following Bus Accidents in New Brunswick, NJ
When a bus accident happens, many things will happen all at once. The hectic series of events can be confusing and overwhelming, especially if you were also injured in the accident. It is important to have some kind of plan in place so that you know what to do in the event of a bus accident and are not panicking in the heat of the moment.
Dial 911
It is critical that emergency services are informed of the bus accident quickly so that they can rapidly respond. Normally, the bus drivers are responsible for calling emergency services. However, the driver may be incapacitated, unwilling, or otherwise unable to call for help. When that happens, you can either call 911 yourself or task someone else with that job. It is better to directly tell an individual to call 911 than simply ask if “someone” will do it because it is more likely that the singled-out individual will actually call emergency services.
Receive Medical Aid
It is also very important that you get the medical attention you need after a bus accident. Let first responders check over you and follow all of their instructions. If they intend to take you to the hospital for further treatment, go along with them. However, should you be allowed to stay near the crash, there are other things you should do.
Even in the event that you think you feel fine or leave the accident site of your own volition, it is still a good idea to get follow-up medical care. Some injuries may not be apparent right after a bus accident because adrenaline can hide its effects. Monitor your health for several days following the accident, and go see a medical professional if anything is out of sorts.
Gather Information
Once it has been determined that you are medically fit to stick around near the crash, you should try to gather as many details as possible. Make a note of the bus company involved in the accident as well as the name of the bus driver. Get the name, license plate number, and insurance information of any other motorists who impacted the bus. Finally, be sure to record numerous videos and take photos of the crash and the surrounding area. Recordings taken of the accident when it is still “fresh” are invaluable to our attorneys in building a case for you.
Contact Our Legal Team
Once all of the proverbial dust has settled, you need to talk to our attorneys as soon as is practicable about a potential bus accident lawsuit. There are certain laws called statutes of limitations that only give you a finite period of time to file your claim. Per N.J.S.A. § 2A:14-2, you have two years from the time you are injured to bring a bus accident lawsuit. This is a very short period of time, so you should contact our offices as soon as you can so we can get started.
What Can I Get as Compensation in a New Brunswick, NJ Bus Accident Lawsuit
You can get financial compensation as damages for a lot of different things in a bus accident lawsuit. Your damages are based on the harm done to you by the defendant, so what exactly you base your damages on will be different for each and every plaintiff.
The first group of things you can base your damages on is a quickly ascertainable economic value. This includes items such as medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and lost potential future income.
The next group involves items that have less clear-cut value. Among the things you seek damages for in this group are emotional distress, mental anguish, and physical pain. So, while you may seek damages to cover surgery and pain medication, you can also seek damages to cover the pain brought on by those experiences. Naturally, damages such as these do not have an inherent value, so you and our attorneys will need to prove their worth to the court.
Finally, there is a special type of damages called punitive damages. Punitive damages take into account the defendant’s conduct rather than your condition after the accident. Courts generally only mete out punitive damages when the defendant has done something especially bad to warrant them. So, while you can ask for punitive damages in your claim, there is no guarantee that the court will award them to you.
Reach Out and Talk with Our New Brunswick, NJ, Bus Accident Attorneys Now
Legal Care New Jersey’s bus accident lawyers are ready to give free case analysis when you contact us at (732) 838-9769.
