If you suffered an injury in a bus accident, you may be able to hold the at-fault parties accountable for their actions. With help from a personal injury attorney, you could pursue monetary compensation for your injuries.
Negligent drivers cause collisions and other types of accidents every day, but they are not the only possible cause of a bus accident. Careless owners, deficient manufacturers, and even poor road maintenance may also be to blame. A Lancaster bus accident lawyer could carefully analyze the facts of a case to identify the responsible parties and all available sources of compensation.
Negligence in Lancaster Bus Crashes
Unlike accidents involving passenger vehicles, bus drivers are held to a higher standard of care. Because of their role as a common carrier, bus drivers are required to ensure the safety of their passengers. Bus drivers are required to obtain special licensing to operate a commercial vehicle, but these additional qualifications do not guarantee a driver will always operate the vehicle safely. When a commercial driver is unsafe, a Lancaster bus accident attorney could help an injured person seek justice. Some common causes of bus accidents include:
Operator Negligence
One of the common causes of a bus crash is negligence on the part of the bus operator. If the driver was inattentive or failed to follow with the rules of the road, they could be responsible for a crash and any resulting injuries.
Manufacturer Defect
Not every Lancaster bus accident is the fault of the operator. If the bus or one of its parts was designed or manufactured incorrectly, the defect could cause an accident.
Maintenance Issues
A safe driver operating a well-designed commercial bus may not be able to avoid an accident if the vehicle is not maintained correctly. If the owner of the bus allows it to stay in service without ensuring all the necessary maintenance is performed, they may be liable for an accident.
Defective Road Design or Maintenance
In many bus accident lawsuits, the case will revolve around whether or not a bus driver was negligent. However, in some instances, a bus crash will stem from a design error in the layout of the road. If a turn is too tight or a grade is too steep, the engineer responsible could be liable for the damages in a resulting bus crash.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accidents lawyer serving Lancaster, call 1-803-366-0333
The Statute of Limitations
In an attempt to promote speedy resolutions of personal injury cases, the State of South Carolina has adopted rules limiting the time frame in which an injury victim can file a lawsuit. The statute also serves the practical purpose of requiring a case to be heard while the evidence is as fresh as possible. A lawsuit that is filed past the deadline may not be allowed to proceed.
According to South Carolina Statute §15-3-530, the statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit is three years. However, if the defendant in a bus accident case is a government entity, the statute of limitations is only two years. A proactive Lancaster attorney could work with a claimant to file a timely bus accident claim.
Lancaster Bus Accident Lawyer Near Me 1-803-366-0333
Call a Lancaster Bus Accident Attorney for Assistance
A bus accident can be a traumatic experience. Fortunately, a Lancaster bus accident lawyer could handle all the details of your case while you focus on your health. To learn more about how a personal injury attorney could help in your case, call Schiller & Hamilton to schedule a consultation.
Call or text 1-803-366-0333 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form