Clearwater Bus Accident Attorneys
Were you or a family member injured in a car accident involving a bus? You may be entitled to substantial compensation from the at-fault parties. An experienced Clearwater bus accident lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help you cut through the red tape and recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, and more.
Our lawyers have over 300 years of experience between us. We’ve used our experience to help our injured clients recover over $675 million in settlements and verdicts over the years.
If you’re curious about your legal options after an accident, call our law offices in Clearwater, Florida, at (727) 591-3354 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bus Accident
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers is one of the most respected personal injury law firms in Clearwater. Three of our attorneys have been Board Certified by the Florida Bar Association (a distinction held by less than 2% of all Florida lawyers). We’ve also been rated as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
When you hire us, we will:
- Gather and analyze all available evidence
- Calculate the fair value of your personal injury claim
- Protect you if the insurance companies try to blame you for your own injuries
- Work with leading experts in various fields to strengthen your case
- Negotiate with the insurance companies for a fair settlement
After a bus accident, the bus company and transit authorities will immediately start investigating. They’re looking for evidence that can help them avoid liability. While you focus on recovering, our lawyers will launch our own investigation into the crash.
How Common Are Bus Accidents?
Bus accidents are relatively common. While not all bus accidents are catastrophic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported 156 fatal bus accidents in 2020.
Those fatal bus crashes involved:
- 46 school buses
- 9 intercity buses
- 86 transit buses
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), at least 17,720 people were involved in bus accidents during 2020 across the State of Florida. At least 223 people were injured in those crashes.
The data, however, only consider bus drivers and bus passengers. Many serious bus accident injuries involve occupants of smaller passenger vehicles who aren’t included in these statistics.
At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of bus accident cases in Clearwater, including those involving:
- Pinellas County Suncoast transit buses
- Clearwater Jolley Trolley cars
- School buses
- Greyhound buses
- Flixbus and Boltbus
- Private charter or tour buses
- Shuttle buses
Our lawyers are here to help whether you were injured as a bus passenger, occupant in another vehicle, or walking down the street. Give us a call to schedule a free case review to learn more about how we can help today.
What Is My Bus Accident Case Worth?
It’s important to know how much your case is worth when you’re negotiating with insurance companies.
While there is no precise formula that can be used to determine your case value, the following factors tend to be relevant:
- The type and severity of your injuries
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Your lost wages
- The cost of repairing damaged property
- Your future medical needs
- How the injury will impact your quality of life and lifestyle
Do you have a settlement offer on the table? Are you curious about how much your case is really worth? We highly recommend consulting an experienced attorney before taking any insurance settlement.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Bus Accident Victims?
While all personal injury cases are different, victims are always entitled to seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the financial costs associated with an accident and injury.
You may be entitled to financial compensation for:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Diminished future earning potential
- Property damage
Non-economic damages compensate victims for personal and intangible losses, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Chronic pain
- Diminished quality of life
- Anxiety and depression
- PTSD
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
Putting a dollar value on these losses can be incredibly different. While the insurance company is doing everything possible to downplay your damages, our lawyers will stand up and fight for you.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in Florida?
Florida follows a modified comparative fault law with a 51% bar to recovery. Injured parties can recover compensation even if they were partly responsible for causing their own injuries, so long as they weren’t mostly responsible.
Blame is divided between all parties to the accident. If you were partly responsible, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 20% “at fault” for the crash, you’re still entitled to 80% of your settlement or verdict. But if you were 51% or more at fault, you would be barred from recovering compensation.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Bus Accident Injuries
Bus accidents can cause a wide range of injuries. Bus passengers are unrestrained, meaning that they can suffer more severe injuries in a crash.
At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent injured clients who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Facial injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Knee injuries
- Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord damage
- Whiplash
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Because buses are common carriers, multiple people may be injured in the same accident. That can complicate matters. Fortunately, you don’t have to handle your case alone. Contact our lawyers in Clearwater to learn more about your legal rights and options today.
What Causes Most Bus Accidents?
Many different factors can contribute to the cause of a bus accident.
Some of the most common causes of bus accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Failure to account for the large vehicle’s wider turns and longer stopping times
- Stopping the bus suddenly or in unsafe locations
- Aggressive driving
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Hazardous road conditions
- Unsafe passing
- Illegal lane changes
- Dangerous turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Hiring unqualified bus drivers
- Failure to maintain the bus in a reasonably safe condition
Even if driver error was the primary cause of your accident, multiple parties may ultimately be liable for your damages. Our lawyers will work to locate each and every at-fault party.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident?
Before you can recover compensation for your losses, you’ll have to determine who was responsible for your accident. Multiple different parties can be liable in bus accident cases.
Examples of the parties who may share blame for your accident include:
- Bus companies
- Bus drivers
- Mechanics and maintenance companies
- Manufacturers of defective bus components
- Pinellas County transportation agencies
- Third-party motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists
Regardless of who is to blame for the accident, it’s likely that your case will be based on negligence theories.
To establish negligence, you must prove:
- The at-fault party owed you a legal duty of care
- A breach of duty occurred
- The breach of duty caused your accident
- You sustained damages
Various types of evidence can be used to back up your case. Our lawyers will interview witnesses, review accident reports, and search for video surveillance footage. We’ll also investigate and locate evidence about the bus company’s hiring practices, the driver’s qualifications, and the bus’s inspection and maintenance history.
Our lawyers have the resources to handle these types of complex investigations. To learn more about how we can help, call for a free initial consultation today.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bus Accident in Florida?
Most of the time, injured parties have either two or four years to file a personal injury lawsuit, based on a recent change in the law. The two-year deadline applies to accidents taking place on or after 3/24/2023, and the four-year deadline applies to accidents occurring earlier than that date. The statute of limitations begins to run on the date of the accident.
In bus accident cases, it’s possible that you could have less time to act. For example, if a government agency is partly liable, you will have to take action more quickly to protect your rights. If you fail to follow the agency’s claims procedures, you could lose your right to compensation. It’s important to have an experienced lawyer by your side if you or a loved one is injured in a bus accident.
Contact our legal team at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (727) 591-3354 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Clearwater bus accident lawyer who can fight for the fair compensation you deserve.
We treat you like family.
If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you.
Representing Accident Victims in Tampa Bay since 1955
-
“Friendly knowledgeable and kept me informed about my case. Any offer, bill or question was readily answered. Would definitely recommend and refer people to Bryan Caulfield and his team!!”- Betty B.
-
“Mrs Bryant works her butt off to make sure you get what is do to you in medical and beyond! They won’t take your case if they don’t feel you haven’t been wronged.”- Christine R.
-
“Working with Mark Perenich on my auto injury case was an absolute game-changer. From the very beginning, he brought a level of professionalism, expertise, and care that immediately put us at ease.”- Kerry B.
-
“Lorrie and Allyson are phenomenal. I highly recommend them to anyone. It seemed like a never ending journey but I can’t thank them enough for diligently fighting my case with the greatest integrity, support and prayers.”- Former Client
-
“From the first day we met this law group I felt very comfortable and knew we would be well taken care of. This was our first experience filing for SSD, and was not disappointed. The lawyers are awesome and very professional.”- Shari J.
-
“Very nice they worked with you. Never ignored me with my case. Always on top to work with you. Thank you so much for all that you have done to help me! Very highly recommend.”- Margarita O.
-
“My appointed attorney was Jacqueline, Bryant. She is very compassionate about her client and work. When it comes to negotiation, she's a Beast and she gets the job done.”- Alaina J.
-
“What was particularly awe inspiring was the recall of facts and testimonies from medical personnel that Para Legal Ms. Josephine Elizabeth Angelo was able to make. Her memory and acumen for detail was admirable.”- Maylisa Y.
-
“Wonderful, impeccable, personalized, authentic, truthful, honest experience. Rare, real, and human firm.”- Sheryl G.
We’ve been proudly serving Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and the Tampa Bay area for generations. As the first personal injury law firm in Clearwater, our dedicated legal team brings over 300 years of combined experience to each and every case. If you’ve been injured and need support, please reach outtoday for a free consultation, we are here to help you.
