Long Beach Bus Accident Lawyer

Long Beach Transit has 23 million customers annually, with bus routes spanning 14 cities around Los Angeles, CA. With over 250 buses transporting passengers in a bustling city, it’s not uncommon to hear about bus accidents with severe and catastrophic injuries.

If you’ve been involved in a bus crash caused by another’s negligence, our bus accident lawyer at The Dominguez Firm can help you recover your losses. You may have been a bus passenger or a motor vehicle driver injured in a bus-car accident.

Our skilled legal team has served Long Beach and Greater LA for over 35 years. We can help injured clients claim compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

What to Do After a Bus Accident

It can be challenging to stay calm and collected after a serious bus accident, but you can take crucial steps to smooth the way for your bus accident case. These actions include the following:

• Contact the police so that you will have an accident report.
• Seek medical attention and receive immediate medical care, whether you have minor or serious injuries or even if you don’t think you are hurt. You will need to seek medical care to obtain documentation of your injuries and expenses.
• Get the contact info of all parties involved, including the bus driver, passengers, or other drivers.
• Do not admit fault or apologize, as others could construe it that you are accepting guilt.
• Take pictures and videos of the accident, damage, and your injuries. These will serve as compelling evidence of your damages.
• Call us at The Dominguez Firm so our experienced bus accident attorney can start helping you with your accident case as soon as possible.

It’s essential to collect as much information as you can and write down everything you remember about the accident. While you recover from your injuries, our experienced bus accident lawyer will build your case with solid evidence to prove your damages and the other party’s fault.

Causes of Bus Accidents in Long Beach, CA

At The Dominguez Law Firm, we can help you with any type of bus accident, including school buses, city transits, shuttles, and long-distance coaches.

Buses are more massive than other vehicles and can cause severe injuries to pedestrians, bus passengers, or other motor vehicle drivers. Common causes of bus accidents include:

• Driver error
• Speeding
• Fatigued driver
• Bus drivers working under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Lack of proper maintenance checks
• Defects in the road, such as potholes

Many bus crashes occur because of the driver’s negligence, such as distracted driving or DUI. Bus drivers are known as “common carriers,” and California law requires these types of drivers to uphold a higher standard of care for their passengers. They must use reasonable judgment and skill to protect public safety. The law punishes their carelessness harshly.

If the bus driver was neglectful and caused your injury, our attorneys will do everything in their power to prove the driver’s liability and hold them accountable for their actions. If the driver is not responsible, our investigation will identify the liable party.

Long Beach Bus Accident Injuries

If the bus driver loses control of the vehicle, the size and lack of seatbelts in the bus can lead to a serious injury, such as:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injury
• Broken bones
• Neck injury
• Lacerations
• Internal bleeding
• Wrongful death

Attorneys at The Dominguez Firm have won more than $1 billion* for clients injured in all types of accidents. Our qualified bus accident attorney can assist you if you have been injured in a bus crash. We will work tirelessly to recover your losses so that you can heal and return to your life as it was before the accident occurred.

Long Beach Bus Accident Damages

Damages are any expenses you incur because of the accident, whether for medical treatment or property damage. Personal injury damages can be economic or non-economic losses. Economic damages include the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Potential loss of income
• Property damage
• Disability

Non-economic damages for which you could receive compensation include:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of consortium (if you are the victim’s spouse)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Proving your losses requires a lot of evidence, from medical documents to witness statements. At The Dominguez Firm, our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience gathering the evidence and expert opinions we need for trials or negotiations. Through settlement or litigation, we can help you get financial relief for all expenses as well as the hardships you’ve suffered.

Filing a Claim for a Bus Accident Injury in Long Beach

Injured parties have two years to file a personal injury claim against a business or an individual, but the time limit is different if you’re suing a public entity. Since many city buses are local government operations, you must follow the California Tort Claims Act. This state law mandates that you have a six-month deadline to declare your grievances.

If you are uncertain about the deadline on your case, contact us at The Dominguez Firm as soon as possible to ensure that you don’t miss the window to retrieve your losses. If someone’s negligent actions have uprooted your life, they should be held responsible. We will stand by your side, handling your case with confidence and compassion.

Our law firm has extensive experience representing individuals in court and in negotiations for personal injury cases. We’re familiar with the complexities of insurance for bus companies and other parties, as well as the laws they have to follow to ensure the safety of the public. We have reached settlements and won verdicts of millions of dollars for our clients because of our skill in handling personal injury accidents.

A personal injury case can take from 12 to 18 months or longer, depending on the issues that arise during proceedings. Our team at The Dominguez Firm will work diligently to keep your case moving forward as hastily as possible.

How Can a Long Beach Bus Accident Attorney Help?

At The Dominguez Firm, we have seasoned lawyers who know the laws surrounding commercial vehicles and roadways. Public transportation companies must follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines. Regarding bus drivers and operations, the bus company has to:

• Require commercial licensing and training for drivers
• Restrict working hours to prevent fatigue
• Drug-test drivers
• Perform regular inspections and maintenance on the buses

If a bus company violates these laws while trying to save money or time, it creates risks that can lead to accidents. Whether a private business or public entity owns the bus, we will work to hold them accountable for their negligence.

Bus manufacturers can also be responsible if a defective part caused a mechanical issue with the bus. We will work to identify the at-fault party and negotiate fair compensation for your losses or stand up for you in court if necessary.

Our bus accident lawyer can also help you handle insurance companies. The insurance company of the individual or business involved might try to settle quickly or have you admit fault. With a skilled attorney on your side, you have a much higher chance of getting the compensation amount that covers the full extent of your losses.

Why Should You Choose Us at The Dominguez Firm?

If you have been injured in a bus accident in Long Beach, our team at The Dominguez Firm law offices wants to help you. We know the complications involved in bus accidents and understand what you’re dealing with. We offer free consultations.

We also take the attorney-client relationship seriously. We’ve helped thousands of clients who were in bus accidents by identifying the liable parties and holding them accountable.

Our Long Beach bus accident lawyers will protect your rights and fight to obtain compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and emotional distress. Call The Dominguez Firm for a free consultation at 800-818-1818 today. We serve Long Beach and all of Los Angeles County.