Houston Bus Accident Lawyer

The injuries sustained in a bus accident in Houston often exceed those from a traditional car accident or SUV collisions. The lack of safety features—including seatbelts—the number of people crammed into tight quarters, and the large size and weight of a bus all increase the likelihood of an accident resulting in severe, debilitating injuries.

If you suffered injuries in a bus accident in Houston, Texas, you deserve financial recovery for your economic as well as your non-economic damages. A lot of your assets could be at stake in your bus accident claim, making it critically important that you choose a Houston bus accident lawyer with a successful track record of securing fair financial recovery for accident victims.

To find out more about how our bus accident lawyers can help you, call D. Miller & Associates, PLLC® (713) 850-8600 today.

What Damages You Can Recover in a Bus Accident Claim

We pursue all damages for which you qualify and could include some or all of the following:

  • Current and future medical bills: For emergency services, body scans and diagnostic tests, medications, medical devices, and ongoing doctor’s visits.
  • Lost wages: For when you miss work
  • Reduced earning capacity: For when you won’t be able to return to your previous job at all
  • Pain and suffering: For the physical pain you’re suffering
  • Mental anguish: For the mental health complications that stem from the accident (e.g., anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, etc.)
  • Loss of consortium: For your changed relationship with your spouse

We can get a better idea of the damages you can recover after we review the details of your case. Certain severe or permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, usually qualify for a higher settlement.

When Your Loved One Passed Away in the Accident

If your loved one lost their life from his or her bus accident injuries, we can file a wrongful death claim against the responsible party or parties. We can seek damages for funeral and burial expenses, as well as your mental anguish and loss of companionship resulting from the death of your loved one.

Figuring Out What Triggered the Accident and How It Affected You

To build a robust case, we must have evidence that supports your side of the story. We could use:

  • The accident report
  • Pictures of your injuries
  • Pictures of the accident scene
  • Traffic camera surveillance
  • Black box information, if applicable
  • Eyewitness accounts
  • Expert witness testimony from doctors, economists, and accident reconstruction analysts
  • Medical records
  • Cellphone records
  • Your daily journal discussing your pain levels, your mobile capabilities, and what you do every day

Using this evidence and other forms of it, we can determine who the liable party is.

Holding the Liable Party Accountable

We have several options to recover awards after a bus accident. The method we choose depends on several factors, most notably the circumstances of your accident and the identity of the responsible party or parties. 

Bus accident lawsuits feature many complexities not present in traditional car accident claims. To begin with, the number of potentially responsible parties is often greater. The at-fault parties in your case could include: 

  • The bus driver
  • The driver of another vehicle that struck the bus
  • The manufacturer of the bus or one of its components
  • The bus company
  • A local or state government

For most bus accidents, we can recover a fair settlement by filing a personal injury, product liability, or wrongful death claim.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims

As we mentioned, our attorneys can gather evidence to prove negligence, using it to convince the insurance company or a jury of the other party’s liability. Negligence is the central factor in personal injury and wrongful death claims. The four elements we use to prove it are:

  • The responsible party or parties had a duty of care to you;
  • They failed to uphold that duty;
  • That failure caused the bus accident; and
  • As a direct result of their negligence, you suffered injuries.

After a bus accident, the most likely targets of personal injury and wrongful death claims are the bus driver and their employer, or the driver of another vehicle that caused an accident with the bus. 

Every driver on the road has a duty of care to other motorists. An action as simple as violating a traffic law can show a breach of that duty of care. In the case of a bus driver and their employer, the standard of care is even higher, as drivers are often responsible for the lives of dozens of passengers. 

A government agency could have also been guilty of inaction if they didn’t do a road hazard or warn drivers about potential dangers.

Product Liability

A product liability claim contends that a defective product caused or contributed to your injuries. In this case, the product manufacturer is the at-fault party, and we do not actually have to prove they were negligent.

As long as the product was being used for its intended purpose and was not materially altered from its original form, we can pursue the manufacturer for damages. Parties we might pursue in a defective product claim include:

  • The company that manufactured the bus;
  • The company that manufactured a specific component of the bus; or
  • The auto or parts manufacturer of another vehicle, if it caused the accident.

Why You Should Hire a Bus Accident Lawyer from Our Firm

At D. Miller & Associates, PLLC®, we can sort through the details of your accident, identify the responsible party or parties, and determine the best way to go about collecting financial recovery from them. 

Carrying out these tasks is just the beginning, as you can count on us to provide other services for you while you recover from the accident, such as:

We Will Negotiate and Communicate with the Insurer

Without a lawyer from our firm on your side, you could end up accepting whatever settlement the responsible party and their insurance company offers you. These initial settlement offers frequently fail to include all the financial recovery you deserve. 

Worse still, you might end up with nothing at all, especially if the insurance company comes up with a reason to deny your claim—and most insurers have entire departments on staff whose job is to do just that.

We have fought successful claims against insurance companies, bus companies, and even state and local governments that operate buses. Let us handle your bus accident claim and fight for a fair settlement that includes all the damages you deserve.

With Enough Notice, We Can Meet State Deadlines

Should the insurance claims process not work out in our favor, we will go ahead and file a lawsuit. Under Texas law, we have two years to bring either a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the liable party.

They will no longer be responsible for reimbursing you for your damages if we don’t abide by the deadline. That is why it is so important that you contact us right away. 

Trust D. Miller & Associates, PLLC®, We Can Help You Pursue Recovery

For many years, the legal team at D. Miller & Associates, PLLC® has been fighting for the rights of personal injury victims, including those hurt in bus accidents. We have amassed a lengthy track record of obtaining significant financial recovery for our clients. We have extensive resources to use to defend your case, and our team members know how to build a successful claim.

At D. Miller & Associates, PLLC®, we want to help you win the awards you deserve. For a case evaluation with one of our Houston team members, call (713) 850-8600 today.