If a negligent bus driver caused your accident and injuries in Texas, you might be eligible to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit to collect compensation for your expenses and other losses.

The attorneys at D. Miller & Associates, PLLC, offer free case evaluations. We can help you understand your options for getting the full compensation you need and deserve. We offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations, and we will handle your bus accident claim on a contingency basis.

Call us today at 713-850-8600 to learn more from a bus accident lawyer in Baytown.

Damages Available in a Baytown Bus Accident Claim

No two accidents are the same, and no two people suffer the same damages—even in the same crash. The type of damages you can recover with a bus accident claim vary based primarily on your losses. Some of the most common types of damages we help our clients recover include:

  • Medical care;
  • Ongoing care costs;
  • Lost wages;
  • Lost earnings and benefits from missed future work;
  • Out-of-pocket expenses;
  • Property damage;
  • Pain and suffering damages; and
  • Wrongful death damages, if a family member died in the wreck.

The value of your claim is impossible to know until we conduct a full investigation into your case. However, there are limits on how much you can collect if a public agency operated the bus. We can help you understand any laws that may limit your payout, and fight for the maximum compensation possible based on your unique situation. Reaching the maximum payout amount in one of these cases is relatively rare, and we are often able to recover the full value of our clients’ economic damages.

Baytown Accidents Involving a Harris County Transit Services Bus

Harris County Transit Services provides public bus service throughout Harris County. That includes a park and ride service from Baytown to downtown Houston and the Baytown Fixed Route service that offers transportation within the city.

If you are in an accident while riding a Harris County Transit Services bus and the bus driver caused the crash, we can hold Harris County responsible for your damages. This is true if you were a passenger on the bus, if the bus collided with your car, or even if the bus struck you while you were walking as a pedestrian. Any time a bus driver acts negligently and causes an accident, we can hold their employer—usually Harris County Transit Services—financially liable.

The Texas Tort Claims Act does place limits on the payouts available from a county agency, so we will need to consider this if you suffered serious injuries or will require ongoing care. We need to act quickly to pursue this type of action. The deadlines come much quicker than in a third-party claim against a private company.

Baytown School Bus Accidents

The same limits and short deadlines that apply in a public transportation bus accident apply when the at-fault driver was behind the wheel of a school bus. If you or your child suffered injuries while riding a school bus from Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District or another nearby school system, we may be able to hold the school district responsible for your medical care and other damages.

These claims are complex, but we know how to navigate the system and help you recover the most compensation possible based on the facts of your case.

Bus Accidents Involving Privately Owned Buses

The process for holding a privately owned bus company, tour company, or another service provider liable after a driver causes an injury accident is complex. In some instances, the negligent driver is the owner of the bus. In most cases, however, the driver is an employee of the company. When this happens, it is the company, not the driver, who is primarily responsible for covering damages.

This is thanks to a legal theory called respondeat superior. Under this theory, employers are responsible for the actions employees take as part of their job. If a bus driver’s behavior leads to a crash, the driver’s employer is often liable for the resulting damages.

The Bus Accident Claims Process

To win any bus accident case, we need to fully investigate what happened and why. With the evidence we collect, we can prove the bus driver acted in a negligent way and caused the accident to occur. Then, we can approach the agency using its own claims process, or we can file a third-party insurance claim with the company’s liability insurance provider.

Any company large enough to own and operate a fleet of buses will likely have its own legal team as well. These corporate attorneys will do everything possible to limit the amount of money their company must pay, which means they will attempt to reduce the compensation you receive.

If we accept your case, we go to work collecting evidence and building the strongest possible claim on your behalf. If the bus company or public agency refuses a fair settlement based on our documentation of your damages, we can file a lawsuit and ask a judge to award you fair compensation.

Deadline to File a Lawsuit in a Bus Accident Case

Under the statute of limitations, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in Texas. This deadline only applies when the liable party is a private owner or operator, however. A case against public transportation agencies, school districts, or other government organizations has tight deadlines that may expire only a few months after the crash. We will ensure you meet all applicable deadlines and retain your right to fair compensation.

Contact a Bus Accident Lawyer in Baytown, Texas

The Baytown bus accident team at D. Miller & Associates, PLLC, can get to work on your case today. We can evaluate your situation, identify who caused your collision, and explain your options for holding the responsible party accountable. Let us handle the claims process and fight for the payout you deserve. Call us today at 713-850-8600 to schedule your free case review and consultation.