Get Help From a Skilled Bus Accident Attorney
Helping injured bus crash victims in Southern California.
Attorney Jordan M. Jones and our team of California bus accident lawyers provide guidance and legal representation when someone has injured you or a loved one in a crash involving a public or private bus. Don’t go it alone. With our help, you may be able to get compensation for your injuries.
Contact the Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers – serving bus accident victims throughout Southern California – for a free, confidential case review. Call us 24/7 at (213) 510-3261.
Highly Awarded Bus Accident Attorneys Located in California
SKIP TO CONTENT:
- Why Do I Need a Bus Accident Attorney?
- Compensation We Seek for You
- Our Contingency Fee Pricing
- Lawsuit Deadlines: The Statute of Limitations
- Areas We Serve in Southern California
- Private & Public Bus Accident Cases & Vehicles
- Liability: Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries?
- Proving Negligence in Your Bus Accident
- Common Injuries, Causes & Bus Accident Statistics
- Meet Attorney Jordan M Jones
- FAQs About Bus Accidents
- Helpful Resources
Trials & Verdicts Our Case Results
Why Do I Need a Bus Accident Attorney in California?
If you have been injured in a bus accident, getting legal help is vital. Without the help of a licensed attorney for bus accidents, you may be left with growing medical bills, lost income, and intimidation from insurance companies while you recover.
Our bus accident attorneys serve all of Southern California and will aggressively work to get justice for you. Count on our California bus accident law firm to take the following steps for your case when needed:
- Provide a free, confidential case evaluation and answer your important questions
- Investigate the details of your bus accident with all resources available, including accident reconstruction, expert witnesses, and more as needed
- File a Notice of Claim if you were injured by a public bus
- Speak with insurance carriers on your behalf
- Submit your demands to the bus company for a fair settlement to pay for damages
- File an on-time lawsuit following all California and local laws and requirements
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the bus company and driver, and any others that may be found liable for causing your injuries
- Litigate your case in front of a judge or jury when the at-fault parties refuse to negotiate in good faith
Let our bus accident lawyers give you the peace of mind that your case is being handled well so that you can focus on your healing.
Seeking Compensation with a Bus Accident Injury Lawyer
Our skilled bus accident injury lawyers understand how much justice and fair compensation matter to our injured clients. California bus companies must hold insurance policies to cover wounded passengers. The minimum requirements are as follows:
- $750,000 for seven-seaters and less
- $1,500,000 for eight to 15-seater vehicles
- $5,000,000 for 16-seaters and higher [1]
We’ll use the full force of our bus accident law firm to pursue your justice and fair compensation.
What Compensation Is Available After a Bus Crash?
Our bus crash attorneys work for our clients to recover compensation to cover your potential costs and needs, including:
- Medical Expenses – This may include hospital stays, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, medications, and any medical devices you need during your recovery.
- Future medical bills – Because bus accidents can cause such extensive injuries, you may face future medical needs in addition to your current ones. Our bus accident attorneys can help you calculate these potential costs, including ongoing care or in-home nursing if you need it.
- Lost wages – As you recover, you may likely miss work. Claiming lost wages allows you to focus on your healing, rather than trying to get back on the job as quickly as possible.
- Lost income potential – You may be eligible for compensation to cover lost future wages when serious, permanent injuries make it impossible for you to do your job like you did in the past, or to advance in your career.
- Pain and suffering – Your compensation should cover your pain and suffering. In California, this includes things like physical pain, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, physical impairment, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and more.
- Modifications to your home – If you have a serious neck or spine injury, or a serious injury to a limb, you may need to use a wheelchair or other medical equipment. Your settlement should include money to cover the changes necessary to make your home accessible.
- Funeral expenses – If the bus accident is fatal, the family members left behind must cover funeral and burial expenses. This is another claim you can make with the help of an experienced bus accident attorney.
- Property damage – In addition to injuries to the accident victim, bus accidents can cause property damage, including damage to the vehicle or items it contains.
Our Pricing: Contingency for Bus Accident Lawsuits
During a free case evaluation, we’ll discuss how we pursue your justice and compensation, using our effective contingency fee model. You pay no fees unless you win.
- If you win or settle your case: you will pay a certain percentage of the money you receive to the law firm
- If we do not make a recovery in your case: the law firm does not receive any payment from you
With so many successful settlements and verdicts, experienced contingency fee lawyer Jordan M. Jones and team know and understand from experience just how strongly our pricing system benefits injured clients.
Reviews & Testimonials
Do Not Delay: The Statute of Limitations in California Bus Accident Injury Cases
Under California’s statute of limitations, in general, most bus accident claims involving private bus companies must be filed within two years of the date of the crash.[2] One of the benefits of getting a bus accident lawyer on your side is reducing the risk of missing this important deadline.
6 Months for Government Vehicles or Locations
In some bus injury cases involving a government-owned bus or a bus operated by a government employee, you must file a government claim within six months of the accident.[3]
If the government denies the claim or does not respond within 45 days, you can then file a bus accident lawsuit in court, but you must do so within six months after the denial. If the government fails to respond within 45 days, you have up to two years from the date of the accident to file the lawsuit.
Government-owned buses in California typically include:
- City & County Buses: Main operators for LA include Los Angeles Metro Bus, LADOT Transit (DASH & Commuter Express), Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Long Beach Transit, Foothill Transit, Torrance Transit, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Santa Clarita Transit, and Montebello Bus Lines, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) and other county-specific operators
- State-Operated Buses: Main operators in California include CalTrans, Amtrak, and California High-Speed Rail Authority (all handling bus connections), and the California State University and University of California campus shuttle systems
- Public School Buses: operated by public school districts throughout California
Trusted California Bus Accident Law Firm Serving These Areas
Serving all of Southern California, our experienced bus accident lawyers provide representation for injured clients in these popular counties and more:
- Los Angeles County
- Orange County
- Riverside County
- San Bernardino County
- Ventura County
- Kern County
See Our Additional Service Areas: California Bus Accident Lawyer
Call Us 24/7
Private and Public Bus Accident Cases & Vehicles
At Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers, our experienced team of attorneys handling bus cases represents clients injured in both public and private bus cases. Some of the most common types of vehicles involved in these crashes include:
- City Buses – LA Metro and public operators throughout Southern California
- Public School Buses – covering public school districts in the Southland
- Tour Buses – private charter and tour bus companies, visiting locations within California and traveling across state lines.
- Commuter Vans and Shuttles, including Airport Shuttle Buses, University Shuttles, Hotel Shuttles, Park-and-ride Shuttles, Senior Center Shuttles, Medical Transport Shuttles, and more.
- Long Haul Buses – Some of the most popular private companies include Greyhound Lines, Flixbus, Megabus, Pacific Coachways and more
Who Is Held Liable for Injuries in a Bus Accident?
In California, liability for injuries in a bus accident can be attributed to multiple parties, depending on the circumstances of the accident. Attorney Jordan M. Jones and our skilled bus accident lawyers will fight to hold at-fault parties accountable for the injuries and harm they have caused you or your loved ones.
Parties which commonly hold liability for a bus accident include:
- Transit Agencies – The California Supreme Court ruled that transit agencies can be held liable for injuries to passengers and pedestrians in dangerous conditions at bus stops, even if they don’t control the surrounding property. [4]
- Bus Drivers and Operating Companies – Bus drivers and the companies that employ them can be held liable for accidents caused by their negligence or violations of safety regulations.
- Government Entities – Claims must be filed within specific timeframes for accidents involving public buses operated by government entities.
- School Districts can be held liable for accidents involving school buses. The California Department of Education tracks school bus collision data and identifies common causes of driver-at-fault collisions [5]
- Private Bus Companies are subject to state and local regulations and can be held liable for accidents involving their vehicles.
It’s important to note that liability can be shared among multiple parties, and the specific circumstances of each accident determine who is ultimately held responsible.
LEARN MORE: Who Can Sue after a Bus Crash?
Proving Negligence with a Bus Accident Injury Attorney
Count on our team of bus accident lawyers to investigate and determine the cause of the bus crash. We aim to establish that negligence played a role in the accident and your harm.
Some types of negligence that can cause bus crashes with injuries include:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Distracted driving including texting
- Drunk or drugged driving
- Drowsy driving
- Failure to follow traffic laws
- Following too closely
- Improper driver training or supervision
- Inadequate bus maintenance
- Failure to inspect vehicles
- Violating hours of service regulations
- Brake failures
- Tire blowouts
- Steering mechanism failures
- Defective parts
Injured clients may sue for negligence and the damages caused by a violation of duty like the above. Bus drivers and companies are held to a different standard of care as “common carriers” in California, making them liable when accidents occur due to negligence. Our bus accident attorneys can help you understand the potential liability in your case so that you can aim for the highest possible compensation allowed by law.
Injuries and Fatalities in Bus Accident Cases
Our California bus accident law firm will compassionately fight for the justice every injured victim and their loved ones deserve. If you’ve lost a loved one in a bus crash, our hearts go out to you. Please contact us to discuss pursuing a wrongful death bus accident lawsuit on behalf of your loved one.
Many of our clients deal with these injuries common to bus and commercial vehicle accidents:
- Amputations
- Back and Neck Injury
- Broken Bones
- Emotional Trauma
- Fatality
- Internal Injuries
- Lacerations and Bruising
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and Depression
- Rib and Torso Injuries
- Severe Burns
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Busses often lack seat belts, which can exacerbate the severity of injuries. Standing passengers or those not properly seated are at a higher risk of being thrown about and injured during an accident.
We’re here to help. Call us 24/7 to get started on a free case evaluation.
Bus Accident Statistics
- How many school bus accidents per year in California? In 2020, there were 80 school buses, 17 intercity buses, and 78 transit buses involved in fatal bus crashes nationwide. [6]
- In 2021, 204 buses were involved in fatal crashes.[7]
- 2021 bus crashes involving injuries exceeded 10,000.[8]
- 2021 also produced 47 pedestrian fatalities and six bicyclist fatalities. [9]
- School bus collision data notes that unsafe speed, improper turns, and start or backing collisions are the most prevalent school bus driver-caused collisions in California.[10]
Meet Bus Accident Lawyer: Jordan M. Jones
Attorney Jordan M. Jones has dedicated his ongoing law practice to helping victims of serious bus and truck accidents throughout Southern California.
As one of only a handful of attorneys located in California who is Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Jordan has litigated over one hundred commercial vehicle accident injury cases with a strong track record of success.
LEARN MORE: Attorney Jordan M. Jones
FAQs about Bus Accident Lawsuits
For personal injury bus accident claims in California, the following parties most commonly open a lawsuit to recover compensation and other damages:
– Passengers on the bus
– Pedestrians hit by the bus
– People in other vehicles involved in a crash with the bus
– Bicyclists hit by the bus
For wrongful death bus accident claims in California, these parties may typically file a lawsuit:
– Surviving spouse or domestic partner
– Children of the deceased
– Parents of the deceased (if there are no surviving children)
– Siblings of the deceased (if there are no surviving parents)
The most important steps after a crash with a bus include these:
– Seek immediate medical attention, even if your injuries seem minor
– Take photos or videos of vehicles, injuries, and surrounding locations if possible
– Exchange information with the bus driver and other vehicle drivers involved, including their name, contact details, license number, and employer information.
– Gather witness contact information and statements if able
– Do not admit fault or make statements to insurance companies
– Obtain a copy of the police report
– Attend all medical appointments and keep all medical records, bills, and receipts related to the accident
– Contact an experienced bus accident attorney as soon as possible, before the deadline to file a lawsuit expires
More Helpful Resources
- Our California Service Areas
- Winning Case Results
- About Us: Get to know our bus accident law firm
- Testimonials – See what our clients are saying
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Reproduction, distribution, republication, and/or retransmission of material contained within the Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers (trucklawyers.com) Website is prohibited unless prior written permission has been obtained.
The above injury information should not be construed as medical advice. When injured, visit your healthcare provider or the emergency room immediately, even if you are not symptomatic following the accident. Failing to attend medical appointments may indicate to those representing truck drivers and trucking companies that you are not as seriously injured as your complaint suggests.