Baltimore Bus Accident Lawyer

Riding the bus n Baltimore, Maryland, is a frequent necessity for many Baltimore residents since other public transportation options leave a lot to be desired. Bus accidents can happen whether you are riding the Charm City Circulator, the MTA, the MTA Mobility, TheBus, or the WMATA.

For this reason, it is important to find the contact information of a dependable Baltimore bus accident lawyer if you are injured in accident on a bus. You need to know what happened and why the accident occurred.

More importantly, you must identify the party responsible for the accident so you can file a claim against the liable party. Continue with this article by Leppler Injury Law to learn more about these important details.

What to Do if You Are in a Bus Accident in Baltimore, Maryland

The actions you take immediately following the accident are crucial, especially if you are the bus accident victim. The things you do in that scenario could determine how well your lawsuit will fare. Follow the tips by Baltimore bus accident attorney John Leppler’s law firm detailed below so you can avoid making potentially critical mistakes.

Call 911

In the immediate aftermath of your accident, your priority should be to dial 911. This should be your priority whether you are involved in a bus or car accident in Baltimore. Placing that call is important for two reasons.

First, you need to call 911 to receive immediate medical attention for any injuries you sustained. An emergency dispatcher will also send police officers to investigate the incident. Calling 911 is always important following an accident, regardless of how severe your injuries are.

Receive Treatment for Your Injuries

The injuries caused by bus injuries in Baltimore, Maryland, can potentially be life-altering. We will discuss those injuries in greater detail later in this article. Make sure you receive treatment following the accident.

Even if you do not feel significantly worse for wear after the accident, you should still head to the doctor as soon as you can. Some of the injuries people sustain from these accidents can have delayed effects. It would be best to learn about them as soon as possible.

Collect Evidence Related to Your Bus Accident in Baltimore, Maryland

If you are feeling well enough, you can start collecting evidence at the accident scene. The evidence you gather will be helpful as you and your bus accident lawyer in Baltimore put your lawsuit together. Remember to talk to witnesses at the scene because their accounts could prove to be invaluable.

Speak to the Baltimore Police

You should also consider waiting for the police to arrive if you can. In cases like this, you should get your testimony on the record as soon as possible. Do not let the bus driver or the bus company control the narrative.

Tell the police everything you can recall about what happened. Share the evidence you gathered earlier to help prove your version of the events. Also, make sure you ask for the contact information of the police officers so you can get in touch with them easily.

Hire Legal Representation

Last but not least, you will need to partner with an attorney as you pursue this case. You can expect the other side’s insurance company to use every trick in the book to thwart your legal claim. Fighting back against them will require enlisting the help of a legal professional.

Types of Bus Accidents Leppler Injury Law Handles

Here at Leppler Injury Law, we can take on any bus accident case. More often than not, the cases we handle fall into the three categories detailed below.

Public Bus Accidents

The residents of Baltimore widely use public buses. You expect the drivers to responsibly operate city bus lines such as the MTA, the MTA Mobility, and the WMATA.

If a careless operator of one of those bus lines causes an accident you were involved in, you can pursue legal action and seek compensation. Dealing with a public bus line can be difficult, but as a Baltimore bus accident lawyer, John Leppler understands how to handle these cases.

Private Bus Accidents

You may expect private companies to operate better than their public counterparts, but that does not mean that they are exempt from making mistakes. Their operators can still commit errors that could lead to disastrous results. Private bus companies may pressure you into settling or dropping your lawsuit altogether. Instead of giving in, you need to fight back with your bus accident lawyer.

School Bus Accidents in Baltimore

It is one thing if you were the victim of a bus accident because you can still watch out for yourself. If your child is the one who ends up injured, holding the guilty party responsible must be your priority. Your child deserves compensation for what they experienced during the school bus accident, and we will help them claim what is rightfully theirs.

Who Is Responsible for a Bus Accident in Baltimore?

Being involved in a bus accident can lead to you sustaining some bad injuries. We are talking about injuries that could affect your quality of life. You need compensation for the injuries you sustained. So, which party should you seek compensation from? You may be surprised to learn that there are different possible candidates. Learn more about the parties who could be held responsible below.

The Bus Driver

Let’s start by discussing the first person that likely came to your mind while you were wondering about the parties who could be deemed responsible for a bus accident. Inevitably, you will look at the bus driver as someone who must shoulder the blame for what happened. There is a good chance that their actions can be negligent.

In the state of Maryland, bus drivers owe their bus passengers the highest duty of care. They must always keep that in mind as they go through their routes. If a bus driver fails to exercise the level of care required, you can sue them for causing the accident.

The Bus Company

A plaintiff is not limited to seeking compensation only from the driver who caused the bus accident. Due to the legal doctrine known as respondeat superior, a plaintiff in a bus accident case can also take legal action against the employer of the negligent driver.

Per Cornell Law School, the principle of respondeat superior dictates that an employer can be accountable if the wrongful acts of their employee occurred within the scope of their employment. You can cite that doctrine if you intend to sue the driver and the bus company.

Holding the bus company accountable is also an option if the evidence determines that the accident occurred due to an issue with the vehicle itself. While making your case, you or your Baltimore bus accident attorney can also argue that the company should have trained its employees better.

Another Driver

You can also argue that a different driver is the party responsible for the accident. The negligent actions of the other driver could explain why a crash occurred. If you can place the blame squarely on them, your lawsuit will succeed in court.

Causes of Bus Accidents in Baltimore

Bus accidents are often byproducts of negligence. Learning more about the cause of the accident will clue you into who ultimately caused it.

Distracted drivers are more likely to cause accidents; the same for those who are fatigued from long hours of driving. However, you can also argue that the bus company is to blame if the root cause of the accident was driver fatigue.

In cases where the accident occurred due in part to the bus not being properly maintained, you can assign the blame to the bus driver.  the bus company or possibly the bus manufacturer. The driver for not double-checking the vehicle, while the company for not maintaining the bus.  Examples of negligence are brake failure, mechanical failure, driver error, poor maintenance,  lack of proper training, or excessive speed.

Bus Accident Claim Requirements in Baltimore

Personal injury lawsuits against public entities can be tricky. The rules that govern lawsuits against private entities do not apply to them. For starters, you need to act faster if you are suing a public employee or entity. You must file a notice of claim to the county attorney or city solicitor within one year, or inform the State within one year, and sometimes you must do both

Consulting with a bus accident lawyer is practically a must if you are planning to file that kind of lawsuit. Make sure you tell your lawyer about the parties you want to sue, and you should also provide your testimony regarding the accident. By providing those important pieces of information, your lawyer can put together the lawsuit much faster.

Do not forget to share any pieces of evidence you have gathered up to this point. Your doctor’s diagnosis of your current condition will be essential as it will help legitimize your claims. Remember to pass along the contact details of the police officers you talked to earlier so your Baltimore personal injury lawyer can get the official accident report.

Types of Bus Accident Injuries in Baltimore, Maryland

What kind of injuries do people commonly sustain from bus accidents? Let’s discuss them further in the section below.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Among the most serious injuries, a person may sustain from being involved in a bus crash is a TBI or traumatic brain injury. People commonly sustain traumatic brain injuries after they absorb a forceful blow to the head. Hitting your head on a hard object inside the bus could lead to you developing a traumatic brain injury.

According to the CDC, there were over 64,000 TBI-related deaths recorded in 2020. If you sustain that kind of injury, you must seek medical attention immediately. Even if you avoid the worst-case scenario, TBIs can still be incredibly difficult to live with.

Symptoms of TBIs include nausea, dizziness, seizures, sleep issues, and depression. Those symptoms may last for a few days, or they could remain fixtures of your daily life if you have a severe injury. Work closely with a bus accident law firm to be compensated fairly for the injuries you must deal with for the rest of your life.

Fractured Bones

Your body may end up getting tossed around due to the impact generated during the crash. If that happens, you could sustain some broken bones. The bones in your legs and arms may sustain significant damage during the accident. Breaking the bones along your spine is also a possibility in chaotic collisions.

Aside from being incredibly painful, broken bones can also carry long-term ramifications. Your extremities may no longer function properly following the accident. Depending on which bones you break in your spine, you may even end up paralyzed.

Bruises, Burns, and Cuts

Compared to traumatic brain injuries and broken bones, sustaining some bruises, burns, and cuts may not seem so bad but they still require medical care. Once they heal, they will not cause pain anymore. Unfortunately, those reminders of the accident can still affect you in other ways.

You may feel less comfortable in your own skin due to the disfiguring effects of those injuries. Venturing outside may turn into a challenge because you no longer feel good about your appearance.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering is a term that refers to the physical pain and mental challenges you may experience due to your injuries. The effect that your wounds have on your self-esteem is one example of pain and suffering manifesting as a mental hurdle. The fear you feel whenever you are inside a bus is also an example of pain and suffering and emotional distress brought about by the accident.

Experienced Attorney in Baltimore, Maryland

We at Leppler Injury Law are ready to help if you are planning to seek fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering following your bus crash in Baltimore. You can be confident that we will handle your bus accident claim and lawsuit with the utmost skill and care if you decide to partner with us.

Contact our injury law firm today for a free legal consultation so we can start working on your bus accident lawsuit.