In size, scale, and weight, public buses are far larger than cars, SUVs, or even heavy-duty trucks. As such, when large commercial vehicles like buses collide with smaller passenger vehicles, the resulting injuries may be substantial. In far too many cases, victims of public city bus accidents are left with costly medical bills, serious physical impairments, and other damages.
So what should someone do if their vehicle is hit by a public city bus? If you were in a collision with a large vehicle like a bus, especially one operated by a licensed city official, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. However, whether you will actually be able to claim compensation could depend on many factors.
Here, we will discuss what to do if you are hit by a public city bus in Colorado. Keep in mind that for legal advice or answers to specific questions that pertain to your unique bus accident, we encourage you to call a Colorado personal injury attorney. Specifically, one with a specialty in public city transit collisions such as Matlin Injury Law.
Contact a Bus Accident Lawyer in Colorado With Your Questions Now
A personal injury bus accident attorney can give you legal guidance and help you devise the best strategy to seek compensation, bring a lawsuit forward, and have your claims settled. Your counselor will also help you speak with insurance claims adjusters and protect your interests. For answers to your bus accident questions in Colorado, call the team at Matlin Injury Law on the phone at 303-487-8911 during business hours or fill out a brief risk-free case consultation form online at any time.
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What Colorado Bus Accident Victims Should Know
In Colorado, liability laws mandate that all drivers on the road, including bus drivers, must be properly insured. Moreover, according to Colorado’s fault laws of comparative negligence (CRS 13-80-101), the driver or vehicle operator found to be the majority at fault for an accident is responsible for paying fair compensation to the victim.
What happens if a bus hits your car?
If a bus hits your car, what happens next will depend on many factors. For instance, things like where and when the accident took place, the angle from which your vehicle was hit, how fast you and the bus were traveling, and how many passengers were in your vehicle, could all dramatically impact the consequent circumstances of a collision. Still, there’s a good chance that serious injuries will occur.
City buses can weigh anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 lbs. In contrast, most passenger vehicles usually only weigh around 2,500 lbs, with larger automobiles like SUVs and trucks weighing around 4,000 to 5,000 lbs. As you can see, this creates a massive size difference. for the passengers of the smaller vehicle, the resulting injuries may be devastating.
Common bus accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Spinal injuries
- Cranial injuries
- Internal damage
- Burns
- Fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
What to do if a bus hits your vehicle?
What you do in the immediate aftermath of your collision is very important. It can be helpful to remember the acronym SAFER.
S – Seek Safety
First of all, get yourself to safety. Only once you are out of the way of the flow of traffic should you try to help others who were involved in the collision. Always treat your safety as the top priority and try to stay calm and act with rationality.
A – Ask for Assistance
Next, ask for assistance. If possible, call 911 right away. If you are severely injured or don’t have your phone anymore, you can ask someone nearby to call 911 for you.
F – First Aid
Then, accept any medical attention from the first responders, including an ambulance ride if one is advised. Not only is this important for your health and well-being, but it will create a record of your accident and medical condition. Cooperate with all officers and medical personnel who arrive on the scene.
E – Evaluate your Experience
Try to document the details of your experience thoroughly by recording a video of you talking about your accident. Recording your experience in detail can be important for clearly remembering the details of your collision later. If possible, gather evidence of the accident by taking pictures with your phone, especially of any resulting damage.
R – Respond and Recover
Once your medical needs have been addressed, you have the details of your case documented, and you are on the road to recovery, consider hiring a lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will help you recover damages, file claims, and seek compensation for your casualties.
The Bust Accident Lawyers at Matlin Injury Law of Parker, CO Are Here to Help
No one expects to find themselves in a serious automobile collision, especially one with a public vehicle such as a city bus. If you are the victim of a city bus accident, hiring a lawyer right away may be the best thing to do. Here at Matlin Injury Law, we treat each and every one of our automobile accident clients with the utmost care and consideration. We will listen to the details of your bus accident case and help you come up with the best strategy to ensure that you receive a fair outcome.
Our team can also go above and beyond to help you get the most compensation for your financial burdens, pain, and suffering. We offer free case consultations to bus accident victims in Colorado. So, for assistance with your bus accident case in Parker, Thornton, Denver, Aurora, Boulder, Longmont, Monument, or any nearby cities, contact our team now.
Need to File a City Bus Accident Claim? Call Matlin Injury Law’s Team of Skilled Colorado Personal Injury Attorneys Today at 303-487-8911!
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