Maison Law can help Amtrak bus accident victims secure support after a crash involving a Thruway bus. An accident can leave the federal government and several partner bus companies liable for injuries suffered.
If you have suffered an injury while riding on an Amtrak Thruway Bus or after being struck by a bus driver, contact a California Bus Accident Lawyer for a free consultation.
Determining Your Need for a Lawyer After an Amtrak Thruway Bus Accident
Your need for an attorney depends largely on what type of injury you come away with. For a bus crash involving just minor injuries or just property damage, you may find success handling your own case. And you always have the right to file a claim yourself.
But if your injury is more serious, the medical costs and lost income start to grow, and your need for a lawyer’s protection becomes more important. A serious injury would include something like a bone fracture, a neck or back injury, or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It might involve a serious concussion or whiplash pain that lasts more than a few days.
Legal Protection for Your Case: Your California Amtrak Thruway Bus Accident Lawyer acts as a shield when insurers try to downplay a crash and injuries, to get away with offering you far less than they should. Government lawyers for Amtrak may also try to devalue your case. Your lawyer can collect evidence from the accident and medical documentation to shut down any insurance tactics meant to rob you of support.
Boosting Your Settlement Amount: A skilled attorney also has the experience to know when insurers are holding back support. An attorney would reject any “lowball” settlement offer and demand more for what you’ve been through. A great attorney can often secure much more for your case than you could by taking on a government agency alone.
Take Advantage Of a Free Consultation with a Real Bus Accident Attorney
You may still wonder if your case is worth filing and if you can take on the federal government behind Amtrak and win.
There’s an easy way to get answers. Our personal injury lawyers are happy to sit down with or hop on the phone with any bus accident victim in California. It’s an absolutely free case consultation. There’s no obligation for this meeting, and it’s strictly confidential.
It’s the perfect, no-risk way to determine if you have a case or not. Let’s go over your questions and find your best path to getting your life back on track after a crash caused by a careless bus driver.
Finding Out Who Is Responsible for an Amtrak Bus Crash
Amtrak Thruway Buses are meant to help people get to Amtrak train stations in areas where their trains don’t go. It’s meant to bridge the gap for riders.
You may only know the Amtrak brand from train rides, and not buses. So it’s not a surprise that Amtrak partners with a lot of other bus companies to handle passengers on its bus routes. In some stretches, companies like Greyhound and Sunway Charters handle the driving under Amtrak’s Thruway brand.
As you might expect, it can be confusing to figure out where to send your injury claim when there’s an accident.
Bus Contractors: In some cases, Amtrak’s motorcoach contractors are liable for accidents. Companies like Greyhound will have millions of dollars in insurance money to offer injured riders and the victims of crashes in other vehicles. However, they also have teams or lawyers ready to block you from earning what you need to fully recover.
Amtrak: In some cases, Amtrak is partially liable for your recovery costs. But Amtrak is a division of the federal government and gets special protection from lawsuits. You’d likely have to win support through arbitration. These cases can also have shorter deadlines and require complex paperwork simply to get your case looked at.
With this red tape and mystery of who’s at fault, it’s a good idea to go over your case with a skilled Maison Law attorney in a free consultation. Even if you end up not needing an attorney, it’s a no-risk way to get your case aimed at the right company or government agency.
Earning Compensation After an Amtrak Bus Accident
Amtrak Thruway Bus Drivers use California freeways and boulevards like the rest of us, but they are also on the clock and working behind the wheel. This can lead to distractions and fatigue, and those factors can cause more collisions.
The size, shape, and weight of passenger buses also create more force in impacts that can toss passengers around the cabin. It can also do more damage to the vehicles the bus strikes and cause more harm to people outside the bus, such as defenseless pedestrians and bicyclists.
Victims in bus hubs like Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara might suffer traumatic injuries. They could get injured while heading up into the Yosemite area or over to the coast. These are injuries that can cause physical, emotional, and financial harm.
A skilled attorney would make sure these and other benefits were covered in any settlement agreement:
- Money for injured bus passengers and car occupants to pay every hospital bill now and in the future
- A lifetime of support if a permanent physical disability is suffered
- Travel costs while going to see medical specialists who may be in different cities
- Support for the physical pain victims endure
- Support for the emotional trauma victims must suffer through
- Past and future lost income and benefits while victims miss work
- Estimates on lost earning capacity from a permanent disability
- The cost of repairs or replacement if a bus strikes a car, a motorcycle, or a bicycle
The financial responsibility for any harm a bus driver causes should fall to the owners and operators of the bus service. But even when the fault is laid out clearly in a California Highway Patrol accident report, insurers and government lawyers can find ways to shed blame. It’s a good idea to have your own legal representative to make sure the story of what happened can’t be changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my family seek support if a loved one is killed in a Bus Accident?
Family members may file a wrongful death claim to earn help with funeral bills and to replace the income the victim would have continued to support loved ones with in the future. The family should also receive support for the love and care that’s been lost now and in the years ahead. A skilled California wrongful death attorney can also act on behalf of the entire family to make sure they receive justice and financial security.
What can I do to help collect evidence for my case right after a bus crash?
Take pictures of the interior of the bus if it’s safe to do so. Show any visible injuries you have. Get a full once-over from paramedics and go to the hospital if it’s advisable. If the scene is secure outside, take photos of the other vehicles involved and the damage to the outside of the Amtrak bus. Get witness contact information. Tell officers everything you remember about what happened before the crash. Save this evidence and information to turn over to your attorney, because much of it will disappear once the scene is cleared.
What if I can’t afford to pay an attorney after a bus accident?
We understand that with doctor bills coming due and lost paychecks, it’s not usually a time you need more bills. Don’t worry. If you need Maison Law, we’re there. We don’t ask for any money up front. We only get paid if we win your case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement check that Amtrak must write for you.
Reach Out to a California Amtrak Bus Accident Lawyer
After you’ve suffered a serious injury due to a bus driver’s mistake, it’s a good idea to take advantage of a free case review. Contact us to set up a meeting with a real lawyer.
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, continues to take on giant companies, insurers, and even the federal government, and makes sure they can’t slip away from blame. We don’t back down. We demand that you get what you need to make a full recovery. If you need our help to hold Amtrak accountable, your case becomes our number one focus.
