Maison Law represents VTA bus accident victims in San Jose. If you or a loved one were injured in a VTA bus accident, the experienced accident attorneys at Maison Law can get you the compensation you need. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a VTA Bus Accident in San Jose?
If you’ve suffered significant injuries from a VTA bus accident that:
- Caused you to miss work
- Requires hospitalization, medical treatment, or surgery
- Leaves you unable to do basic tasks, or live your daily life without physical pain
It is recommended to consult with a reputable accident attorney to discuss your legal options. However, it is important to know that when you file a lawsuit against the VTA Bus you are suing a government entity. Suing the government can be more challenging for bus accident victims to get compensation. Certain laws such as “sovereign immunity,” protect government departments from lawsuits. But if a government agency has acted recklessly or neglected its duty of care, they can still be sued.
What Evidence Can Be Collected From a VTA Bus Accident in San Jose?
An attorney’s job is to perform an investigation on behalf of your claim. In a lawsuit against a government agency, concrete evidence will be necessary to prove they are liable for your injuries. The type of evidence that can be collected in a VTA bus accident includes:
- Bus Video: Government buses typically have multiple cameras to record all angles of the bus. It is important to request all onboard and outside video footage of the accident.
- Bus Telemetry: Bus telemetry is data recorded by the bus’s sensoring system, which is then reported back to a main data center to give updates on the bus’s condition. This information can be crucial to revealing precisely what the bus driver was doing, or what level the bus was operating at when the accident took place.
- Bus Driver Information: Bus driver information can reveal if the VTA bus line made an error in hiring someone unqualified, which resulted in a bus accident. Relevant bus driver information includes:
- Application for employment
- CDL License
- Driver’s certification of previous traffic violations
- Driver’s employment history
- Neighboring Businesses and residence statements: Sometimes there can be certain camera angles or eyewitness accounts of the accident from the establishments, or people surrounding the scene of the accident. Their statement could play a large role in backing up your claim.
What Should I Do After a VTA Bus Accident in San Jose?
Let’s say you’re pulling out onto San Pedro Square Street on a busy Saturday night and a VTA bus runs a red light and plows into the side of your vehicle in the middle of the intersection. What should you do? The steps you take after a bus accident will be important to ensuring you and your passenger’s safety, as well as protecting your right to compensation if you decide to take legal action. After a bus accident, you should:
- Ensure the safety of you and your passengers: Depending on the situation, this could mean moving your car to the side of the road, or if you are severely injured, it could mean remaining where you are until help arrives. Check yourself for burns, lacerations, or broken bones. Oftentimes, the adrenaline from an accident can mask the pain from major injuries.
- Call the Police: The police will file an accident report and take down the names of everyone involved, as well as assign fault based on the evidence in front of them. A police report will serve as evidence if you need to back up your claims later.
- Document the incident: Take photos or film the aftermath of the bus accident. Film yourself recounting the details of the incident and describe the pain you’re in. It is best to capture how the accident played out while the memory is still fresh in your mind.
- Gather witness statements and bus driver information: Film or record witnesses willing to give a statement about the accident. Take down their names and phone numbers. Photograph the employee’s employee ID number or take down their bus number if possible. All of this information will help support your claim and assist your attorney in building your case.
- Do not admit fault: Don’t admit fault even if you feel you may have caused the accident. Allow the police to conduct their investigation and determine fault.
- Get Medical Attention: Even if you feel fine, it is important to get checked out by a doctor or go to a hospital. Certain injuries can lie dormant and manifest themselves hours, or even days later.
What is the Typical Compensation for a VTA Bus Accident in San Jose?
Compensatory damages are awarded to accident victims in the form of economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. While punitive damages are rare, they can be claimed if the accident was done with extreme recklessness or malice toward the victim. Economic damages are actual financial losses that can be assigned value such as:
- Emergency room treatment
- Hospital bills
- Medications and medical equipment
- Ongoing treatment for current and future medical needs
- In-home care
- Lost income
- Vehicle repair
Non-economic damages are subjective, non-compensatory losses, which include:
- Emotional pain
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
While there is no average amount of compensation, these factors can ultimately decide the compensation you receive. It is important to note, however, that the more severe your injuries and damages are, the more compensation you’ll be awarded.
Contact a VTA Bus Accident Lawyer in San Jose
If you or a loved one have been injured in a VTA bus accident in San Jose, our skilled team of accident attorneys at Maison Law will seek the maximum amount of compensation for your damages. Claiming compensation from a government entity is a challenge that no one deserves to face without the help of an experienced accident attorney. Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation. There is no upfront charge and you don’t pay a cent until we’ve won your case.
