If you suffered injuries in a collision caused by a bus driver, or if your child was hurt in a school bus crash, you may be able to build a case against the bus driver and bus company. The Morris Bart law firm may be able to help.
Our team provides free consultations and case assessments for victims of bus crashes in Monroe, Louisiana. We will answer your questions, review the details of your case, and help you understand your legal options today.
Choose Our Experienced Monroe Bus Accident Lawyers for Your Case
- Our bus accident lawyers have more than 40 years of legal experience. We represent clients throughout the Southeast United States across 16 office locations.
- Our case results speak for themselves; we have collected over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. In 2023 alone, we successfully resolved more than 5,000 cases.
- We accept Monroe bus accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will only pay us attorney’s fees if we win your case. You will pay $0 upfront.
For a free legal consultation with a Bus Accident lawyer serving Monroe, call (318) 884-0904
Seeking and Recovering Financial Losses and Other Compensation in Your Bus Accident Case
Recovering compensation through an insurance settlement or lawsuit is the best way to ensure your accident-related expenses get paid, and your losses are covered. If you can prove the bus driver caused your collision, you may be able to hold them and their employer liable for damages that include:
- Medical bills to date
- Future treatment and support costs
- Income lost and diminished ability to earn in the future
- Property damages
- Out-of-pocket costs related to the accident
- Pain and suffering losses, as well as other intangible damages
- Wrongful death damages, if you are a surviving spouse, child, or parent
When our Monroe personal injury attorneys pursue damages for a client hurt in a bus accident, we take steps to identify their recoverable costs and document their value. This allows us to lay out the facts of the case clearly during negotiations with the insurance company or for the judge and jury at trial.
The financial recovery we secure for our clients depends greatly on the damages we can document and the values assigned to them. During your free initial consultation with our team, we can explain more about how we prove your recoverable damages.
How Can I Learn More About My Rights as a Monroe Bus Accident Victim?
The best way to educate yourself about your legal rights and options for pursuing compensation is to connect with our team. The Morris Bart law firm’s bus accident lawyers in Monroe will review your case for free.
We represent clients’ best interests and seek financial recovery for them after many types of bus collision injuries. This includes when:
- The claimant was on the bus
- The claimant’s minor child was a bus passenger
- Their car was struck by a bus
- They were hit by a bus while crossing the road or walking along the road
We also know how to develop a case based on an accident involving any type of bus or transit system. This could include:
- Monroe Transit and the City of Monroe
- The Monroe City School District
- Ouachita Parish School System
- Greyhound or other similar providers
- Tour bus companies
- Bus rental companies
- Privately owned coaches
Since our case is often against the bus company in these claims, it is important that you understand the steps necessary based on the circumstances of your accident. Municipal or parish agencies run many bus systems, and the rules may be somewhat complicated when pursuing compensation from them.
You do not have to worry about this when you have us on your side. We know how this process works, the applicable deadlines, and the steps we need to take to develop an effective argument and recover compensation for our clients.
Click to contact our Monroe Personal Injury Attorneys today
Deadlines Apply to Your Monroe Bus Crash Claim or Lawsuit
There are deadlines that apply to filing lawsuits based on a Monroe bus accident. Called statutes of limitations, missing one of these deadlines could mean losing the right to sue. Bus accident victims have:
- Two years for injured victims per Civ. Code Art. 3493.1
- One year for a loved one’s death under Civ. Code Art. 2315.2
Bus accident cases, however, often come with exceptions to these rules. When the victim is a child, you might have longer to begin your civil suit. If your case is against a government agency, you might have less time.
Determining the timeline in these cases can be confusing. Our team can help you understand how soon you need to get started during your complimentary consultation.
Proving Liability in a Monroe Bus Accident Case
The party or parties that can be held liable (financially and legally responsible) for a bus accident in Monroe depends on the cause of the crash. Louisiana is a fault-based insurance state, meaning the individual or entity most at fault for causing the bus crash will be held accountable. The fault law requires the injured victim or plaintiff to prove the other party caused the accident to recover compensation from that party’s insurance provider.
Proving liability generally requires proof of a failure to act with proper care, otherwise known as negligence. Negligence has four parts:
- Duty of care: an obligation to act in a way that a reasonable and ordinary person would.
- Breach of duty: an act or omission that falls short of the defendant’s duty of care.
- Causation: proof that the breach of duty was the proximate or actual cause of the bus accident.
- Damages: real, specific losses suffered by the injured victim.
The burden of proof in a personal injury case is a preponderance of the evidence, also known as “more likely than not.” Proving liability in a bus accident case takes clear and convincing evidence, such as police accident reports, photos of the crash scene, video footage, the bus company and maintenance records, bus driver employment records, cell phone records, and witness statements.
Why Bus Accident Cases Are Particularly Complex
Bus accident cases must be treated differently than standard car accident claims in Louisiana. Bus crash cases come with many unique elements that make them more difficult to navigate, such as:
- Multiple parties involved
- Government agency liability
- Severe to catastrophic injuries suffered by multiple passengers
- Complex insurance policy negotiations
- Regulatory issues, such as federal and state bus laws
Various issues can add challenges to a bus accident case in Monroe. These claims may require specialized knowledge of bus operation and the transportation industry as a whole to be successfully resolved.
Morris Bart Personal Injury Lawyers May Be Able to Hold the Bus Driver and Their Employer Liable
While we base both bus accident and car accident cases on proving negligence and holding the at-fault party responsible, there are differences. The most significant difference in a bus accident case is that the doctrine of respondeat superior often applies.
This doctrine allows us to build a case against both the driver and their employer, holding the bus company or owner vicariously liable. Other recent cases that involve vicarious liability of the driver’s employer include:
- A $490,000 recovery after a Hattiesburg, MS, truck accident that left our client with neck and back injuries
- A $337,500 payout based on the client’s traumatic brain injuries, broken neck, and fractured vertebra suffered in a Texarkana, AR, tractor-trailer collision
At the Morris Bart law firm, we have over 40 years of experience managing negligence accident cases for injured clients. We won more than 6,500 cases in 2019, recovering compensation for each client. We are a contingency-fee personal injury law firm.
As of 2021, we have 15 offices serving four states. This includes Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.
What to Do if You’ve Been in a Monroe Bus Accident
If you have been in a bus accident in Monroe, Louisiana, it is important to take the following steps to protect yourself:
- Pull over at the scene of the accident if you are in a vehicle outside of the bus.
- Check yourself and everyone else involved in the bus accident for injuries.
- Render aid to injured parties, including yourself, by getting medical care immediately.
- Call 911 to report the bus accident to local law enforcement in Monroe.
- Do not admit fault for the accident.
- Take photographs and videos while you are still at the scene.
- Exchange information with the bus driver and any witnesses.
- Gather copies of your police report and medical records.
- Notify your insurance company about the bus accident.
- Before accepting an insurance settlement, discuss your legal options with an attorney at Morris Bart.
Consulting with a bus accident lawyer in Monroe as soon as possible can help ensure you take the appropriate actions after this type of disaster.
Talk to a Team Member from Our Bus Accident Team Serving Monroe Today
Speak with staff from the Morris Bart law office in Monroe about your bus crash injuries today. We can review your case and determine your legal options for taking action. These consultations are free for injured passengers, victims of these collisions, and their families.
Call us or fill out our online contact form now, and let our Monroe bus accident attorneys go to work for you.
Questions?Call (318) 884-0904
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
