Whether it involves a public transit vehicle operated by LakeXpress, a commercial vehicle operated by a company like Greyhound, or any other type of private transportation service, getting hurt in a bus accident can be traumatizing. If you suffered a physical injury which was serious enough to need professional medical care, you may have grounds to pursue civil compensation for the losses you experience—but only if you enforce your rights under civil law.
No matter how the accident occurred, who it involved, or what kinds of damages you need to recover for, representation from a Eustis bus accident lawyer only increases your odds of success. Our personal injury attorneys have years of experience helping people get favorable results from these types of claims.
Bus drivers are considered “common carriers” under Florida law because they transport human passengers—as opposed to cargo, like in the back of a tractor-trailer—for a fee. As a Eustis bus accident attorney can explain in more detail, this means they have a “duty of care” not just to follow traffic laws and watch out for other vehicles on the road, but also to drive in such a way that their passengers are not at risk of getting hurt while on board. For example, falling out of your seat because a bus driver braked too hard or too suddenly might indicate the driver was not following their duty of care.
Any bus driver who causes a passenger, pedestrian, or motorist to get hurt by “breaching” their duty of care can be considered legally negligent and held liable. In addition, both public and commercial transit services can generally be held vicariously liable for misconduct by one of their employees. This can allow for much greater financial recovery than a claim filed solely against a bus driver.
Regardless of who specifically is found at fault for a bus crash in Eustis, the liable party or parties can be made to pay for both economic and non-economic consequences of the incident, including:
If the defendant(s) in the claim is a private company or individual, there are no caps set by Florida state law on how much money you can demand to account for all their compensable damages.
As per Florida Statutes § 768.28, though, there are limits on claims pursued against the state of Florida or any of its “agencies and subdivisions” such as the Lake County Office of Transit Services, which operates LakeXpress. Specifically, the caps are $200,000 worth of damages for any one injured person and $300,000 for all damages stemming from a single incident.
In addition, there may be slightly different filing deadlines for claims based on public bus accidents compared to those for commercial bus crash claims. There may also be different procedural requirements for filing. A bus accident lawyer in Eustis could discuss how the legal process will likely work for your particular case during a private initial meeting.
While buses of all shapes and sizes are not involved in traffic accidents as often as your average commuter car, they could still get caught up in wrecks from time to time which. As you may have unfortunately learned, this can have serious repercussions for your life. Between that and the various legal roadblocks enshrined in state law, your odds of getting fair financial recovery for injuries caused by a negligent bus driver may be slim if you do not have experience on your side.
Fortunately, you have help available from a Eustis bus accident lawyer from The Umansky Law Firm. Call us today to schedule a free consultation and discuss whether you may be eligible to secure a financial payout for your troubles.
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