Bus accidents can cause catastrophic injuries and deaths. If you were in a bus accident in Carlisle, PA, call Marzzacco Niven & Associates to discuss your legal options. Our Carlisle bus accident lawyers can help you recover compensation for pain, suffering, and financial losses.
The attorneys at Marzzacco Niven & Associates have been a trusted source of legal advice and quality legal representation since 2008. Collectively, our top-rated Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers have more than 120 years of experience. We have won millions of dollars for injured victims and their families.
Don’t trust an insurance company or a bus owner to treat you fairly. Contact our law firm today to schedule a free consultation with one of our Carlisle personal injury lawyers or call (717) 995-8732.
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How Our Carlisle Personal Injury Lawyers at Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help You With a Bus Accident Claim
Buses are not quite as large as commercial trucks but are much larger than passenger vehicles. Pedestrians and bicyclists hit by a bus will likely sustain traumatic injuries. A passenger vehicle could be crushed by a large bus.
Numerous parties and insurance providers could be involved in a bus accident case. All parties might blame each other to avoid liability for damages. You need an experienced Carlisle personal injury attorney with the resources to fight these parties and win.
Our skilled lawyers have decades of experience handling complicated personal injury cases. Our law firm and lawyers have been recognized for their exceptional legal services by several national organizations, including Best Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers. Our reputation as fierce advocates for our clients is well-known.
When you hire Marzzacco Niven & Associates to handle a Pennsylvania bus accident case, you can trust that we will take care of all related matters; we will:
- Monitor and review the results of investigations by state and federal government agencies and law enforcement offices
- Conduct an independent investigation to gather evidence, determine fault, and identify liable parties
- Work with leading expert witnesses in their fields to gather additional evidence to strengthen and support our case
- Subpoena evidence and information from the bus company, including the information from the black box, logbooks, driving records, and maintenance records
- Calculate the correct value for your case after documenting your damages
- Prepare and file all documents and paperwork for personal injury and insurance claims
- Aggressively negotiate with the at-fault parties and insurance companies for a fair settlement amount
- Take your bus accident case to court, if necessary
Our law firm accepts cases on a contingency fee basis. Therefore, you will only pay attorney’s fees after we recover financial compensation for your bus accident case. Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced bus accident lawyers in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in Carlisle, PA
Bus accidents are more common than you might realize. According to the FMCSA, there were 726 bus crashes in Pennsylvania in 2022, an increase of 101 from 2021. The crashes resulted in eight deaths and 604 injuries.
For the most part, buses are safe forms of travel. Unfortunately, negligence is often a factor in many bus accidents. Had the at-fault party taken reasonable care, the accident might not have happened.
Common reasons for Carlisle bus accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Failing to follow FMCSA safety regulations
- Impaired driving
- Inexperienced bus drivers
- Fatigued and drowsy driving
- Negligent maintenance leading to vehicle malfunctions
- Vehicle defects
- Hazardous road and/or weather conditions
- Violating Pennsylvania traffic laws
- Negligence and errors by other motorists
Our Carlisle bus accident attorneys will analyze each piece of evidence in your case. We’ll work to uncover each factor that contributed to the cause of the bus crash so we can link those factors to the responsible parties to prove liability for your injuries.
We Handle Bus Accident Claims Involving All Types of Injuries
Bus accident injuries range from lacerations and sprains to catastrophic injuries.
Our bus accident lawyers in Carlisle, PA handle cases involving all types of injuries, including:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries, including whiplash
- Broken bones and fractures
- Back injuries
- Severe burns
- Crushing injuries
- Lacerations and cuts
- Chest injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Nerve damage
Some injuries sustained in a bus crash cause permanent impairments and disabilities. Some victims do not survive their injuries. Our lawyers represent families in wrongful death lawsuits when a family member dies in a bus accident.
If you are injured in a bus accident, seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries. Delays in medical care could cause your injuries to worsen. It could also cause problems in your personal injury case.
What Is My Carlisle Bus Accident Case Worth?
Pennsylvania personal injury laws provide compensatory damages for injured parties. These damages compensate you for your monetary losses, pain, and suffering. Compensatory damages include economic and non-economic damages.
Damages in a bus accident case can include:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Rehabilitation and physical therapies
- Permanent impairments and disabilities
- Lost wages and benefits
- Mental anguish
- Long-term care
- Emotional distress
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Diminished quality of life
- Decreased earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive damages are only awarded in a few personal injury cases. Since these damages “punish” the at-fault party for their conduct, the injured party has a higher burden of proof to meet to receive a punitive damages award.
The amount of your compensation depends on the facts of your case. Typically, severe and catastrophic injuries increase the value of your claim. Allegations of comparative fault and failing to mitigate damages could reduce the value of your claim.
Our bus accident attorneys in Carlisle will defend you against allegations of blame designed to undervalue your damages. We’ll fight to get you every dollar you deserve.
Can I Receive Compensation If I Am Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in Pennsylvania?
Blaming victims for causing or contributing to the cause of an accident is a common insurance tactic. Insurance adjusters tell victims their actions contributed to the cause of the crash, so their claims are not worth as much money.
The basis for the claim is under Pennsylvania’s modified comparative fault law. The law allows judges to reduce the amount of compensation you receive if you are partially at fault for causing a bus accident. Therefore, if you were 20% to blame, you would only receive 80% of the award for damages.
However, Pennsylvania sets a bar for comparative negligence. If you are more than 50% responsible for causing your injuries, you cannot recover any money for damages. Always be cautious when talking to the insurance company because something you say could be intentionally misinterpreted to allege fault.
What Do I Need to Prove to Win a Carlisle Bus Accident Case?
Bus accidents are generally based on negligence, which is the failure to act with reasonable care.
Therefore, you would need to prove that the at-fault party:
- Owed you a legal duty of care
- Breached the duty of care
- The breach of duty caused the bus accident
- You were injured and sustained damages because of the bus accident
If you go to trial, the burden of proof for compensatory damages is by a preponderance of the evidence. The jurors must believe that your claim is more likely true than not. In other words, you must convince the jurors there is more than a 50% chance that the at-fault party acted negligently and that the negligence caused your injuries.
Numerous parties might be involved in a bus accident case. The bus driver, owner, and operator all might share liability for your damages. The maintenance and repair company or a bus manufacturer could be liable if a defective part or malfunctioning system caused the crash.
Our Carlisle personal injury lawyers have decades of experience identifying at-fault parties and building cases against them. We aggressively investigate bus accidents to ensure we uncover all evidence proving liability for damages.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Bus Accident Lawsuits in Carlisle, Pennsylvania?
Most personal injury claims for bus accident injuries have a two-year statute of limitations. The time begins on the accident date. The court can dismiss your lawsuit if you file it after the deadline expires, even if you have a valid legal claim.
Some factors can alter the deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit. For example, if a government entity is involved, you might have just a few months to file a notice of claim to protect your right to sue. Call us now to speak with an attorney and protect your right to pursue a claim for damages.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Carlisle Bus Accident Lawyers
Don’t try to fight a large corporation or government entity without help. These parties have unlimited resources to fight your claim. Let Marzzacco Niven & Associates use our resources to fight back.
Call now to request a free case review with one of our experienced Carlisle bus accident attorneys. Your consultation is confidential.