Jacksonville Bus Accident Lawyer

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Were you or a loved one involved in a bus accident in Jacksonville, FL? You could receive compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more. You can count on an experienced Jacksonville bus accident lawyer at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers to help you fight for maximum compensation.

Collectively, our lawyers have over 80 years of experience in personal injury law. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars for deserving personal injury victims.

It’s never too early to start protecting your legal rights. To learn more about our practice areas, call our law firm in Jacksonville, Florida, at (904) 396-1100 to schedule a free consultation today.

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How Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bus Accident in Jacksonville

An accident can turn your life upside down. Even if you’re expected to recover fully, medical bills and your lost wages during recovery can be a major setback. If the accident wasn’t your fault, you might be entitled to damages.

To maximize your financial recovery, you’ll need an experienced Jacksonville personal injury attorney by your side. At Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we have a track record of success that you can trust. Our firm has garnered an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by Super Lawyers every year since 2009.

When you trust our team for legal advice, you can expect us to:

Investigate to establish the cause of your accident
Identify all responsible parties
Evaluate the value of your case
Protect you if the other side tries to blame you
Hire trusted experts who can help prove your case
Handle all negotiations and communications

Our Jacksonville injury lawyers would be proud to stand up and fight to protect you. To learn more about how our award-winning lawyers can help you recover the maximum compensation you deserve, call for a free initial consultation today.

How Common Are Bus Accidents in Jacksonville, FL?

Public transportation is often a safe, inexpensive, and convenient way to get around Jacksonville. Still, accidents involving buses aren’t uncommon.

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data, 232 buses were involved in fatal accidents in 2019.

FMCSA research shows that the following types of buses are most likely to be involved in a deadly crash:

School buses, which were involved in 84 fatal accidents
Transit buses, which were involved in 78 fatal accidents
Intercity buses, which were involved in 15 fatal accidents

In Florida alone, at least 223 people were injured in bus accidents in 2020, including 173 passengers.

What Is My Jacksonville Bus Accident Case Worth?

The value of your bus accident claim will depend on the circumstances surrounding the accident and injury.

Some of the most important factors include:

How severe your injuries are
Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery or suffer a permanent disability
The value of your lost wages and any lost earning capacity
The amount of medical bills and other expenses you’ve incurred
Changes to your lifestyle and quality of life
Your emotional and physical suffering
Whether you contributed to the accident

Understanding how much your personal injury case is worth is key to recovering a compensation award that’s fair. Otherwise, you risk settling for a lowball offer–and losing your ability to recover additional damages if your expenses are higher than expected.

Our lawyers are here to help value your case. Just call our lawyers in Jacksonville to schedule a free case evaluation today.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?

Bus accidents can cause significant damage. As a victim, you’re entitled to pursue damages for your economic and non-economic losses. Some of those damages, like medical expenses, are fairly easy to document. Others are much more difficult to prove.

Some examples of the types of damages you may be entitled to receive include:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Diminished quality of life
Out-of-pocket expenses
Property damage
Pain and suffering
Lost future earning capacity
Emotional distress
Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
Disfigurement
Loss of consortium
Rehabilitation costs

If you lost a loved one in a fatal crash, you might be entitled to funeral expenses, burial costs, and other compensation for wrongful death.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in Florida?

Unless you were a passenger on the bus, it’s likely that someone will try to blame you for contributing to the accident. Because Florida follows a modified comparative fault law with a 51% rule, you won’t lose your right to seek compensation unless you are mostly responsible.

However, contributory fault can impact the amount of money you take home. Your compensation will be reduced to account for your share of fault. So, if you were 20% liable, you’re only entitled to 80% of your settlement or verdict. And if you were 51% or more liable, you cannot recover any compensation.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Bus Accident Injuries

Buses are large and heavy, which can make a bus wreck more severe than a typical car accident. To make matters worse, most bus passengers are not restrained by seat belts.

Our team at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers often represents victims who have sustained:

Lacerations and cuts
Spinal cord injuries
Soft tissue damage
Concussions
Catastrophic injuries
Whiplash
Broken bones
Crushing injuries
Head and neck injuries
Nerve damage
Back injuries
Burns
Degloving injuries
Amputations
Paralysis
Wrongful death of a loved one
Traumatic brain injuries

Are you wondering how you’ll pay the bills after suffering a serious injury? Regardless of the types of injuries you’ve sustained, our lawyers are here to help fight for your interests. Call our firm in Jacksonville, FL, for assistance today.

What Causes Most Bus Accidents in Jacksonville, Florida?

Most bus drivers are required to obtain a commercial driver’s license to operate the vehicle under Florida state law. Even with special training, however, bus drivers still make mistakes.

Some of the most common causes of bus accidents in Jacksonville include:

Inexperienced drivers
Speeding
Distracted driving
Dangerous turns
Running a red light or stop sign
Failure to check blind spots
Fatigued or drowsy driving
Failure to account for the bus’ longer stopping times
Failure to yield the right-of-way
Tailgating
Unsafe passing
Drunk driving
Defective bus parts
Illegal lane changes
Failure to inspect and maintain the bus on a regular basis

As the victim, you may not know what caused the accident. That’s especially true if you were a bus passenger. Our Jacksonville bus accident attorneys will conduct a full investigation to identify the cause of your accident. With that information, we’ll be able to locate all responsible parties and identify all sources of compensation.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident in Florida?

Negligence is the legal basis for most personal injury lawsuits. Someone is negligent when they fail to exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances. If someone’s careless or reckless acts caused your accident, you’d probably have to prove negligence to recover damages.

The four elements of a negligence claim are:

A legal duty of care
Breach of duty (some type of mistake or careless act)
Causation (the mistake directly caused the accident)
The damages, or injuries, you’ve suffered

Buses are classified as common carriers in Florida. This means they’re held to a heightened duty of care. That could make it easier to recover compensation if the bus driver caused the accident.

Still, bus accident cases are complicated because more than one person may share liability. For example, if the bus driver was negligent, their employer may be liable for damages.

Examples of the parties who may share financial responsibility include:

The bus driver
Bus companies
Charter and tour companies
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
Manufacturers of defective bus parts
Mechanics and inspection companies
Third-party drivers, pedestrians, or bicyclists

Your case might be particularly complex if a JTAFLA bus or school bus was involved in your crash. Our lawyers have experience handling cases involving government agencies. We know how these cases work, so reach out for legal advice today.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bus Accident in Florida?

Florida recently adjusted its statute of limitations deadline for most personal injury cases. The deadline is now two years if your accident occurred on or after 3/24/2023, and it is four years if the crash took place before that date.

The process is different if a government transit authority is involved. Before you can file a lawsuit, you’ll have to file a claim with the JTA. After you file the notice, the city will have time to respond before you can take formal legal action.

There are exceptions to these deadlines, so it is recommended that you contact an attorney to determine the statute of limitations for your case.

Contact a Jacksonville Bus Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Call Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today. With an experienced Jacksonville bus accident lawyer by your side, you’ll have the best chance of recovering the maximum compensation you deserve.

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