NYC Bus Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been injured in a bus accident, The New York bus accident attorneys at Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers are here to help. Our award-winning attorneys are adept at tackling every angle of your bus accident claim. You are never charged for an initial consultation. Call our office for a free legal consultation with a New York bus accident lawyer today.

New York City Bus Accident Statistics

Over 21,000 New York MTA bus accidents occurred within a 31-month period from 2015-2018. A New York news article that analyzed the data noted that bus drivers “rear-ended school buses, plowed into a church, hit bicyclists and pedestrians and sent riders flying with abrupt stops and turns.” 

An average of 23 New York City MTA bus accidents happen every day. With this, many people face severe or life-threatening injuries daily due to bus accidents — or are killed in fatal accidents. This daily average does not include school bus accidents. 

With a population of over 8 million people and streets crowded with many pedestrians, school buses, delivery trucks, cyclists, trucks, buses, and cars, there are many risks every day.

Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers has successfully represented individuals who have been seriously harmed due to the negligent actions of New York bus drivers. Some of our New York bus accident victims have been:

• Individuals who have been harmed because of bus collisions with their motor vehicle in New York City
• Drivers involved in school bus accidents
• Pedestrians who have been hit by a bus
• Bicycle riders who have been hit by buses
• Electric scooter and e-bike riders who have been hit by buses
• Bus riders who have been harmed because of the unsafe driving practices or negligent actions of the bus driver
• Bus passengers who have been let off in the middle of busy intersections or other unsafe areas
• Bus accidents are hazardous due to the large size and weight of the vehicle. It is crucial to seek out medical and legal expertise as soon as possible after your accident.

There are many other ways that an NYC bus accident can take place. Whether or not you see the cause of your New York City bus accident, contact our firm right away to connect with our team of New York bus accident lawyers who are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. 

Whether you were a driver, bus passenger, or pedestrian, you deserve to have your case handled with care. We are here to help.

The Importance of Working With Attorneys After Bus Accidents

Many people will file an accident claim without connecting with a lawyer, only to realize their error after the case is moving along and the insurer is resorting to aggressive, overwhelming tactics to avoid paying a fair amount.

Competent NYC bus accident attorneys can help you obtain the best possible financial recovery. Insurance companies will put up a fight to challenge who caused the accident to reduce their liability. They will also question your credibility and minimize the seriousness of your injury to reduce the damages they ultimately pay.

They do this so their net payout is less than what you’re owed. Without skilled legal representation from a New York bus accident lawyer and personal injury law firm, you could walk away with less money or worse, you could end up having to pay for medical bills and other financial losses. One of our New York truck accident lawyers does the following for our New York bus accident clients:

• Conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation of your bus accident. This is inclusive of canvassing the site for available cameras that may have captured your accident (we have a team of video experts);
• Collect witness testimony and other corroborating evidence;
• Build a solid legal case that supports your claim and efforts to obtain a financial recovery;
• Prove who is at fault;
• Advocate on your behalf with insurance company representatives; and
• Evaluate and present your injuries with our team of medical experts to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your bus accident claim.

The NYC bus accident attorneys at Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers have years of experience helping victims with serious injuries seek compensation from the at-fault party. 

Whether your New York City bus accident involved an MTA bus, a school bus, or one of the many private bus companies and tour buses that operate in and around New York City, working with a New York bus accident attorney is one of the best decisions you can make.

Determining Compensation in a Bus Accident Case

There is no easy way to answer this question without having a New York City bus accident lawyer perform an in-depth investigation into your unique situation. 

Private buses, Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses, school buses, tour buses, and all other buses operating in New York City have insurance coverage designed to pay for damages in a bus accident case. The reality is that the adjuster handling your New York City bus accident is working to either avoid liability for the driver of the bus involved in the crash or pay as little as possible while avoiding any future legal action. 

A personal injury lawyer will review your case and seek as much money as possible under New York state statutes. The following two sections will explain the categories of compensatory damages that a bus accident lawyer will seek for their client.

Economic Damages

Economic damages make up the basis of a victim’s compensation after a NYC bus accident. They include the impacts of the crash that have measurable dollar values, including:

• The cost of medical expenses — both current and future
• Lost wages — both current and future
• The cost of medical and assistive devices to help accommodate an injury
• The cost of any goods or services to help the victim with their daily tasks
• The cost to repair or replace property that was damaged or destroyed in the accident

A New York City bus accident lawyer will gather evidence that helps connect these damages (and many others) to the accident and then tally them to reach a comprehensive calculation of this set of damages. As you can imagine, the economic damages in two cases will be drastically different depending on things like the severity of the injuries, the victim’s income, the length of time it takes for them to recover, and more.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are equally important in a personal injury case, but bus accident lawyers will need to take additional steps to determine the amount that a victim is owed. These damages relate to all impacts of an accident that do not have measurable dollar values. 

These damages include things like:

• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life
• Depression 
• Anxiety
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Insurers representing school bus companies and school bus drivers, New York City Transit Authority buses, MTA bus drivers, and all other bus drivers in New York State will work to aggressively shut down attempts at seeking these damages, particularly when the victim is not working with a New York City bus accident lawyer. 

An experienced attorney has a number of methods to calculate these damages at their disposal, and they will determine the most appropriate method depending on your unique situation before defending their calculations throughout settlement negotiations. 

One common method is known as the “multiplier method,” which uses a scale of 0-5 to indicate the severity of the aggregate non-economic damages before multiplying that number against the total economic damages. For example, a victim who was hit by an MTA bus has a total of $200,000 in economic damages and a multiplier of 3. Using the multiplier method, the total non-economic damages will be 3 x $200,000 for a total of $600,000 in non-economic damages. Insurers representing bus companies will work hard to reduce these damages, but your New York City bus accident lawyer will fight to get you the money you deserve.

Bus Accident Experts That Advocate For You Against Insurance Companies

When a bus accident occurs, an insurance company reviews your claim. They do this to determine if they will pay and how much that amount is. In New York, there may be a maximum recovery amount for injury victims depending on the type of accident you have been involved in. Bus accident attorneys at Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers will help to advise you on the recovery amount that you can expect depending on your injuries and the types of vehicles involved in your collision. When you communicate with insurance companies, it is crucial to do so with legal counsel. 

Insurance companies have experienced lawyers who protect their financial interests. If you have been involved in a bus accident, you deserve lawyers that protect your interests. Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers never charge you a penny for an initial consultation. All motor vehicle accident cases are done on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay us anything unless we are successful and obtain a recovery for you.

Giordano Law Offices Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers personal injury attorneys advocate on your behalf. We will work hard to seek the maximum compensation for past and future accident-related medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other forms of financial relief. 

Common Causes Of Bus Accidents

Large buses can cause devastating injuries and are some of the most dangerous vehicles on our roadways. The legal team at Giordano Law represents victims involved in bus accidents, such as:

Accidents Involving Bus Drivers Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

Bus drivers must adhere to the same laws and safety expectations as other drivers on the road. Suppose a bus driver goes behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In that case, the repercussions can be devastating and catastrophic for bus passengers and injury victims of bus crashes alike.

If you have been involved in an accident where the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a personal injury lawyer at our New York City bus accident law firm can help you determine the next steps to take.

Bus Defect or Malfunction

Unfortunately, some of the largest vehicles on the road can also suffer from defects. When this happens, the manufacturer of the auto part may be held responsible for the resultant accident and injuries caused. Here are some common types of bus defects and/or malfunctions:

Brake Malfunction

Suppose the bus driver or bus company has failed to maintain the brakes of their bus. In that case, the brakes can overheat and malfunction in other ways that can cause an accident on the road. Buses must pass extensive brake inspections every 12 months, per NY state law. Guidelines on the proper maintenance of brakes depend on how many miles the truck in question drives per month.

Tire Defects

New York bus accidents caused by tire failure can cause the bus to roll over, swerve into oncoming traffic, or go off the road. Suppose you have been involved in a bus accident caused by tire failure. In that case, our legal team may recover a financial settlement. This may include your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and present and future costs due to your injuries from a bus accident.

Accidents or Injuries Caused By Bus Drivers Dropping Off Passengers in Busy Intersections or Otherwise Unsafe Locations

If you have been injured because the bus driver allowed you to exit the bus in a busy intersection or unsafe location, you may have a bus accident claim. Your initial consultation is always free. Call our office anytime: (646) 217-0749.

Other Causes

Whether or not your accident with a bus involved any of the aforementioned examples, contact our law firm as soon as possible to discuss your unique situation with an experienced, proven attorney in a free consultation.