Bus Accidents Attorney In Ventura, California

Buses are designed to be one of the safest means of transportation available. Bus drivers are trained to operate the large vehicles, and are responsible for the lives of many. Unfortunately however, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that there were 32,166 incidents of fatal large vehicle accidents throughout the country in 2015, approximately 12% of which involving a bus or large truck. Yet accidents that are not fatal can still impose serious damages, and the attorneys at the Law Office of Ball & Yorke . are here to help you seek financial compensation for bus accident-related damages.

Who is Liable For a Bus Accident?

Who is liable in the event of a crash may depend on the type of bus that was involved. If you or your child was on a school bus, you might have grounds to pursue legal action against the school or the city (if it was a public-school bus). You may also seek action against the city if you were riding on a form of public transportation such as a city bus. There may also be a private company liable for your crash. This would be the case if you were on a privately owned tour bus, charter bus, or party bus. Possible defendants include:

A governmental entity. You may need to file a claim with the appropriate governmental entity if the bus you were on at the time of your crash was owned or managed by a municipality. Seeking action against the government in California is possible, but it comes with specific rules and limitations. The main thing to know is that there are strict deadlines that apply.

The driver or the bus company. The bus operator or company that maintained the bus. Bus companies are liable for crashes if they contributed, such as through improper employee training or poor bus maintenance. They are also liable for the actions of on-duty employees, including bus drivers and maintenance crews. If your bus driver caused the crash through careless, distracted, drunk, drowsy, or otherwise negligent driving, you can likely seek damages from one of these entities.

A Third party. Another driver on the roadway, a fellow passenger, a bus defective manufacturer, or a roadway maintenance crew could have all played a role in your crash. Consider the possibilities of pursuing lawsuits against one or more parties for your related damages with help from one of our California attorneys.