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If you or someone you love have been the victim of a bus accident in New Haven, you may be entitled to financial compensation at the firm of Weber & Rubano. If you’re interested in what it’s like to work with us, request your free, no-obligation New Haven bus accident case review today.
The law firm of Weber & Rubano, LLC has served injured clients in Connecticut for decades with the assertive advocacy they deserve. With experience in both civil and criminal courts, we are a results-oriented team of trial lawyers who aren’t afraid to pursue the full amount of compensation available by going to court, putting more power behind negotiations for an ample settlement. Choose Weber & Rubano for the following advantages:
Our track record of success makes us a strong voice behind your claim with recent results including a $5,480,000 win for a client struck by a bus.
City buses, school buses, and tour buses are large, lumbering vehicles that require increased stopping times, wide turns, and diligent maintenance and repairs. They also have extended blind spots and visibility issues. Drivers may face distractions from passengers and navigation equipment. Combined, these aspects of busing can place passengers and pedestrians at risk if negligence occurs at any point in the upkeep, repair, or bus-driving process. Common causes of bus accidents in New Haven include the following:
As a passenger in a bus accident, obtaining compensation requires an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, the liable party, and the appropriate insurance company to file a compensation claim against.
Bus accidents may occur because of driver error, distractions, intoxication, or due to another driver’s negligence. Less commonly, they result from dangerous road hazards, construction zone debris, or mechanical failures such as tire blowouts or problems with a bus’s steering system or brakes. Liability in a bus accident depends on how the accident occurred and who is ultimately responsible.
The potential liable parties in bus accidents include:
Depending on the cause of the accident, the driver of another vehicle is sometimes the liable party if their negligent action caused the accident.
The prospect of a bus accident is an upsetting thing to consider, understanding the risk involved. Whether you were hit by a bus in your vehicle or if the bus driver crashed the bus you were riding in, the prospect of multiple lives at stake due to one person’s carelessness or negligence is overwhelming.
From 2010 to 2020, in the United States, intercity (1-stop) buses accounted for 11% of fatal bus crashes, school buses comprised 38% of fatal crashes, and transit buses accounted for 35% of all fatal bus crashes.
In Connecticut, from 2016-2020, there were 936 fatalities from bus accidents.
Once the investigation determines the cause of the accident and the liable party, an injury victim’s attorney must document evidence meeting the legal components of liability. This requires showing the following to be true in the case:
The insurance company for the at-fault party investigates the accident with the intention of minimizing the amount they have to pay out on a claim or disputing part or all of the claim to protect their profits. For this reason, a bus accident victim in New Haven is best served by hiring skilled representation to investigate and document evidence of liability before aggressively arguing for the highest amount of compensation available.
The financial compensation awarded in your case may vary whenever you’re in a bus accident. However, you may be eligible for the following damage types.
Economic damages are quantifiable. Economic damages include lost wages, future earnings, medical bills, and financial costs.
Non-economic damages are intangible bus accident damages. Pain, suffering, PTSD, emotional discomfort, and consortium are examples.
Punitive damages, also called exemplary damages, are difficult to prove in Connecticut because punitive damages are the only damages intended to punish the defendant for their supposed wrongdoing or negligence.
The goal of punitive damages is to discourage other parties from doing the same type of negligent behavior.
Additionally, punitive damages have a higher duty to prove that the defendant’s conduct was recklessly intentional, malicious, or a combination of the two.
In Connecticut, punitive damages are capped at covering court costs and legal fees, which is one of the strictest statutes on punitive damages in the United States.
In many cases, the statute of limitations in bus accident cases is two years from the incident. However, this is just considering if the bus was privately-owned. Busses run by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) have different claims processes.
CTtransit (the public bus service operator run by CDOT) controls the bus lines in the following municipalities:
Individuals wishing to file a claim against a CTtransit must extensively prove negligence through “a fair preponderance of tall the evidence to recover damages.” CDOT encourages all individuals wishing to file a claim against the state regarding their bus accident to consult extensively with their New Haven bus accident lawyer.
While the statute of limitations remains two years, that time does not stop while navigating the government’s extensive burden of proof.
The law firm of Weber & Rubano is here to make you whole again. We will do everything in our power to get you maximum compensation. Getting started is easy. All you have to do is contact our New Haven bus accident attorneys today for your free no, obligation case review.