Bus accidents in the Grand Rapids area can cause injuries and major damage to bus passengers and motorists. Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians may also be injured, and due to the size and weight of buses, damages to victims are likely to be severe. Injuries may include head, back, neck, and spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, broken bones, and even death. Survivors face mounting medical bills at a time they may be unable to work.
If you or a family member has been involved in an accident involving a bus, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses through insurance or a lawsuit. However, bus accidents can be complex, with multiple parties that include bus companies, insurance companies, drivers, and other accident victims involved. Bus companies and their insurers have high-powered lawyers on their side that attempt to deny claims or get you to settle for as little as possible. To make sure you receive the compensation you are entitled to, it makes sense to enlist the help of an experienced lawyer to handle your case.
The skilled Grand Rapids bus accident attorneys of Goodman Acker, P.C., know how to fight for your rights and hold the at-fault parties accountable. While money cannot make up for the suffering you are undergoing, a successful lawsuit can alleviate your financial worries and provide resources for your family’s future needs, so you can concentrate on your recovery.
We offer free consultations to answer any questions and determine the best way to handle your case. Contact Goodman Aker at (248) 951-9596 today to learn more about how we can help you.
Goodman Acker can help if you or a family member is involved in a bus accident, ensuring that your rights are protected.
Bus accident cases are complicated, and winning fair compensation requires an attorney with the skills and ability to take prompt action to ensure that the evidence is preserved and to make a compelling case. Here are some reasons why we believe that Goodman Aker is your best choice:
At Goodman Acker, P.C., we value honesty and integrity and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. When you have our legal team on your side, we will:
If the accident involved a fatality, we can assist with the additional complexities, such as:
At Goodman Acker, we have advocates who speak your language, and we are available when you need us. We treat our clients like family and fight aggressively for the compensation they deserve. Call us today at (248) 951-9596.
After a bus accident, our Grand Rapids truck accident attorneys will fight for a monetary award called damages. In Michigan, your award should cover both your economic and noneconomic losses.
Economic damages — are for losses and expenses that have an actual dollar value, such as:
Non-economic damages — are for damages that do not have a specific monetary value, but negatively impact your life, such as:
Punitive damages — In some rare cases, punitive damages may also be awarded. These are intended to punish a defendant who acted in an especially reckless or egregious manner and to deter such behaviors in the future.
There is a wide range of amounts of damages you may be awarded in a successful bus accident lawsuit, from the thousands to millions of dollars. The amount you may receive depends on factors that include:
To win your case, our lawyers must prove that another party or parties, the defendants in the case, were negligent or at fault for causing the injuries you received. Proving negligence legally means showing the following elements:
Our bus accident attorneys in Grand Rapids will investigate your case thoroughly and find all potentially liable parties as they all may have assets and insurance that can go toward a settlement.
After a traumatic bus accident, it is natural to have questions and concerns. We can best deal with these at your initial consultation, but to get you started, here are some answers to questions our Grand Rapids personal injury attorneys are often asked:
As with other vehicle accidents in Michigan, the other party will have its own insurance company, investigators, and attorneys that will seek to deny or limit liability. Promptly retaining an attorney is essential, as the bus and insurance companies will be investigating as well. A skilled personal injury attorney will conduct a thorough investigation of the accident and inspect the damage to the bus. This often includes accident reconstruction and detailed analysis of bus company and driver records.
As with any accident, victims and their families should provide all the details they can about the accident, as well as any recordings, photos, or documentation they may have. This information will help our bus accident attorney effectively build a case for you.
Victims of bus accidents, like victims of other vehicle accidents in Michigan, are eligible for no-fault insurance compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and further compensation for household and personal assistance. For bus accidents, passengers may receive no-fault compensation if they do not have a car or an auto insurance policy. Others who may collect no-fault benefits include drivers of vehicles involved in crashes with a bus, passengers, bicyclists, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. Our attorney will determine eligibility for no-fault benefits and determine which insurance company will pay those benefits.
Bus accidents can be caused by several factors, including inattentive driving and poor weather conditions. Buses by nature are more difficult to operate than smaller vehicles. They require skilled drivers, wide turns, and are more challenging to maneuver in traffic.
While some accidents occur due to factors outside a driver’s control, this is not always the case. Drivers may be negligent, or a bus could have a mechanical failure or defect. Many other contributing factors can lead to an accident. Here are potential causes of bus accidents:
Those who are eligible for no-fault benefits can also sue the bus driver and the bus company, depending on the circumstances of the accident. Negligence by the driver or the bus company increases the ability to receive compensation. For example, a driver who knowingly breaks traffic laws or a bus company that fails to maintain a bus or hires an unqualified driver opens themselves to further legal repercussions. There may be other liable parties, such as a driver who made an illegal turn in front of the bus, the manufacturer of defective bus parts, or the bus maintenance company that failed to make proper repairs.
Yes, Michigan has a deadline, a three-year statute of limitations for suing for personal injuries incurred in a bus accident. The prompt filing of a lawsuit is in the best interest of accident victims, to allow our attorneys to start investigations while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found, and to build your case accordingly.
1500 E Beltline Ave SE #235
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
(248) 965-0816
Due to their size and difficulty to operate, buses are at a higher risk of accidents that lead to injury, death, and property damage. Professional drivers are held to a higher standard because of this. Bus accident cases can become complex, with no-fault accident laws and the potential liability of the bus driver and the bus company. It is in your best interest to protect your rights and have a skilled bus accident attorney on your side to advocate for you and win a fair settlement.
At Goodman Acker, P.C., we value honesty and integrity and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Our Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers have guided numerous clients to successful outcomes in a variety of cases.
If you have been injured in a bus accident, we will determine the responsible parties and seek fair compensation for your injuries and other losses related to the accident, including medical bills, lost wages, property damage, future medical bills, and pain and suffering.
We have an unparalleled success rate of 99%.
Call us today at 248-286-8100 to receive a free, no-obligation consultation with our trusted and reputable attorneys.