Were you or a loved one injured in a bus accident in Vero Beach, FL? If so, it’s important to explore your legal rights and options. You may have the right to take legal action against the bus company, a negligent motorist, or someone else who caused your bus accident. Working with an experienced Vero Beach bus accident lawyer at Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group can help you maximize your recovery.
For decades, Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group has been a passionate legal advocate for victims of bus crashes and other mass transportation accidents across the state of Florida. Our award-winning trial attorneys, whose collective experience spans more than five decades, have helped clients win hundreds of millions of dollars to help offset medical bills, lost wages, property damage, suffering, and other costs after life-changing accidents.
Don’t settle for less than your bus injury claim is worth. Demand top results by choosing our top-rated personal injury law firm as your advocate. We offer a free consultation. Contact us online or call (772) 758-1966 to learn more.
How Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group Can Help You After a Bus Accident in Vero Beach, FL
Even though you may have the right to seek compensation after a traffic accident involving a large bus in Vero Beach, Florida, it can be a difficult process. You should expect a lot of pushback from the bus service, the bus driver, the insurance company, and other parties as you attempt to hold them accountable for the injuries, costs, and suffering you’ve experienced as a bus accident victim.
At Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group, we strive to make a positive impact in the lives of each and every person we represent. Our commitment to our clients and top-tier case results are why we’re consistently recognized as leading auto accident litigators by The National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Our Vero Beach personal injury attorneys want you to take the time you need to recover from your bus accident injuries while we take care of the rest:
- Evaluate the results of government-led inquiries into your bus accident
- Oversee a thorough independent investigation into your Vero Beach bus accident
- Assess the underlying cause of the bus accident and identify liable parties
- Gather and evaluate evidence that can be used to build a winning legal claim for damages, such as dash cam footage, forensics reports, cell phone records, bus maintenance records, bus service hiring and training policies, violations of FMCSA and Florida state safety regulations, and medical records
- Collaborate with respected specialists and experts throughout the claims process
- Force the defense to make a settlement offer that accurately represents what your bus accident claim is worth or take their chances going up against our experienced Florida trial attorneys in court
When you choose us to take the lead on your bus accident claim, you don’t have to stress about the added cost of hiring an attorney. We represent bus accident victims in Vero Beach on a contingency fee basis. Our fees are entirely dependent on the results we achieve. We only get paid when we win compensation for your bus accident claim. Call us to schedule a free consultation.
Are Buses Common Carriers and How Could That Affect My Florida Bus Accident Case?
Buses are considered to be common carriers in the state of Florida. Pursuant to state law, a common carrier must use the “highest degree of care that is consistent with the type of transportation used and the practical operation of the business.”
Put another way, bus companies and bus drivers assume a heightened duty of care to transport bus passengers safely. Mistakes that are not ordinarily considered negligent can cause a bus company to be liable for a traffic accident.
This can make it easier for you, a bus accident victim, to force a bus company to take responsibility for an accident in which you’re injured.
Who Could Be Liable For My Bus Accident Injuries?
It’s not just bus drivers and private bus companies that might bear responsibility for a bus accident. In Florida, anyone whose actions or conduct contribute to a bus accident can be liable for a victim’s resulting damages.
This could include the following:
- Government bus service, such as GoLine public transit
- Bus mechanic or technician
- Bus manufacturer
- School District of Indian River County
- Driver of a passenger car
- Bicyclist or pedestrian
- Bus passenger
- Negligent party’s employer
- Local, county, or state government agency responsible for providing safe roads and highways
- Property owner
Several factors can influence liability – including the type of bus involved in the crash and the underlying cause of the wreck. Our Vero Beach bus accident attorneys will carefully evaluate the details of your collision and work to ensure that all at-fault parties are held fully accountable for your damages.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Vero Beach Bus Accident Victims?
Whether you seek benefits through an insurance claim or file a bus accident lawsuit, you can potentially recover compensatory damages to help you move forward with your life.
Compensatory damages could include both economic awards and non-economic awards for:
- Current medical bills
- Necessary costs related to future medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages and earnings
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Funeral expenses
- Property damage
- PTSD
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
Should your bus accident lawsuit go to trial, an Indian County jury might also have the ability to award punitive damages. Punitive damages are reserved for situations where it’s abundantly clear that a defendant’s actions were malicious, intentional, or grossly negligent.
What Causes Most Bus Accidents in Vero Beach?
Busing operations must comply with strict safety regulations, including those established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Unfortunately, safety regulations can’t guarantee that bus accidents won’t happen. In fact, bus accidents are more common than you might think. Federal crash data reveals that there were at least 1,258 bus accidents in the state of Florida in 2023. That’s more than three bus accidents every day.
At Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group, we typically find that violations of FMCSA safety regulations and other acts of negligence are common contributing factors to bus accidents.
Those include:
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Blind spot errors
- Braking errors
- Improper hiring practices
- Bus driver inexperience
- Failure to comply with Florida CDL requirements
- Distracted driving
- Illegal turns
- Unsafe passing
- Following too closely
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance and inspections
- Vehicle defects
- Road defects
Ultimately, most bus accidents, injuries, and deaths in Vero Beach can be avoided. When you’re the victim of an avoidable bus accident, our personal injury law firm will be here to help you fight for the monetary accountability you deserve.
Can Shared Fault Affect My Florida Bus Accident Settlement?
Yes. Florida’s modified comparative negligence law, which creates a 51 percent bar to recovery, will apply to your civil bus accident claim. As a result, you can recover a reduced award if you share fault for a bus accident, but only when your shared fault is equal to or less than 50 percent.
For instance, you could expect to recover 75 percent of the value of your bus accident claim if you were assigned 25 percent liability for the auto accident.
Our bus accident lawyers in Vero Beach will help you challenge claims of shared fault that, left undisputed, could stand between you and a much-needed monetary recovery.
What Are Common Bus Accident Injuries in Vero Beach?
Bus accident victims in Vero Beach can suffer serious, debilitating physical injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Chest injuries
- Crush injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Brain injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Eye injuries
- Leg injuries
- Burn injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a spouse, parent, or child
Once you’ve sought prompt medical care for your bus accident injuries, don’t hesitate to call our Vero Beach law office to learn about your legal rights and options. Our team is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What Is the Statute of Limitations For Florida Bus Accident Claims?
You’ll typically have two years from the date of your Vero Beach, Florida, bus accident to pursue compensation for your monetary losses and suffering.
There can be times when a different timeframe for filing a bus accident claim arises, but those are the exception rather than the rule. For instance, if a child is injured in a Vero Beach bus accident, the statute of limitations can potentially be paused until that child turns 18.
At the end of the day, you have to file your lawsuit within the applicable statute of limitations if you want to recover compensation for your bus accident injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Vero Beach Bus Accident Lawyer
Contact Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group after a bus accident in Vero Beach, Florida. You have rights, and our award-winning litigators want to help you make the most of your fight for compensation.
As top-rated Vero Beach bus accident lawyers, we’ve helped clients take on powerful corporations and obtain life-changing case results. When you ask for our help, you’ll work with award-winning litigators who can offer 50+ years of experience to make your bus accident claim a success, too.
We offer a free case review, so contact our Vero Beach law office to get started today.
