Are You Entitled to Financial Compensation After a Bus Crash in Pennsylvania?

If you’ve been injured in a bus crash in Pennsylvania, it is important to make sure you have a clear understanding of your legal rights. Bus crash victims are entitled to financial compensation in many cases, but recovering the financial compensation they deserve requires an in-depth understanding of the laws that apply.

Most bus accident cases involve one of four scenarios. Typically, the victim will have been injured: (i) while riding on a public transit bus; (ii) while riding on a commercial bus; (iii) while driving or riding in a car, truck or SUV that was hit by a bus; or, (iv) while walking or cycling in the road. We cover each of these scenarios below.

Understanding Your Legal Rights After a Bus Crash in Pennsylvania

What are your legal rights after a bus accident in Pennsylvania? Here’s what you need to know if:

1. You Were Injured While Riding on a Public Transit Bus

If you rely on public transit to get to work, go shopping or just get around town, there is a chance that, sooner or later, you will be injured in an accident while riding the bus. This is true whether you use LANTA, DART, SEPTA, BARTA or any other public transit system in Pennsylvania.

If you were injured while riding on a public transit bus, you may have a claim against the local transit authority. Just like private businesses, transit authorities (and other government entities) can be held liable for their employees’ negligence in most cases. So, if you suffered whiplash or any other injuries because the bus driver made a mistake behind the wheel, you should talk to a lawyer promptly about suing the transit authority for just compensation.

There is also a possibility that another entity is responsible for your injuries. For example, if someone ran a red light and hit the bus, then then this person’s insurance company, employer, or vehicle manufacturer could be liable for the crash. When you hire a lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation to determine what claim (or claims) you need to file in order to recover maximum compensation for your accident-related losses.

2. You Were Injured While Riding on a Commercial Bus

If you were injured while riding on a commercial bus (i.e., a bus operated by Greyhound, Bieber Tourways or Susquehanna Trailways), the same legal considerations apply. If the bus driver was at fault in the accident, you should have a claim against the bus company. If someone else (or another company) was at fault in the accident, you can hire a lawyer to pursue a liability claim against that person’s (or company’s) insurer. With all bus accidents, the key is to determine liability promptly, and this means that you should hire a lawyer to conduct an investigation as soon as possible.

3. You Were Injured When a Bus Hit Your Car, Truck or SUV

If you were injured when a bus hit your car, truck or SUV in Pennsylvania, you may have a claim against the public transit authority or private company that owns and operates the bus. These cases are similar to cases involving collisions between two ordinary passenger vehicles, except that there will often be significantly more insurance coverage available. Additionally, if you have a claim against a public transit authority, shorter deadlines may apply. As a result, it is important to hire a lawyer promptly in this scenario as well.

You can file a claim after a collision with a bus in Pennsylvania whether you were driving your car, riding as a passenger in a friend’s or family member’s vehicle, or riding in an Uber or Lyft. If you were driving with your children, you can seek just compensation for the costs (both financial and non-financial) of your and your children’s injuries. Serious bus accidents will often lead to substantial losses, and recovering the financial compensation you and your family deserve can be a critical step in the recovery process.

4. You Were Injured When a Bus Hit You as a Cyclist or Pedestrian

Bus accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians are alarmingly common. Oftentimes, bus drivers will be distracted looking behind them or checking for traffic, and they won’t see a pedestrian or cyclist right in front of them. Bus drivers running red lights is a common cause of cyclist and pedestrian accidents as well. Regardless of why a bus driver hits you, if the driver could have avoided the collision, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.

Hopefully, the bus driver stopped at the scene of the accident to help you. But, if the bus driver didn’t stop, you can still hire a lawyer to file a claim. If you know what type of bus hit you (i.e., whether it was a LANTA, DART, SEPTA, BARTA or Greyhound)—or if you can at least describe the way the bus looked—this will give your lawyer a starting point for investigating the accident and determining which transit authority or bus company is responsible.

How to Protect Your Legal Rights After a Bus Accident

Regardless of how you got injured, there are some important steps you need to take to protect your legal rights after a bus accident in Pennsylvania. For example, as soon as possible, you should:

• Seek treatment for your injuries (be sure to tell your doctor that you were involved in a bus accident);
• Make sure you keep any photos or videos you took at the crash site with your phone (consider emailing them to yourself so you don’t lose them); and,
• Contact a local lawyer (the sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner your lawyer can investigate the accident and start building your claim).

Discuss Your Bus Accident Case with a Lawyer for Free

Were you injured in a bus accident in Pennsylvania? If so, our lawyers can fight for the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation at our law offices in Allentown, Bethlehem, Doylestown, Stroudsburg or Easton, please call 888-777-7098 or contact us online today.