When You Are Injured in a Bus Crash

Seeking Compensation After a Bus Accident

When you have been hurt in a bus accident, the first thing you should do is get the medical care you need. At the same time, though, you want to document not only the treatment you have received, but the full scope of injuries diagnosed by medical personnel. Don’t make the mistake of focusing only on what appear to be your most serious injuries. Frequently, injuries that don’t appear to cause much discomfort at first — back or neck injuries — can be extremely debilitating over time.

If the bus involved in the accident was privately owned, you want to gather as much information about the driver as possible, including name, address, phone number and e-mail address. You should also ask for the name of the driver’s insurance carrier.

If, on the other hand, you were injured in a collision involving a government or mass transit vehicle, the process will be very different. You will need to file a New Jersey Transit Notice of Claim form, which is different from the standard Notice of Claim form filed with the state of New Jersey.

Under the law in New Jersey, the operator of a motor vehicle has a duty to exercise reasonable care so as to prevent injuries to others. When the vehicle being driven is available to the general public, as mass transit buses are, the drivers are charged with a duty to exercise the highest level of care toward passengers. Accordingly, the driver must not only exercise care to avoid unnecessary collisions with other vehicles, but must drive in a way that does not pose a risk of injury to passengers. Examples would include avoiding excessive speeds, sharp turns or quick stops and starts.

Contact Our Office

To schedule a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call us at 973-993-8787. We have office locations in Morristown and Newton, but will visit you in your home or the hospital if necessary.

We take all personal injury claims on a contingency basis. You will not incur legal fees unless attorney Popper recovers compensation for your losses