Buses are a major form of transportation in Denver and throughout the country, which has led to an increase in bus accidents. Despite that, they are still widely used because they offer convenient service for thousands each day. Bus accidents can be traumatic and result in serious injuries. If you were the passenger on a bus, another car hit by a Denver RTD bus, or if you are involved as a pedestrian, motorcyclist, or bicyclist who has been injured you have legal rights.
Reach out to an experienced attorney to review your case. Call our Denver bus accident lawyers today at 720-770-5454 to schedule a free consultation and review your claim options. We help accident victims pursue financial compensation for damages by filing bus accident claims throughout the Denver metro area.
Denver Bus Accident Statistics
In Denver alone, there were 138 bus-related fatal crashes that resulted in 191 deaths over the from 2012 to 2016 according to Denver Public Schools data. With these numbers, Denver has one of the highest rates for fatalities involving buses out of all major cities across the country.
City bus accidents can happen for many reasons such as driver negligence or when multiple drivers have negligent actions at once and collide with each other's vehicles on highways or city streets, especially during bad weather conditions like winter storms where visibility is low due to snowfall accumulation and icy roads restrict maneuverability which results in more collisions between cars driving too fast for their for the road conditions.
Common Injuries Associated With Bus Accidents
A serious crash can potentially cause fatal injuries and even if victims are fortunate enough to survive, they may live with chronic pain that could affect their ability to return to work or care for themselves. Due to the size of transit buses, they carry an increased chance of serious injury, including:
- Whiplash
- Sprains
- Spinal cord injuries
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Nerve damage
- Catastrophic injuries
- Head injuries
- Internal injuries to organs
- Broken bones or fractures
- Concussion or traumatic brain injury
Who Can be Held Liable After a Bus Accident?
A bus driver has a greater duty of protection and safety to their passengers than an ordinary car. A common carrier is in the regular business of transporting people or freight. This means that they are considered by law as having more responsibility when it comes to being safe for those who ride on them because drivers have a legal obligation not only towards themselves but also toward others.
In some cases, the responsibility for injuries sustained in an automobile accident lies with the bus company that operates and maintains the vehicle. This is due to this higher level of care required by common carriers who are negligent or reckless when operating their vehicles which can lead to an increased likelihood of liability. For example, if you were injured while boarding a bus operated by someone else then it's more likely they will be liable than private employees such as taxi drivers.
However, despite having enhanced duties and responsibilities there may still exist circumstances where negligence leads to injury again including improper training techniques from operators leading up these auto accidents or even shoddy maintenance practices related directly back into poor driving behavior on behalf of those responsible for maintaining buses themselves.
How do you File a Bus Accident Claim in Colorado?
It's important to contact an auto accident attorney in Denver and start your investigation right away. Many buses in Colorado are owned or operated by a local government agency, including the Denver RTD buses which means that you may be dealing with governmental entities as well as government employees when it comes time for legal action.
Colorado law requires prompt notification to all governmental entities regarding any potential personal injury claim against them. In fact, under Colorado law, an injured party must provide written notice that complies with the 180-day statute of limitations for a possible injury incident with a government entity. When someone is injured by a public employee, they are entitled to receive fair compensation. This should be done with the following notice requirement:
- The name and address of the claimant and their attorney
- A concise statement of facts, including the date, time, place, and circumstances involved in the incident
- The names or addresses of any government employees who were involved if known - this may help determine liability
- A description of injuries sustained in the accident
- And finally, there needs to be an estimate of the monetary damages being sought
If you are injured on a bus in Colorado and the government entity is involved, they may limit your recovery to $150,000 for injuries that may have taken place when warning signs were ignored or not noticed by passengers before boarding their ride home. The law requires strict compliance with each element of the notice requirement which results in losing one's compensation claim automatically if it was skipped over due to an oversight. So hiring an experienced personal injury attorney who understands how these laws work can help protect against this unfortunate scenario from happening!
Why You Should Hire a Denver Bus Accident Lawyer For Your Injury Claim
As we have discussed, there are many outcomes that can lead to a bus accident. The most common reason that buses have accidents is that the driver was negligent or reckless in their driving behavior and crashed into another vehicle or obstacle on the roadway. Another possible cause of Denver bus crashes could be defective brakes, tires, airbags, steering wheel manufacture defects, and more.
There are also other drivers on the road who might not follow traffic laws such as speed limits or stop signs causing an impact on the Denver public transit system. After a Denver bus crash, there should always be an inspection by government officials to determine what led up to it so corrective measures can be taken if needed and someone should seek legal counsel to help them in Denver.
At DCAL, our Denver RTD bus accident attorneys can review the evidence and witness statements, as well as any reports from government officials that were involved in determining what caused the Denver public transit system crash. Our personal injury law firm will work on a contingency fee basis which means we don't get paid unless there's a settlement or judgment in their client's favor.
Denver Public Transit System accidents are always devastating for everyone involved so it is important to contact an attorney who has experience working cases involving such incidents while also having empathy for those injured because of this type of vehicle accident. Call us today at 720-770-5454 to review your case and learn how our extensive experience can help you recover maximum compensation.