Cleveland Bus Accident Lawyer | Kisling, Nestico & Redick

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Cleveland Bus Accident Lawyers

Bus accidents are more common than many realize. If you were hurt on an RTA bus, a school bus, or a charter, or a bus hit your car, a Cleveland bus accident lawyer at Kisling, Nestico & Redick can help you understand your rights and pursue the compensation you are owed.

Bus cases come with their own rules, especially when a public transit agency is involved, and our Cleveland team works alongside the firm’s Ohio bus accident lawyers to hold the responsible party accountable. Contact us today for a free consultation with a highly experienced Cleveland personal injury attorney near you. Call (216) 658-1330 to schedule your free, no-risk consultation.

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Common Causes of Cleveland Bus Accidents

In any case involving injuries sustained in an accident, determining the accident’s cause is essential. Once the reason for the accident has been established, identifying the party responsible is usually the next step.

When seeking compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, blame must be assigned. If it can be proven that another driver is at fault, they may be required to pay for financial losses.

Common causes of bus accidents in Ohio include, but are not limited to:

  • Speeding: a heavy bus needs far more room to stop than a car.
  • Unsafe lane changes: pulling away from a stop or changing lanes without checking blind spots.
  • Impaired driving: a bus driver or another motorist under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • Distracted driving: phones, fare issues, and radios pulling attention from the road.
  • Poor maintenance: worn brakes, bad tires, and skipped inspections.
  • Mechanical failures: defective parts that fail even when the bus is maintained.
  • Reckless driving: running lights, tailgating, or forcing turns in heavy traffic.

Injuries in Bus Accidents

Due to their size, buses have the potential to cause a tremendous amount of damage. When a bus is involved in an accident, much of the force is transferred to the smaller vehicle’s occupants.

As a result, bus accident injuries are often more serious than those that are sustained in a typical car crash. Passengers face their own risks: most city buses have no seat belts, and many riders are standing when the bus brakes hard or is hit, so falls inside the bus are common. People on foot are hurt too when a bus turns across a crosswalk or pulls away from a stop, and our Cleveland pedestrian accident lawyers handle those cases.

Personal injuries that are sustained by the victims of bus accidents include, but are not limited to:

  • Whiplash and other neck and back injuries from sudden stops and impacts.
  • Concussions from striking poles, seats, or windows.
  • Broken bones, especially wrists, hips, and ankles from falls inside the bus.
  • Internal bleeding that may not be obvious at the scene.
  • Severe cuts and lacerations from broken glass.
  • Cognitive problems and memory loss after a head injury.

Head injuries in bus crashes can change a person’s life, and our Cleveland brain injury lawyers work with medical experts to document them.

Types of Bus Accidents We Handle in Cleveland

Different buses are run by different operators, and who runs the bus shapes how the claim works.

RTA Buses and the HealthLine

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority runs the city’s buses, including the HealthLine along Euclid Avenue. RTA is a public agency, so claims against it follow special rules, covered below.

School Buses

School buses carry children who have no control over how the bus is driven. Claims may involve a school district, a private bus contractor, or another driver who failed to stop. Our guide for parents of a child injured on a school bus covers the first steps.

Charter and Tour Buses

Private charter companies carry sports teams, church groups, and tour groups. These companies and their drivers must follow federal and state safety rules, and their records often show whether a driver was overworked or a bus was poorly maintained.

Greyhound and Intercity Buses

Long-distance buses travel I-71, I-77, and I-90 at highway speed. Crashes involving these carriers can involve federal rules, out-of-state companies, and large insurance policies.

Hotel and Airport Shuttles

Shuttles running between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, hotels, and parking lots are often driven by employees juggling schedules and luggage. The shuttle’s owner can be responsible when a driver causes a crash or a passenger is hurt boarding.

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Compensation After a Cleveland Bus Accident

If you have been involved in a bus accident in which you sustained injuries and damages, it is important to know that filing a personal injury claim can be beneficial. The process does not have to be frightening. With the help of our Cleveland bus accident attorneys at KNR, you can focus on recovery. Our dedicated legal team will handle all of the legal aspects of your case.

When a person is injured in a bus accident that is caused by another person’s recklessness, they may choose to pursue funds for the following losses:

  • Medical expenses, from the ambulance and emergency room through surgery, therapy, and future care
  • Lost income while you recover, and reduced earning power if you cannot go back to work
  • Pain and suffering from the injury and treatment
  • Mental anguish, including anxiety about riding a bus again
  • Loss of consortium, or personal relationships
  • Physical limitations that keep you from daily activities
  • Disfigurement and scarring

Fatal Bus Accidents in Cleveland, OH

When a person is tragically killed in a bus accident, it may be possible for surviving family members to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. Losses that can be recovered include, but are not limited to:

  • Pérdida de una herencia futura
  • Loss of the income the person would have provided
  • Gastos de funeral y entierro
  • Loss of comfort, companionship, and guidance

Claims Against Public Transit: Special Rules

A claim against RTA or a public school district is not handled the same way as a claim against a private driver. Ohio law gives public agencies broad immunity from lawsuits, with exceptions. One important exception covers injuries caused when an agency employee negligently drives a vehicle on the job, which is what allows most bus crash claims to go forward. Even then, the rules are different:

  • Damages are limited. Punitive damages are not allowed against a public agency, and, except in wrongful death cases, damages for pain and suffering and other non-economic losses are capped.
  • Insurance benefits are deducted. Money you receive from your own insurance or other sources is generally subtracted from an award against the agency.
  • Immunity has to be overcome. The claim has to fit one of the exceptions in the law, and the agency will look for ways to argue that it does not.

In most cases, the filing deadline for a claim against a public agency in Ohio is the same two years that applies to other injury claims. But these cases take longer to build, transit agencies start their own investigations right away, and video from the bus can be overwritten, so call a lawyer quickly.

Who Is Liable in a Bus Crash

Buses are treated as a common carrier, which means they owe passengers a high degree of care. When that care is not met, more than one party may share the blame:

  • The bus driver, for speeding, distraction, impairment, or unsafe stops and turns.
  • The transit authority or bus company, for hiring, training, and scheduling decisions, and as the driver’s employer.
  • A maintenance contractor, when worn brakes, tires, or doors contribute to the crash or the fall.
  • Other drivers, who cut off a bus, rear-end it, or crash into passengers waiting at a stop.

Sorting out which of these parties is responsible, and which insurance applies, is one of the first things we do in every bus case.

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Our client, a passenger on a Greyhound bus, was injured when the bus was struck from behind. The…

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Desde nuestra fundación en 2005, Kisling, Nestico & Redick se ha dedicado a ayudar a las víctimas de lesiones personales a luchar por la indemnización que se merecen cuando un accidente afecta a su estilo de vida. Hemos ayudado a más de 10 000 personas y estamos dispuestos a seguir luchando por los habitantes de Ohio y por cualquier persona que merezca una indemnización por sus reclamaciones por lesiones personales.

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We Help Cleveland Bus Crash Victims

The aftermath of a bus accident can be almost unbearable with the high cost of medical treatments, strained personal relationships, and intense pain and suffering. However, there is a way to alleviate some of the stress associated with your injuries.

Our skilled Cleveland bus accident lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick can handle the legal aspects of your case while you focus on moving on with your life. We will work tirelessly to ensure that all of the details are gathered so you have the best chance to obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.

Our Cleveland Bus Accident Lawyers Will:

  • Responder a tus preguntas y dudas
  • Te mantendremos informado durante todas las fases del proceso
  • Obtain medical records about the extent of your injuries
  • Identificar a la parte responsable
  • Calcula el valor justo y total de los daños y perjuicios que has sufrido
  • Negocia para conseguir la máxima indemnización
  • Fight for everything you deserve
  • Never charge you upfront

What to Do After a Bus Accident in Cleveland

  • Get medical care. Call 911 if anyone is badly hurt, and get checked the same day even if you feel fine.
  • Report it. Call the Cleveland Division of Police so a crash report is made, and tell the bus driver you were hurt so the operator records it.
  • Write down the details. Note the bus number, route, time, and location, and get names and phone numbers from other passengers or witnesses.
  • Take photos. Photograph the bus, the scene, any vehicles involved, and your injuries.
  • Do not give a recorded statement. The transit agency or bus company’s insurer may call quickly. Talk to a lawyer first.
  • Call a lawyer. Video from bus cameras can be overwritten, so a lawyer should ask for it to be preserved right away.

Call (216) 658-1330 or 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free consultation.

Cleveland Bus Accident FAQs

Can I sue RTA after a bus accident?

Yes, in many cases. RTA is a public agency, and Ohio law protects public agencies from many lawsuits, but there is an exception when an employee’s negligent driving causes an injury. That exception covers most crashes caused by an RTA driver. Claims against RTA have limits on some types of damages, so it helps to work with a lawyer who handles them.

Who pays if I was hurt as a bus passenger?

If the bus driver caused the crash, the bus operator or its insurance is usually responsible. If another driver caused it, that driver’s insurer pays. Your own auto policy may also help through medical payments or uninsured motorist coverage, even though you were not in your car.

Is there a shorter deadline for claims against a public transit agency?

In Ohio, most claims against a public agency such as RTA have the same two-year filing deadline as other injury claims. That does not mean you should wait. The agency starts investigating right away, bus video can be lost, and these claims take longer to build. Talk to a lawyer as soon as you can so the deadline is confirmed for your case.

What if a bus hit my car?

You can bring a claim against the party responsible for the crash, usually the bus operator if its driver was at fault. If the bus belongs to RTA or a school district, the public agency rules apply. If it was a private charter or shuttle, the company and its insurer are responsible. Get the bus number, the driver’s name, and a police report at the scene.

What if my child was hurt on a school bus?

Get your child checked by a doctor right away and report the injury to the school in writing. A school district, a private bus company, or another driver may be responsible, depending on what happened. A child’s deadline to file can work differently than an adult’s, but evidence fades quickly, so call (216) 658-1330 or 1-800-HURT-NOW to talk it through.