Determining who is liable for your damages after a Fort Lauderdale bus accident and how to go about recovering these damages is a much more complex process than in a typical car accident. You may be facing serious pain and medical bills—and we can help you seek the financial recovery you need.
The Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine offer free case evaluations for crash victims. We can help you understand your options for filing a liability claim if you suffered serious injuries. We can pursue an injury case against an individual driver, a private company, or a government agency.
Recoverable Damages After a Fort Lauderdale Bus Accident
Florida has a no-fault auto insurance system in place, so you may only be able to recover compensation from your own personal injury protection (PIP) policy. If you suffered serious injuries, however, a bus accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL, can help you pursue additional compensation.
Depending on the details of your case, there may be a range of damages available to you.
Damages from Your PIP Coverage
The first place you turn after any Florida motor vehicle accident is always to your own no-fault insurance policy. If you acted negligently and caused the bus to collide with your car, this policy may offer the only damages you can recover. If you suffered only minor or moderate injuries, you might not be able to recover any additional compensation.
Your PIP coverage should pay for:
- A limited amount of medical coverage for non-emergency medical care
- Up to the policy limits for emergency medical care
- A portion of your lost wages related to the accident
Damages from a Third-Party Liability Insurance Claim or Lawsuit
The same goes when you file a claim for a child’s injuries sustained in a bus crash. Our school bus accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale will evaluate the case, establish liability, and assign monetary values to medical bills, pain and suffering, ongoing treatments, and future rehabilitation interventions, and more. Just like any negligence attorney in Fort Lauderdale will tell you, these claims and lawsuits can take months or years to solve. It is best if you tackle the issue with the help of a specialized attorney who will make sure you achieve your goals.
If you meet Florida’s serious injury threshold or another exception to the no-fault laws, you may be eligible to pursue damages through a third-party liability claim or personal injury lawsuit against another party.
The damages available from these actions include:
- Any outstanding medical bills
- Future or ongoing care costs
- Lost wages and future lost income
- Future lost benefits if you cannot return to work
- Property damage, including the repair or replacement of your vehicle
- Miscellaneous out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
We cannot say how much compensation you might collect because every case is different. The amount that you could pursue from the negligent party will depend on the unique facts of your situation, including the extent of your injuries and necessary medical expenses.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Can Handle Your Bus Accident Case
After you’ve been in an accident, you may not wish to spend energy gathering your medical records, speaking with the insurance companies, and negotiating a settlement. We can do all of these things for you.
We will also:
- Help you understand what your case may be worth
- Advise you on when to accept a settlement offer
- Gather compelling evidence to prove negligence and your losses
- Determine the appropriate liable party in your case
- File an insurance claim or lawsuit for you
- Litigate in a civil court trial, if necessary
- Ensure your case complies with relevant state laws, such as the deadline to file a lawsuit
What Will It Cost to Work with a Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale?
You may wonder if it’s worth hiring a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer to pursue your case and if you can afford legal representation. We don’t want these concerns to prevent you from getting the help you want.
Instead, we can take your case on a contingency-fee basis. This means:
- You owe us no upfront fees to get started with a case.
- You only pay us if we collect compensation on your behalf.
- We will agree on a percentage-based fee for our services, which we will discuss at the outset of your case.
You don’t have to wait to get started. Call us to learn more about our contingency-based services.
Why Choose the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine?
Our team will go the extra mile for you and your results. Some of the reasons why you may want to consider working with our injury lawyers include:
• We offer free case reviews any time, 24/7.
• You can receive your attorney’s phone number to ask questions as your case progresses.
• If you need help getting your car fixed, we will help make arrangements.
• Whether you need a bus crash lawyer or a Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident attorney, we have got your back. Our practice areas and services cover motor vehicle accidents, negligence in all its aspects, and other legal areas meant to protect you, your children, and even your place of business.
Our past clients had these things to say about us:
- “Back in February of this year me and my boyfriend at the time got hit by a bus. My car was totaled and the entire process was a huge hassle until my father put me in contact with the firm. After that it was pretty much smooth sailing. Most of the stress was taken off of my shoulders and they really helped me focus on getting myself better while they took care of everything else.” – Tyler R.
- “What unbelievable professionalism. If you have to hire an attorney to represent you during a difficult time, there is no other choice than Anidjar and Levine. Everyone I dealt with was great.” – Charles L.
- “I have nothing but good things to say about the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine… I am very happy with how they handled my car accident case and with the results.” – Sonia G.
You can read these and other five-star reviews from our clients. We work hard to make things easier for you when we handle your personal injury case.
Exploring Liability in a Fort Lauderdale Bus Accident Case
Because a bus accident can encompass various scenarios, there is no single way to handle this type of case. Different laws apply depending on who caused the accident, who owned and operated the bus, and a number of other factors.
If Another Motorist Caused the Bus Accident
No matter if you were on the bus or driving your own vehicle, you can hold another motorist responsible if they caused a bus accident, and you suffered serious injuries.
We can help you file a third-party liability insurance claim based on their auto insurance policy or file a personal injury lawsuit against them.
If a Bus Driver Working for a Private Company Caused the Accident
If a bus driver working for a private tour company or another private entity caused your accident and serious injuries, the legal doctrine of vicarious liability goes into effect.
This doctrine allows us to hold the driver’s employer liable for their negligent acts and the damages you suffered.
We can file a third-party liability claim based on the company’s liability policy or file a lawsuit against the company.
If a Bus Driver Working for a Public Entity Caused the Accident
When the bus driver who caused the accident works for a government agency—such as Broward County Transit or a local school system—sovereign immunity applies to your case.
State sovereign immunity laws protect government agencies from facing lawsuits in many cases and limit the amount of compensation available after this type of crash. Per Florida Statutes § 768.28, the law limits the payout after a bus crash to:
- $200,000 per person
- $300,000 per accident
Proving Negligence and Liability in a Florida Bus Accident
There are a number of common reasons why bus accidents occur. We need to investigate your accident to understand what happened, who acted negligently, and who is liable. We enlist the help of accident reconstruction specialists and other experts, as well as utilize our own knowledgeable team, to get to the bottom of what caused your crash.
Some of the most common reasons we see bus drivers cause accidents include:
- Speeding, often to keep on schedule
- Distracted driving
- Careless acts, such as running red lights
- Driving carelessly in rain or other inclement weather
- Drowsy driving
- Misjudging turns on roads not designed for buses
- Mechanical failure because of poor maintenance
Sometimes, the bus driver’s lack of experience or training can cause accidents that injure innocent people. With so many possible causes of bus collisions, you might wonder how we can establish who was at fault in the accident.
We Will Prove Negligence Caused Your Accident
To recover damages, the American Bar Association (ABA) requires us to prove negligence. This involves showing:
- The defendant must have owed you a duty of care. This element is simple to prove because everyone who drives a bus, car, or truck on Fort Lauderdale roadways must obey traffic laws and drive with caution.
- The defendant breached their duty. When a person’s conduct does not satisfy the legal duty of care, the person is negligent. Let’s say that the bus driver went out with friends the night before the crash and got very little sleep. He was so drowsy that he struggled to stay awake at the wheel on the day of the accident. Driving drowsy violates the requirement to drive with caution.
- The negligence caused the accident that harmed you. Because the driver kept nodding off while driving the bus, he did not notice that the light had turned red, and he crashed into your car. These facts support that another party caused the accident.
- You have measurable losses from the accident. Physical injuries qualify as quantifiable damages for the purpose of establishing the driver’s liability.
We have to provide evidence that proves all four of those factors to hold the at-fault party liable for your losses. Once we understand how negligence caused your accident, we can file an insurance claim with the liable party.
Many times, we can negotiate a fair settlement amount with the liable party without needing to litigate the case. However, we have no problem advocating for you in court if that’s what it takes to recover damages.
Florida’s Statute of Limitations Restricts Your Time to File Suit
While we prefer to act quickly because it helps us build a stronger case on your behalf, Florida law gives us four years to file a lawsuit against a private motorist or bus company in a bus accident case. If your loved one passed away because of a Fort Lauderdale bus accident, we must file the wrongful death lawsuit within two years, per Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).
The process is different, however, when the liable party is a government agency. The deadline to take action is much shorter, so it is important to contact us as soon as possible for help with this type of claim.
The consequences of missing the filing deadline are significant. If you do not file your lawsuit by the deadline, Florida law could forever bar you from seeking compensation from the at-fault party. They would not have to pay you a single dollar. You would likely have to pay for your losses, like medical bills and lost wages, out of your own pocket.
Get Help Today for Your Bus Accident Case in Fort Lauderdale
If you suffered serious injuries in a Fort Lauderdale bus accident, the attorneys from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you understand your legal options for compensation.
*We go the extra mile for our clients. During our partnership, you can expect white-glove service as we help schedule your appointment and arrange for your car’s repairs. We treat you with respect and kindness.
Call someone from our team today for your free evaluation and consultation.
We Can Help.
