Were you or a family member injured in an accident involving a bus in New York, NY? Whether you were a bus passenger, were in another vehicle, or simply walking down the street, you may deserve compensation. An experienced New York bus accident lawyer at Levine & Slavit PLLC can help you fight for money to cover medical bills, lost wages, and more.
We have over 115 years of combined experience in personal injury law. We know that bus accident injury cases are particularly complex. We’ve already recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injured clients–and we’re well-equipped to handle your case.
Don’t hesitate to reach out for legal assistance if you were injured in an accident. Contact our law offices in New York, New York, or call (212) 687 2777 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Can Levine & Slavit PLLC Help After a Bus Accident in New York
You didn’t cause the accident or your injuries. Still, after an accident, it’s always the victims who are left struggling with an insurance battle. We don’t believe that’s fair, and we’re here to protect your interests. Our team at Levine & Slavit PLLC knows that recovering fair compensation is critical to your future. Clients like you have trusted our New York personal injury attorneys to successfully handle their injury claims for almost seven decades.
When you hire us, you can trust that you’ll have a team to:
- Evaluate all legal options for recovering compensation
- Make sure you understand the legal process and what to expect
- Investigate and collect evidence
- Assess your losses and calculate your case value
- Reject any lowball insurance settlement offers
- Work with respected experts who can strengthen and prove your case
- Determine who is ultimately responsible for paying your damages
- Handle the paperwork
- Negotiate for a full and fair settlement
Our New York personal injury lawyers won’t back down if the insurance offer isn’t fair. Instead, we’ll take your case to trial and fight to hold the at-fault parties accountable. To learn more about our law firm and how we can help, call for a free case review today.
How Common Are Bus Accidents in New York?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 1,000 car accidents involving buses were reported across the state of New York in 2023. While this represents a drop from the 1,446 bus accidents that were reported in 2022, bus accidents still tend to be serious and can cause multiple injuries. 1,840 people were injured in bus accidents during 2023, and 25 people were killed.
At Levine & Slavit PLLC, we handle all types of bus accident claims, including those involving:
- MTA city buses
- Tour buses
- School buses
- Airport shuttle buses
- Greyhound buses
- Flixbus
- Peter Pan buses
- Private charter buses
- NJ Transit buses
If you were injured in a car accident involving a bus, contact our lawyers in New York today. We know how to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
How Much Money Is My New York Bus Accident Case Worth?
There’s no exact formula that can be used to determine the value of your case. Instead, insurance companies, lawyers, and juries weigh a number of different factors. Those factors will be unique to your situation.
When assessing the value of any personal injury case, the following factors tend to be most relevant:
- The nature of your injuries
- Whether your doctor expects you to suffer any long-term or permanent disability
- Your medical treatment costs and expenses you’ve incurred to date
- Your expected future need for rehabilitation, ongoing care, in-home assistance, etc.
- Whether you’ve been forced to miss work and lose income during recovery
- How the injury is expected to impact your future earning capacity
- Your personal losses, including pain, trauma, and reduced quality of life
- The impact of any allegations that you were partly responsible
From a practical perspective, your lawyer’s skills will also impact how much money you take home. Hiring a lawyer with a track record of success increases your odds of recovering the maximum compensation possible. When the insurance company knows your lawyer can win in court, they’re much more likely to hand over a full settlement.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Bus Accident Victims in New York City?
Any loss you’ve suffered should become part of your settlement or verdict. In legal terms, damages in New York are classified according to whether they represent an economic loss or a non-economic loss.
Economic damages are your financial costs, such as:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost employment benefits
- Reduced earning capacity
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
Non-economic damages are your more personal and subjective losses, such as:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Emotional distress
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Reduced ability to enjoy life
- Loss of consortium and other damages for wrongful death
You can count on our lawyers to pursue compensation that accounts for every loss you’ve suffered. If you were involved in a bus accident, don’t hesitate to reach out for a free case review today.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in New York?
Like most other personal injury firms, Levine & Slavit PLLC works on a contingency fee basis. This means that you’ll only pay us if we recover compensation for you; you’ll never owe us anything if we don’t. During your free consultation, we’ll discuss your fees in detail. When you decide to hire us, you’ll agree to pay a percentage of your compensation award as attorney fees.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for Being Partially Responsible for a Bus Accident in New York?
New York operates under a pure contributory negligence law. That means you don’t lose your right to damages unless you are 100% responsible. Blame is allocated between all parties involved in the accident. However, if you share some fault, your compensation is reduced by the amount of fault allocated to you. So, if you were found to be 20% liable, you can only keep 80% of your compensation award.
Our Bus Accident Attorneys in New York Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Our attorneys at Levine & Slavit PLLC handle all types of injury claims, including cases where a victim has suffered:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Nerve damage
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Chest injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Crushing injuries
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Seeking medical attention should be your first priority after an accident. Visit the nearest emergency room or medical facility. The sooner you seek medical care, the better your outcome is likely to be. Your medical record will also be critical to proving that the accident was the true cause of your injuries.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Bus Accidents in New York?
Bus drivers in New York can be incredibly aggressive. Even with extensive training and licensing, bus accidents tend to happen because of driver error. Some of the most common causes of bus accidents include:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Weaving between lanes
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Lane departures
- Stopping in unsafe locations
- Racing through intersections
- Wide turns
- Inexperienced bus drivers
- Drug or alcohol use
- Failure to maintain the bus in a safe condition
After an accident, your lawyer can conduct an investigation to determine the root cause of the crash. It’s always possible that someone other than the bus driver will ultimately be liable for your damages. That makes conducting a full investigation even more important to the success of your injury claim.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident in New York?
While bus accidents can happen for many different reasons, negligence is the legal theory involved in most cases. Negligence means:
- The defendant had a legal duty to exercise caution
- They breached that duty in some way
- The breach directly caused your accident
- You suffered damages
Different pieces of evidence can be critical to the success of your case. Police reports, physical evidence from the crash scene, witness statements, and even video footage can all be used to prove your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After Suffering Injuries in a Bus Accident in New York?
The deadlines in your case will likely depend on the identity of the defendant. The typical New York statute of limitations for personal injury gives most accident victims three years to file a lawsuit. The three-year deadline applies if the defendant was a private party, such as a tour bus company. If the MTA or another government agency is a defendant, you’ll have to comply with strict procedures. Generally, you’ll have to provide notice of your intent to seek compensation within 90 days of the accident.
Contact a Skilled New York Bus Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, contact Levine & Slavit PLLC for legal assistance today. Our experienced New York bus accident lawyers are here to handle the legal complexities, allowing you to focus on your recovery. Schedule a free consultation with us as soon as possible to discuss your case and explore your options.