Tucson Bus Accident Lawyer

You might be able to pursue compensation for your losses if you got hurt in a bus accident in Tucson, AZ. The remedies available to you will depend on whether a private company or government agency owned the bus. Each type of claim or lawsuit has different requirements.

At Zanes Law, we have knowledge and experience handling these cases, so you will not have to worry about trying to get justice on your own. We can help you navigate the claims and litigation process and go after compensation for your losses, whether your accident involved a school bus, government agency-owned bus, or a privately-owned bus.

Call us today at (520) 777-7777 for a no-cost consultation.

The Stages of a Tucson Bus Accident Case

Your bus accident lawyer in Tucson, AZ, from Zanes Law will investigate every bus accident that we handle in Tucson. We look into the ownership of the bus and the circumstances that can affect responsibility.

We gather information about what led up to the crash to determine who might be liable for your losses. Sometimes, more than one entity is at fault.

Our investigation can include many things, including:

• Determining the amount of your financial losses. After a significant injury, you will have medical expenses. Also, you might miss time from work. We collect the evidence, like doctor and hospital bills and your employer’s payroll records, to back up your financial losses.

• Assessing your non-financial losses. Some harm does not come with a bill or invoice, but the damage is real, nonetheless. You might have a claim for pain and suffering, for the physical discomfort and emotional distress of what you experienced.

• Evaluating how your injuries impacted your life in the long-term. Depending on the extent of your injuries and the demands of your livelihood, you might not be able to make as much money after the accident as you did before it. You might also need ongoing medical treatments or assistance with daily tasks.

Every case is different, so the steps we take in your case might vary from these items. We will do what is appropriate based on the circumstances.

What We Have to Prove in a Tucson Bus Accident Case

The law requires that we be able to prove all four of the following elements to hold someone responsible for your losses from a bus accident:

• The defendant (e.g., the bus driver, bus company, manufacturer, maintenance company) must have owed you a duty of care. For example, the bus driver had the responsibility of obeying the traffic laws and operating the bus safely.

• If the bus driver did not perform his job up to the standard of the legal duty, it is negligence. If, for example, the bus driver was driving distracted or drove over his allotted hours, he violated his duty to operate the bus safely.

• The defendant’s negligence must have caused the collision. Let’s say that the driver drifted off to sleep at the wheel because they were driving longer than legally allowed. They veered into oncoming traffic and caused a head-on crash. Driving a bus while fatigued caused the crash.

• You must have losses to pursue a claim for money damages in personal injury. If you sustained physical injuries, we can go after compensation for your financial losses (like lost wages and medical bills) and your non-financial losses (like disfigurement or pain and suffering).

The facts of your situation will determine whether all four elements for liability are present.

How the Ownership of the Bus Affects Your Claim

We might have to follow a different claims process, depending on whether the accident involved a school bus, a privately-owned bus, or a bus owned or operated by a government agency. The laws that govern these cases can vary accordingly.

Tucson’s public transportation system includes Sun Tran buses, which are operated by the City of Tucson. Since the City of Tucson is a government entity, the rules and liability will be different than if we went after damages from a privately-owned tour, shuttle, or sightseeing bus company.

Some school buses are part of a private school, while others are under the control of a government agency, like a public school district. We will have to proceed based on the ownership status of the bus. If a private school owns or operates the bus, we can go after money damages the same way we would against any individual or company that is not part of a government entity.

Damages for a Tucson Bus Accident

We cannot say how much compensation you might get for your injuries from a bus accident in Tucson until we talk with you and investigate your situation. The amount of compensation you can pursue will depend on the unique facts of your case, like the severity of your injuries and whether you suffered long-term impairment.

Some of the damages we have won for our clients include:

• Medical expenses, for the reasonable cost of the treatment you needed for your injuries.

• Long-term care, if you need assistance with medical treatments and personal living tasks as a result of your injuries.

• Lost wages, if you missed paying because of the bus accident.

• Intangible losses, like disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and pain and suffering.

These are but a few examples of the types of damages you might have from a Tucson bus accident.

Getting Help for Your Tucson, AZ Bus Accident Injury Claim

Arizona’s statute of limitations (12-542) generally limits the time that you have to file a lawsuit against the liable party involved in your accident. If you got hurt in a bus accident, you should be able to focus on getting better and not having to deal with claims adjusters and gathering evidence to prove your claim for money damages. When a bus accident attorney in Tucson, AZ, from Zanes Law handles your injury claim, you can rebuild your life while we take care of the rest. We do it all—from A to Z.

Call Zanes Law today at (520) 777-7777 to get started.