Moreno Valley Bus Accident Lawyer

Few modes of transportation in America are more ordinary than riding a bus. Someone who feels apprehension when boarding a bus is unlikely to have traffic accidents on their mind.   However, buses are susceptible to the same traffic hazards as other motor vehicles.

Since a bus accident can subject unusually large numbers of people to injury. For this reason, bus drivers and those that employ them must meet strict safety criteria. If you were involved in a bus accident, a local attorney could assess whether these standards were met and  if the bus owner or operator consequently owes damages to any injured passengers. For help with getting started on a claim, schedule a consultation with a Moreno Valley bus accident lawyer today. En Español.

The Duty of Common Carriers

Common carriers transport goods and people as a public service. Under Title 7, Chapter 5 of the California Civil Code, common carriers and those they employ must operate on fixed schedules, and no agreement may exempt them from liability for willful wrongdoing or gross negligence. Carriers of people must make available as many vehicles as needed to transport the number of passengers expected at any time and, with exceptions for cities and counties operating transportation systems, must provide every passenger a seat and not overload their vehicles.

While anyone in the United States has a legal duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid injury to others, the responsibility that common carriers owe to those they serve is greater than usual. Therefore, they face an increased likelihood of liability for injury. Someone involved in a bus accident could meet with a nearby attorney for help with evaluating the viability of a legal claim against a common carrier that offers bus services to the public.

Potential Civil Actions

Someone injured in a bus accident could bring a personal injury lawsuit, and family members of someone killed in an accident could sue for wrongful death to recover damages they suffer from the loss of the deceased. These claims could proceed individually, or a plaintiff could join in another plaintiff’s case, as outlined in §378 through 384.5 of the California Code of Civil Procedure. When multiple parties, such as passengers involved in bus accident, have similar claims to file, they may be permitted to bring a class action to avoid repetition, with one or two plaintiffs representing the entire group.

A court may allow two or more plaintiffs to bring one lawsuit to seek damages collectively or individually, or if each plaintiff presents an issue common to all of them. A plaintiff may also join another action if each plaintiff presents some issue opposed to the party sued and related to the subject of the lawsuit. Someone in Moreno Valley considering the advantages and disadvantages of more several legal strategies could gain valuable insight and information by getting in touch with a local bus accident lawyer.

Contact a Moreno Valley Bus Accident Attorney Today

Passengers aboard a bus could find it more difficult to assess the causes of an accident they experience than a bystander on the street would. In fact, they could be knocked unconscious and later fail to recall anything more than sitting on a bus. Fortunately for those injured, bus owners and operators face strict safety standards and could confront liability for failing to observe them.

Circumstances like these justify consulting an attorney about whether to seek damages caused by accident injuries. Someone in the Moreno Valley region could receive helpful advice from a local bus accident lawyer. If you did not bring about your injury, then you have a right to seek compensation from anyone found liable under the law.