Client sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a driver who passed away at the scene. We obtained close to the policy limits with an additional claimant pre-suit and negotiated medical liens down over $250,000.
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Thankfully, bus accidents aren’t as common as other types of accidents, but they do happen. It could be terrifying if you or your child were involved in an accident while on a bus. You may wonder what options you have or what your next steps are.
Contact an experienced Madison bus accident attorney today to learn more about how we can help. Once you have taken care of any injuries that you have sustained, we will be here to help. Our personal injury attorneys in Madison have over 20 years of experience helping other clients like you to move forward and get back to their lives. Contact our office at (608) 448-6242 to start the process.
It can be challenging to wrap your mind around a child being injured on a school bus, but it often happens. Passengers on city buses are also common victims of bus accidents. The driver of the bus (school bus or public transportation), nearby pedestrians, drivers of other vehicles, and more are also susceptible to injuries in a bus accident. Due to the size of a bus (similar to that of truck accidents), the results can be very traumatic to victims.
There can be more than one person involved in a bus accident who would be liable for damages. Generally speaking, if the driver of the bus was at fault, they personally could be held responsible, as well as the company that employed them. For example, suppose a municipal bus service owns the bus. In that case, there may be a fault established with the municipality in that routine maintenance was missed or inadequately done, causing the accident.
The bus manufacturer could also be liable if the brakes, engine, or other parts of the bus failed, and this caused the accident. Did the brakes fail, and did this cause an accident? An investigation can determine whether adequate maintenance was done or if the brakes were faulty due to a manufacturing error. The manufacturer would then be partially responsible for the accident if it is proven that a manufacturer’s part was defective.
Thorough investigations are done to determine who is at fault for an accident. Similar to car/truck accidents, several aspects go into proving fault. Accident reconstruction, expert advice, witness statements, video or pictures of the accident or the resulting damage are used to determine who is at fault for the accident. Police records and medical records are also gathered to establish responsibility.
Wisconsin follows a modified comparative fault rule, meaning that more than one person can be at fault for an accident, and their responsibility for compensation is calculated accordingly. For example, let’s say that a city bus was operating on a highway, another vehicle’s driver was distracted by texting and caused an accident, and one of the vehicles collided with the bus. Multiple parties are involved, so it is up to the courts to determine what percentage of fault each party has.
Driver One could be 90% responsible for the accident, and the other driver could be found to be 10% at fault due to their actions. This would mean that between the two drivers, the victim(s) of the bus accident could recover 100% of the compensation that was awarded. Due to this rule, even if the victim was partially responsible for the accident, they may still be awarded compensation, as long as they are not found to be 50% or more responsible for causing the accident.
Being involved in an accident can be overwhelming. Chances are, all of us will be involved in at least one accident in our lifetime. Car, truck, or pedestrian accidents can seem a little more straightforward, and you may be left wondering what your options are or what the next steps are.
Our experienced Madison personal injury attorneys from Wisconsin have worked with countless clients over the years, and we are confident we can help you to navigate this. We can provide you with the compassion you deserve and invaluable insight into what you can and should do moving forward. Contact our office at (608) 448-6242 to learn more about how we can best assist you.
Insurance companies profit when you lose. Every claim they deny, every settlement they lowball, every injured person they convince to accept less—that’s money in their pocket. And they’re very good at what they do.
At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we’ve made it our mission to take on the insurance companies that put profits over people. We know every underhanded tactic they’ll use to cheat you out of fair compensation, and we’re prepared to fight fire with fire. When insurance adjusters see us coming, they know they’re in for a real battle. You didn’t ask to be injured.
You didn’t ask to fight a billion-dollar corporation. But now that you’re here, you deserve lawyers who will go to war for you. We don’t settle for less than full compensation, we don’t back down from tough fights, and we don’t let insurance companies bully our clients. PERIOD.
Life following a serious injury can bring intense emotions and pain. Accident victims often hope to get their lives back on track, only to be held back by the demands involved with personal injury claims. This is especially the case for individuals who become hospitalized. Wherever you are in the process, we’d be glad to help.
Our injury lawyers in Wisconsin step up to represent you. At Pemberton, we provide this advocacy at every step in the injury claims process so you can be on your way to feeling like yourself again.
Contact our Wisconsin personal injury attorneys at (608) 448-6242 to speak with one of our experienced attorneys. We will create a plan together to help you protect your rights and get you back to your life.
$33M+ Won For Our Clients
Client sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a driver who passed away at the scene. We obtained close to the policy limits with an additional claimant pre-suit and negotiated medical liens down over $250,000.
In this car accident case, the client suffered catastrophic injuries in a head-on collision when the at-fault driver crossed the center line. Her injuries included multiple broken bones in the chest, ribs, wrist, and ankle, internal injuries requiring intestinal surgery, and a damaged artery in the spine. With medical expenses exceeding $4,000, we secured the at-fault driver’s full insurance coverage and pursued an additional $1,000,000 from the client’s own insurance policy. We also negotiated a reduction of more than $468,000 in outstanding medical costs to ensure the client received maximum financial recovery for her life-altering injuries and permanent impact on her ability to work.
The client’s loved one suffered a fatal injury in an auto collision that resulted in over $382,000 in medical bills. Acting as the family’s second attorney, we navigated difficult policy-limit issues and secured a $1,000,000 settlement. While the case had greater overall value and the family would have liked a higher recovery, they chose to settle to avoid prolonged litigation and move forward.
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”
“Focus on healing and we will take care of everything on the legal side”
“If you ever need an attorney, he would be the first one I recommend”