On any given day, almost 2,000 MTA buses move riders through the streets of Los Angeles. Even under the best of circumstances with the most careful drivers, a portion of those buses will be involved in accidents that cause serious injuries to passengers and occupants of other vehicles.
If you are a victim in one of those accidents, take care of your injuries first, then call an experienced Los Angeles MTA bus accident lawyer who can give you the advice and guidance you need to recover compensation for your property losses and other damages.
How are MTA bus accidents different from other vehicle collisions?
Los Angeles MTA bus accidents are different from vehicle collisions in two critical areas:
- You need to notify the Los Angeles Transportation Authority of your claims for losses and injuries no later than six months after an accident happens by completing and submitting a Metro Claim Form to the Metro Board’s secretary. For claims against the Los Angeles MTA, if you fail to file that form before the six-month deadline or you do not complete the form with all required information, a court can dismiss your claim.
- Multiple negligent parties might be implicated, including the manufacturer of the bus, the company charged with bus maintenance, the bus driver, other vehicles that were involved in the MTA bus accident, and state or local government bodies that are responsible for road maintenance. An experienced personal injury lawyer will analyze the facts and details of your case to identify the parties that should be named in a lawsuit and to promptly file the necessary notices to preserve your right to make a claim against those parties.
Will the Los Angeles MTA be liable for all bus accident injuries?
California negligence law follows a comparative negligence standard that allows an accident victim to recover damages from multiple parties in proportion to their relative fault for causing an accident. Under this standard, an injured party’s own negligence will reduce the damages that the accident victim can recover.
Los Angeles MTA bus accidents frequently involve several potentially liable parties, each of which will attempt to argue that the accident victim was largely responsible for his or her own injuries. If you do suffer serious injuries in an MTA bus accident, your best strategy to protect your interests is to retain a Los Angeles personal injury attorney who has specific expertise in handling bus accident injury claims.
Should you accept MTA bus accident settlements that an insurance company might offer?
Insurance companies that handle MTA bus accident claims often contact accident victims early in the claims process to offer settlements that reimburse only a small portion of the victim’s losses and damages.
In vehicle accident cases, an injured party may be able to recover damages for:
- Property losses
- Actual and anticipated future medical costs
- Lost wages
- Expenses associated with rehabilitative and occupational therapy
- Extended pain and suffering
If you accept an insurer’s early settlement offer, you will likely forfeit your opportunity to recover the full amount of your damages because the insurance company will require you to sign a release that waives all further claims. Moreover, anything you say to an insurance company can be used against you, for example, to demonstrate your contribution to your injuries.
When you retain an experienced Los Angeles bus accident lawyer to pursue your claims, your lawyer will deal directly with MTA bus insurance companies on your behalf. That lawyer will also verify that all of your damages are included in any settlement negotiations and, if the matter cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, he or she will take your case to trial to press for the greatest amount of compensation.
Contact the Salamati Law Firm When You Have Suffered Injuries in a Los Angeles MTA Bus Accident
The Los Angeles MTA is a large bureaucracy that can present daunting challenges to anyone who seeks to recover damages for injuries that are the result of an MTA bus accident. If you try to take on that bureaucracy without the assistance of a knowledgeable and experienced Los Angeles MTA bus accident attorney, you will meet multiple roadblocks that will likely prevent you from getting the full compensation you deserve.
See our website or call the Los Angeles offices of the Salamati Law Firm directly for a no-fee consultation. You owe us no money unless we recover damages on your behalf!
