Bus travel is a common mode of transportation, especially in urban areas around Chicago where public transportation is more prevalent. If you get hurt in a collision with a bus, an attorney can assist you in getting your injuries and damages paid for.
While negligent bus drivers can be held accountable, their employers might bear some responsibility, too. Additionally, other parties present at the crash or who might not have been directly involved might be implicated. Your attorney can help you file your claim before your deadline expires. In Illinois, injury claims usually have to be filed with the courts no later than two years after the accident, although certain exceptions exist. Before the case is filed, we need to evaluate your damages and other losses. Medical bills, destroyed property, psychological distress, and other injuries should be assessed and included in the case. To get compensation for these injuries, we need evidence. We can talk to witnesses, review security camera footage, and investigate for other evidence we need to support your case.
Call the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 and ask our bus accident lawyers for a free, private evaluation of your claims.
Who Should Be Held Responsible for Your Bus Accident in Skokie, IL?
We often want to blame accidents on one person or entity, but bus accidents tend to be complicated, and multiple responsible parties might be involved. Our bus accident lawyers can help you investigate potentially liable parties like the bus driver, their employer, and even governmental entities in charge of public transportation.
Bus Drivers
First, we should assess the bus driver’s behavior during the accident. A lot of crashes are the direct result of negligent bus drivers. For example, the driver might have been looking at their cell phone when they should have had their eyes on the road. Maybe they were speeding and could not stop in time to avoid a collision with another car. Maybe the bus driver was poorly trained and had insufficient driving experience. Anything is possible. Our team can work with the investigating authorities to determine if the bus driver should be held accountable.
Bus Companies
When suing a bus driver for an accident, we should also consider suing their employer. Many buses are privately owned and operated by private companies. For example, you might have been in an accident with a tour or charter bus. You might have instead been in an accident with a bus from a private company like Greyhound or Megabus.
Under the legal principle known as respondeat superior, when an employee is negligent during normal work activities and causes injuries, their employer may be held vicariously liable. This may include a bus driver who is negligent behind the wheel and causes a bad accident.
Governmental Organizations or Entities
Not all buses are privately owned. Many people take the bus using public transportation. Skokie is very close to Chicago and is serviced by the Chicago Transit Authority, which includes bus routes. If you are injured in an accident with a CTA bus, talk to an attorney immediately. Government employees and entities tend to enjoy a certain degree of immunity when it comes to legal issues. Your lawyer can help you determine whether you can even sue the CTA and how to go about doing so.
Time Limits on Filing Bus Accident Claims in Skokie, IL
Your time to file a lawsuit for a bus accident might be shorter than you think. The statute of limitations on personal injury claims, including those related to bus accidents, is located under the 735 I.L.C.S. § 5/13-202. This law allows plaintiffs 2 years from the crash date to file their cases in court. This applies to plaintiffs suing private defendants, like private tour bus companies or charter bus companies.
Bus accidents involving public transportation are somewhat trickier. In Skokie, the public bus lines are operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, a governmental entity. The rules for suing a governmental entity differ from those for suing private parties. If you are suing a governmental entity, you have only 1 year to file your claims, according to 745 I.L.C.S. § 10/8-101(a).
These tight deadlines give injured plaintiffs little time to recover and mull over their legal options. Talk to an attorney as soon as possible, even if you are not quite sure what your next legal step is just yet. Your attorney can help you decide what is best for you, whether that be a lawsuit or a different legal channel.
Investigating for Evidence in a Skokie, IL Bus Accident Case
How we find evidence to back up your bus accident claims depends on where and how the accident happened. If the bus crash occurred somewhere more densely populated, there might be nearby security cameras with footage of the accident. Even if there is not, many buses are equipped with their own cameras. Either way, video evidence can be very powerful and hard for negligent defendants to refute.
It is normal for drivers and passengers to take lots of photos of an accident right after it happens, usually for insurance reasons. Depending on what the defendant wants to dispute, these photos might greatly help support your claims.
Bus collisions are rarely small or unnoticed events. Often, lots of people see the crash or stop to help. These people might have valuable testimony that could make or break the case. The more people who can testify about the defendant’s negligent behavior, the stronger your case may be.
More importantly, we might need your testimony. Only you can talk about certain things important to your case, like how the crash affected you psychologically or the intense pain of your injuries. Reliving the accident on the stand can be difficult, but it is often a necessary part of the legal process.
Reach Out to Our Skokie, IL Bus Accident Attorneys Now
Call the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502 and ask our bus accident lawyers for a free, private evaluation of your claims.
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