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2/17/10

Tips in Making Bus Accident Injury Claims

Buses are one of the safest public transports in the United Kingdom. People prefer to ride buses because they think that it can bring them to their destination safe and sound. But we can’t stop accidents from happening. In case you’ve been involved in a bus accident, you can make a claim for the responsible party to compensate for your physical or mental injuries.

Do you know that bus accident injury claims can be a bit complicated? Why? This is because establishing blame in bus accidents can be confusing. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of possible liable parties if bus accidents are concerned. You need to know who’s to blame first before you can file a claim. So here are some tips in making bus accident claims.

1. Look for the responsible party

In a bus accident there can be one or more liable individuals or entities. You need to know first who you are going to make a claim against. Here is a list of individuals or entities you can sue:

• Driver of the bus – the main person who’s to blame in a bus accident is the driver. They may have been reckless in their demeanour thus the cause of the incident. Usually, drinking before driving and fatigue are the main reasons for such accidents due to their carelessness.
• The bus company – if it’s been established that the driver is responsible for the incident, the owner of the bus is also to be blame partly. They should be accountable in monitoring the manners of their employees.

The bus company should also care for their employees so they shouldn’t be overworked. They should also give their drivers proper training. If it’s proven that they don’t practice proper management care for their employees they will also be held responsible for the incident.

• Driver of other vehicle(s) – when another car is responsible for a bus accident by driving recklessly thus distracting the bus driver, the driver of that vehicle should be held liable for the bus accident.
• Repair companies – If another company is servicing for the bus company for the maintenance of the buses they can also be blamed for the accident as long as it is proven that they have been negligent in their duties.

2. Gather evidences to establish blame

Any one or two of these entities or individuals can be held responsible for the accident. So it’s time to gather evidences to establish legal responsibility. Talk to witnesses, check out the police report and ask for details about all the individuals involved.

3. Employ a personal injury solicitor who specialises in bus accident claims

It is usually recommended that you hire the help of a personal injury solicitor who has had experience in bus accident claims. Make sure that you are going to employ someone who knows his/her job and is competent enough to win the case.

There are also a number of personal injury solicitors who are giving a no win no fee service. You should prefer them. With this agreement, you don’t have any responsibility to pay your solicitor anything whether you win or lose the case. Just make sure to place it in writing duly signed by you and your solicitor.


4. Observe the limitation period in making a injury claim

In the UK, filing a claim has a limitation period. You can only make a claim for bus accident within 3 years after the incident happened.

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