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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operates over 1,500 buses in the DC Metro area, covering 325 routes in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Thousands of commuters rely on these buses and trust they will provide safe riding between destinations. Unfortunately, driver error, poor maintenance, and other issues cause bus accidents to occur too frequently, resulting in devastating personal injuries for passengers and other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Bus accident victims often require specialized care, including long-term physical and psychological treatment. Worse, claims against WMATA can be notoriously complex. You will need a Washington, DC bus accident lawyer from Regan Zambri Long to help you with the claim and get you the compensation you deserve following such an accident.
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Bus accident claims can be challenging to navigate on your own. Dealing with a government agency or an insurance company can be frustrating. They can easily reject your claim and blame you for the accident. If your claim is approved, you may only receive the bare minimum of what your claim is worth. You need a law firm with the experience to get you the compensation you deserve.
The Washington, DC bus accident lawyers at Regan Zambri Long PLLC have the experience and resources to take on the WMATA or a private bus company. We understand the complexities of these types of personal injury lawsuits and will fight for your rights, so you receive the maximum compensation your crash injury claim is worth.
Called by Washingtonian Magazine the “lawyer you call when you want to sue WMATA,” Senior Partner Patrick Regan has successfully handled hundreds of bus accident claims throughout the DMV. Our bus crash attorneys have won tens of millions of dollars in damages for their clients and understand the complexities of handling bus accident claims against the WMATA and private bus companies.
If you or a loved one were hurt in a bus accident, call the DC bus accident attorneys of Regan Zambri Long today for a no-obligation, free consultation.
In 2021, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported 397 fatal bus crashes across the United States. Depending on the circumstances of the accident and the type of bus involved, several parties may be liable for your accident injuries or the death of a loved one. Possible responsible parties for the bus accident may include:
If the driver of a DC Metrobus is at fault for your accident, then you may be able to hold WMATA accountable for your injuries and damages. This is generally the case when driver error or lack of maintenance on the vehicle causes an injury. There is a specific procedure the injury victim needs to follow to file a claim. For example, you must file a claim by a particular date, which must be filed with the right agency. Failure to do so could result in your claim being denied.
Because time is essential in a Metrobus accident case, it’s important to contact a bus accident lawyer at Regan Zambri Long as soon as possible after the crash to get your claim started immediately. Our DC bus accident lawyers work diligently to file your paperwork with the appropriate agency promptly.
If your child was injured while riding a school bus, a school bus accident lawyer in DC may be able to hold the school district liable for the accident, including crashes caused by driver error. Poor maintenance, lack of proper training, or hiring negligent drivers are all causes of school bus accidents and result from negligence on behalf of the school district.
Children who have been harmed in a school bus accident have two options for collecting compensation. The first is that the parents or guardians of the minor child file the lawsuit on the child’s behalf. Or, the minor child could wait until he or she becomes of age to file a lawsuit. In that case, the child has until age 21 to file a personal injury claim.
There are many reasons why parents choose to file a claim on their child’s behalf. If you have questions about a DC personal injury claim involving a minor, contact a DC bus accident lawyer today.
If a private company owns the coach that caused the bus accident, then that company’s insurance should cover your injuries and damages. For example, after a tour bus accident, you may be able to file a claim against the tour company for any injuries you may have sustained.
In some cases, the manufacturer may be liable for a bus crash caused by defects in the vehicle components. For example, faulty brakes prevent the bus from stopping, causing the driver to hit another car. The impact force causes you to fall and hit your head on the floor. The braking system had a design flaw, but the brake manufacturer did not fix the flaw before the coach was manufactured. In such a case, the manufacturer for producing a faulty product.
A DC personal injury attorney from Regan Zambri Long can guide you through the legal process of claims against vehicle manufacturers.
In some cases, another motorist may cause a crash. You may be able to collect compensation from that driver’s insurance policy, the motor coach company’s insurance policy, and your own.
Usually, bus accident victims do not know who caused the accident or what parties may be liable for the damages. Our Washington, DC bus accident lawyer can investigate the incident, determine the cause, and find all responsible parties.
One of the major causes of bus accidents in Washington, DC, can be traced back to driver error. Too often, a crash could have been avoided if one or more parties had acted responsibly. The most prevalent causes of bus accidents in the DC metro area include:
Bus drivers need to be adequately trained to handle these large vehicles. But even the best-trained driver could easily ignore the rules of the road. Therefore, when a driver violates their duty of care and drives recklessly, you have cause to file a claim against the bus driver.
Examples of driver negligence include:
Like trucking companies, companies may cut corners and fail to maintain their buses regularly. A defective part can quickly endanger the public without regular maintenance to keep buses from running correctly.
The bus company may also be held responsible for how its employees acted before and after the accident. For example, the company could be liable for the accident if the bus driver was not adequately trained.
Inclement weather can easily make driving dangerous for even the most experienced driver. For example, a sudden winter storm can turn the roadway into ice. Adequately trained drivers know they must drive cautiously in bad weather; however, many take chances to meet their schedules. This can easily result in a deadly accident.
Another driver’s negligence can cause a bus crash. Like bus drivers, other drivers must drive safely and follow the road rules. However, this is not always the case, which can result in a deadly accident.
It’s the government’s responsibility to keep the roads maintained. But if the road was either poorly constructed or is not being maintained and the road conditions caused the accident, the government may be held liable for the accident.
For decades, our Washington, DC bus accident lawyer at Regan Zambri Long PLLC has been helping victims and their families recover compensation after these types of negligence cause an accident to occur. We will go after the other party responsible and ensure you get the justice you deserve.
The personal injuries caused by a bus accident can be extensive and severe. First, buses or coaches are much larger and heavier than typical vehicles. If a bus crashes into a car, the car will likely sustain much more damage than the bus. The same is true of accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists.
Second, bus passengers typically do not wear seatbelts and may stand if the bus is crowded. In an impact, riders could fall or be thrown into seats, against windows, or other passengers.
Some of the most common types of bus accident injuries include:
If you suffered a severe injury in a bus accident, call the DC bus accident attorneys of Regan Zambri Long.
Like a truck accident, you can file a personal injury claim against the company’s insurance for your injuries. But your claim can be a little more complicated when you have a claim against the government.
When filing a claim against the WMATA, the doctrine of sovereign immunity may apply. Sovereign immunity prohibits your ability to sue the government in some instances.
To file a lawsuit, you must first file a Notice of Claim to the Office of Risk Management within six months. The notice must contain the following information:
WMATA responds in approximately five business days; however, it may require additional time to investigate the accident depending on the complaint.
Given the complexity of claims against the government, connecting with a Washington DC bus accident lawyer is the only way to guarantee your rights are being preserved.
Depending on the severity of the injuries and the circumstances surrounding the accident, bus accident victims could receive the following compensation for their accident:
Call a Washington, DC bus accident lawyer from Regan Zambri Long to secure maximum compensation for your injuries. Our firm has secured multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts, and we can do the same for you.
To investigate a DC metro bus accident, your lawyer will gather as much evidence as possible to establish cause and pursue liability against the driver or WMATA. This includes:
No stone will be left unturned when you utilize the legal council of Regan Zambri Long for your DC bus accident claim.
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you and your lawyer may be able to hold the at-fault driver and/or bus company liable for your injuries. In some cases, the bus owner or a third party could be held at fault for the accident.
Contacting an attorney immediately after the accident is best to file a personal injury claim as a bus passenger.
If you lost a family member in a bus accident, you have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault party.
In Washington, DC, you have two years from the date of death to file a lawsuit. However, the responsible party may claim that the death was not connected to the accident injuries. A DC personal injury attorney will review your loved one’s medical records to ensure there is no question about what caused their death.
Depending on whether you’re a passenger on the bus, a pedestrian, or another driver, your first step is to remain calm and call 911 as possible. Then do the following:
If the bus company or its insurance company calls you before you can speak with a Washington DC bus accident lawyer, keep the information about the accident to yourself. Do not agree to make a recorded statement, and do not sign any forms the company or insurance carrier sent to you. Instead, contact a DC bus accident lawyer at Regan Zambri Long immediately to protect your case.
Washington, DC is a no-fault state. This means your insurance company will pay for your injuries, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. In a bus accident, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance will cover medical expenses of up to $50,000.
However, PIP does not cover other damages, such as lost wages or pain and suffering. In addition, you are not required to purchase PIP insurance in Washington, DC. You must file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party to pay for all expenses.
This is why it’s critical to get a full medical examination after an accident occurs, as it will be used to calculate the value of your claim. At Regan Zambri Long, our DC bus accident lawyers work with medical experts to ensure you get the compensation you need for your injuries now and for the long-term treatment of them later.
If you are a passenger on the bus at the time of the accident, the possibility of being responsible for the crash is unlikely. However, there are situations where you may have played a part in the personal injury. For example, let’s say you were being rowdy on the bus. You were sitting incorrectly on your seat and speaking to your friend behind you, then the driver stops short to avoid hitting a dog, causing you to fall. The court may find you partially at fault for your accident in this situation since you were sitting incorrectly in your seat.
DC, Virginia, and Maryland all follow the contributory negligence fault system. This law states that if the plaintiff is found at fault by any degree for the accident, they will not be able to recover any damages.
A Washington DC bus accident lawyer can help you understand how contributory negligence can harm your personal injury claim.
To determine fault, the following elements must be present:
If the bus company or driver meets these four elements, they will be liable for your accident. Our DC bus accident lawyers can establish fault to build you the strongest claim for your bus accident injuries.
Our Washington, DC bus accident lawyer has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. Backed by decades of experience fighting against the WMATA, our firm has an established reputation for pursuing legal excellence in complex bus accident cases.
As our client, you will enjoy peace of mind knowing that we will protect your legal rights from start to finish. Our bus accident lawyers will do everything in our power to secure the maximum compensation you need to pay for injury-related expenses, such as medical care and lost income, as well as full compensation for all of your injuries, and physical and emotional consequences.
Our DC personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations, and we work on a contingency fee basis. Call a lawyer at (202) 960-4596 or contact a lawyer online today to discuss your legal options.
