Fort Wayne Bus Accident Lawyer s

Whether they are taking Citilink to work, sending their children off to school, or chartering a motorcoach to a private event, many of Fort Wayne’s nearly 270,000 residents rely on buses to get around town. Though they can provide a convenient, economical mode of transportation, buses can also be dangerous, with 175 deadly bus accidents throughout the United States in 2021, along with 108 casualties from school bus crashes that same year. Even non-fatal bus accidents can inflict punishing injuries that could break the bank of most Fort Wayne families.

While compensation may be available for your bus accident injuries, success is not guaranteed, which is why you may benefit from partnering with the Fort Wayne bus accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, where we have been standing up for honest Hoosiers like you since 1998.

For a free consultation with one of our accomplished Fort Wayne bus accident attorneys, please call or text us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form.

Common Causes of Fort Wayne Bus Accidents

A bus accident could take place for practically any reason, though certain fact patterns occur more frequently with these types of collisions. Common causes of Fort Wayne bus accidents include:

Traveling too fast – Speeding is the top factor in all kinds of motor vehicle accidents, playing a role in approximately 15,000 crashes per year in Indiana.  Drivers who travel too fast have less time to react yet need more time to slow down, a potentially disastrous combination.

Distraction – Distracted driving is the second biggest contributor to auto accidents, claiming about nine lives domestically each day, a trend that has only gotten worse with the rise of cellphones. Even though states like Indiana have banned the use of handheld devices while driving, phones are still associated with 12 percent of collisions.

Distraction from passengers – Passengers are another key source of distracted driving, linked to around 3.55 percent of crashes, and they may be an even greater problem for bus drivers, who transport passengers for a living.

Drunk driving – While bus drivers are statistically unlikely to drive drunk, the same might not be said about other drivers on the road with them, particularly in Indiana, where law enforcement makes a DUI arrest every 11.98 hours.

Drowsy driving – In contrast, bus drivers are behind the wheel so much that they could be more vulnerable than the typical driver to fatigue, which can be as detrimental to drivers as intoxication. Drowsy driving results in 100,000 accidents, 50,000 injuries, and 700 deaths nationally each year.

Inadequate bus maintenance – All vehicles should be kept in working condition to prevent malfunctions, but maintenance is even more crucial for mass transit buses, which put on four times the annual mileage of the average car.

Insufficient training – Bus drivers who do not undergo sufficient training before their licenses are issued could find it tougher to control their buses in a safe and effective manner.

Confusion over bus operations – Drivers may be confused by the ways that buses are operated in traffic, which could heighten the risk of some bus accidents, such as rear-end collisions at designated stops.

No matter what the root cause of your bus accident may be, our Fort Wayne bus accident lawyers can devise a rock-solid plan for pursuing everyone responsible for it.

Who Can Be Pursued for a Fort Wayne Bus Accident?

But exactly who can be pursued for a Fort Wayne bus accident? The answer will depend upon the circumstances, though the list of candidates could be quite substantial. For instance, the bus driver would probably be at fault for a single-vehicle crash, but another driver might be culpable in a bus accident with two or more vehicles.

Outside individuals and entities might be pursued as well, like a government agency or contractors in its employ if poor road conditions bring about a bus accident, or a mechanic or a manufacturer of a defective part when a breakdown precipitates a collision. In some situations, multiple parties could share varying levels of legal liability for the same bus accident, for which they could share varying levels of fiscal liability.

In light of how many defendants there may be, it is critical to take action against all of them within the time allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations. While the Statute is two years for most motor vehicle accidents in Indiana, the window can be significantly narrower when government bodies are involved, as is often the case with bus accidents, with additional requirements that may have to be satisfied.

Failing to file a personal injury lawsuit or otherwise resolve your claim before the Statute expires could bar you from full financial recovery, but Hensley’s meticulous Fort Wayne bus accident attorneys will not let a thoughtless oversight stall your case.

What to Do After a Fort Wayne Bus Accident 

To better protect that case, there are certain steps you should remember to take in the aftermath of a Fort Wayne bus accident, such as:

Dial 911 – If the bus driver neglects to alert the authorities, dial 911 so that police and emergency personnel will come to the scene.

Seek medical attention – Prompt medical attention is of the essence, since any delays in treatment could hinder the healing process and cast doubt on the relationship between the bus accident and your injuries.

Obtain witness information – Get the names and numbers of any witnesses to the crash and encourage them to speak to the responding officers too.

Take pictures and shoot videos – Visual documentation of the Fort Wayne bus accident could be invaluable in determining guilt and cataloging your losses, so take pictures and shoot videos with your phone if you can.

Avoid giving statements – Insurance and bus company representatives may try to get in touch, but anything you say could be used to undermine your claim, so you may want to avoid giving any statements until you…

Talk to a lawyer – A knowledgeable Fort Wayne bus accident lawyer can educate you about your rights and start your case off on a firm footing.

Our Fort Wayne Bus Accident Attorneys Can Make a Difference

A bus accident can turn your world upside down. Seemingly overnight, you could have trouble merely making ends meet, much less meeting the new demands on your wallet.

This is where the Fort Wayne bus accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group can make a difference. If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation into your bus accident and everyone who may be to blame for it within the time permitted by law, moving swiftly to secure the materials necessary to build your claim, including:

Police reports

Citations and dispositions

Eyewitness accounts

Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage

Black box data

Phone records

Driving histories

Servicing logs

Accident reconstruction and forensic analysis

After putting together the strongest case possible, our Fort Wayne bus accident lawyers will work tirelessly to get you compensated for the entirety of your losses, such as your: 

Medical bills

Lost wages

Pain and suffering

Psychological trauma

Diminished quality of life

Mobility restrictions

Loss of consortium

Punitive damages (if applicable)

And if we do not receive an offer that reflects the true worth of your case, we are more than willing to go to trial for a verdict that does, unlike many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, see the inside of a courtroom.

We realize that you may be reluctant to spend more money when you can least afford it, but you should know that Hensley works on a contingency basis. This means that you will not have to pay us anything unless our Fort Wayne bus accident attorneys win your case. 

What began as a short bus ride may now feel like it will never end, but you can count on us to guide your journey to a favorable conclusion.

Reach Out to Our Fort Wayne Bus Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been fighting for the men and women of Indiana for more than 25 years. If you have been seriously hurt in a bus accident, reach out to our Fort Wayne bus accident lawyers to explore your legal options.

You can arrange a complimentary case review with a dedicated Fort Wayne bus accident attorney by calling or texting us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form today.