Moncks Corner Bus Accident Lawyer
Bus accidents have increased significantly in recent years. The Moncks Corner bus accident lawyer at The Sawyer Law Group will obtain the compensation these victims need and deserve.
Bus accident victims need compensation to pay accident-related medical bills and other accident-related expenses. Usually, group health policies do not cover injury-related costs. In a catastrophic (life-threatening) injury case, these medical bills could easily exceed $100,000. So, unless an attorney obtains compensation, the victim could be faced with a medical bill that’s impossible to pay.
Bus accident victims also deserve compensation. Usually, bus owners put drivers in untenable positions. Many companies require drivers to get behind the wheel when they are seriously fatigued, or expect them to keep to impossible schedules that require them to speed. Bus owners cannot hide behind negligent drivers in these situations. They must accept responsibility for their role in causing the crash.
How a Moncks Corner Bus Accident Lawyer Builds a Case
Compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering, is available if a Moncks Corner bus accident lawyer proves negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not.
Bus drivers, as commercial operators, have a high duty of care in South Carolina. Most drivers have a duty of reasonable care that requires them to avoid accidents if possible. Commercial operators have a duty of utmost care that requires them to proactively avoid wrecks.
Recommended following distance is a good example. Most noncommercial motorists should maintain about a two-second cushion between their vehicles and the vehicles in front of them. But for commercial drivers, the recommended following distance is usually six seconds.
Fatigue and aggressive driving, which were mentioned above, are the most common breaches of care. Many bus drivers are behind the wheel early in the morning or late at night. Most people are naturally fatigued at these times, no matter how much sleep they had the night before, especially if they recently changed work shifts. Fatigue impairs judgment and motor skills. Quite simply, speed multiplies the force in any collision between two objects. A low speed fender-bender becomes a high0speed fatal accident.
Evidence in a bus accident claim usually includes witness statements, medical bills, and the police accident report.
Sometimes, the police accident report is incomplete or inaccurate. That’s especially true in bus accident cases. Usually, bus drivers are quick to shift blame for an accident onto another driver.
Resolving a Pedestrian Accident Claim
If a court verdict resolves a case, the defendant could keep that verdict tied up in appeals courts for years to come. However, if an out-of-court settlement resolves a case, the defendant immediately writes a check. This finality might be the biggest reason an out-of-court settlement is almost always in a victim’s best interests.
Informal settlement talks often begin early in the process. However, for various reasons, these negotiations often stall or break down.
If that happens, the judge usually appoints a professional mediator. After s/he listens to arguments from both sides, the mediator helps the two sides compromise and reach an agreement. During mediation, both sides have a duty to negotiate in good faith. “I’ll see you in court” is not a good-faith offer.
Mostly because of the duty to negotiate in good faith, which does not apply during informal negotiations, mediation is about 90 percent successful in civil cases.
Reach Out to a Hard-Working Berkeley County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Moncks Corner bus accident lawyer, contact The Stanley Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.
