In mid-September, a Miami-Dade Transit Metrobus was involved in a collision with a pickup truck at Northwest 54th Street and Second Avenue. The bus was headed north on Second around 9 a.m. when it collided with a Ford Ranger. The crash led to the bus diverting off the road and running into a clothing store, Omega Fashions.The incident led to a significant amount of property damage and injuries. The bus crushed two support columns for the 1926 building. This caused there to be significant delays in removing the bus from the Little Haiti building. The two individuals in the pickup truck were taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The driver of the bus and seven passengers were also taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police are investigating the crash. Initial witness reports state the pickup truck was speeding and the bus did not have time to avoid a crash. If you were involved in a crash while riding a public transit bus, contact our experienced Miami bus accident lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz P.A. We will carefully review your situation and advise you on the best next steps. When someone else was at fault for the accident and your injuries, we can help you pursue compensation. Call us at (877) 475-2905 to schedule a free consultation.
Pursuing Compensation After a Crash
If you or a relative were harmed in a bus crash, you should speak with an experienced injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may face a complicated insurance process, dealing with complex legal issues, and will benefit from having a lawyer communicate with the insurer’s representative while fighting for your rights and to seek the maximum amount of compensation that the law permits for you.
The steps of seeking compensation after a bus crash include:
- Getting medical care: Your main priority after any type of motor vehicle accident should be to obtain proper medical care. Even if you do not go to the emergency room right away, you should see a physician as soon as possible. You may have an injury but not know it yet. Then, it is important for you to listen to your doctor’s orders to ensure you recover as quickly as possible.
- Placing the Responsible parties on Notice– Placing all responsible parties on notice is a requirement in every accident claim. When the state, county, or city, is involved, placing the parties and sending out formal letters in accordance with Florida law is a condition to filing a personal injury lawsuit.
- Going through an independent investigation: The police will quickly investigate the accident to determine if they need to write one or more drivers a ticket. Then, the owners of the bus, and its insurance company, may investigate the accident. This investigation is not performed on your behalf. It is to protect the bus company. You need someone on your side to conduct an independent investigation and gather evidence for your compensation claim. The best person to do this is a Miami bus accident lawyer at Gerson & Schwartz P.A.
- Analyzing the evidence to determine fault and liability: Through the initial investigation, your lawyer will gather a great deal of evidence. This may include photos and video of the crash and its aftermath, eye witness testimony, the police crash report, and expert witness opinions. By analyzing this evidence, your lawyer will determine who was likely at fault for the crash. Next, your lawyer will determine liability. It may be that the bus driver was negligent, in which case, the owner of the bus may be liable. If you were on a public transit bus, that may be a county or city government. At Gerson & Schwartz P.A., we are experienced in handling injury claims against municipalities. Or, if the bus accident was caused by another vehicle driver, we will help you pursue a claim against that at-fault driver.
We Will Fight For Your Compensation
Once we are confident in which party is liable for your injuries, then we will seek your compensation through an insurance claim and when necessary, a personal injury lawsuit. We will carefully review your physical, emotional, and financial injuries and calculate a fair amount of compensation for your damages. This includes compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement or disability, reduced earning capacity, and loss of normal life.
In most circumstances, we will enter into negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurer. A municipality may try to settle the claim quickly. Florida law may also limit how much money you can receive. In any circumstances, our bus accident lawyers in Miami will fight hard for you to receive the most compensation possible for your injuries.
Call Gerson & Schwartz P.A. at (305) 371-6000 to schedule a free consultation.