Chicago Bus Accident Lawyer

Did you sustain an injury in a bus accident in Chicago, IL? If so, you might have a legal claim for compensation against the responsible party. The experienced Chicago bus accident lawyers with Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can help you get money damages for your pain and suffering, emotional distress, financial losses, and more.

We’ve helped accident victims in Windy City recover the compensation they need and deserve since 2009. Our Chicago motor vehicle accident lawyers have decades of collective experience and have obtained tens of millions of dollars for our motorcycle accidents, Chicago bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, Chicago slip and fall accidents, and train accident clients since our founding. You can count on us to help you achieve a favorable outcome for your bus accident case.

Call us at (312) 726-1616 or contact us online today. We provide a free, no-risk consultation where you can speak with an attorney and receive some initial legal advice.

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How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help After a Bus Accident in Chicago

Being involved in a bus accident can take a heavy toll on you and your loved ones. Oftentimes, these are traumatic events that impact the lives of many people all at once. The resulting consequences can impact you physically, emotionally, and mentally – leaving you overwhelmed and uncertain about how to move forward. You might also be in a difficult financial situation, with mounting medical bills and other expenses.

The at-fault party should be held financially liable for every aspect of the accident they’ve caused you to suffer, and that’s where Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can be of help. We can handle your compensation claim from start to finish while you place your focus on your health and well-being. Specifically, our award-winning Chicago personal injury attorneys can:

Thoroughly investigate your bus accident to develop a plan of action and gather evidence
Enlist expert assistance as needed to enhance your claim further
Work to protect you against any accusations of comparative negligence
Demand full compensation and negotiate a settlement agreement on your behalf
File a lawsuit against the opposing party if necessary

Reach out to our law office in Chicago, Illinois, today to get started. Your initial consultation is completely free of charge, and you won’t be under any obligation to hire us afterward.

How Often Do Bus Accidents Occur in Chicago, Illinois?

Bus accidents occur regularly in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the nation’s second-largest public transportation system, with 1,864 buses operating 129 routes and 1,536 route miles. That doesn’t include other types of buses, like school and charter buses.

There are bus accident statistics available from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), though they only represent crashes statewide – not those specific to Chicago. The latest data states:

There were 706 school bus crashes in Illinois in 2021, resulting in 65 passenger injuries and 23 driver injuries
The majority of school bus crashes occurred in urban areas, with 438 compared to 265 in rural areas
There were 2,476 other bus accidents across the state in 2021, 476 of which were injury-causing and 2 of which were fatal

Based on these numbers, on average, there are around 8 bus accidents across the State of Illinois on a daily basis.

We’ll Pursue Compensation Based on Each of Your Chicago Bus Accident Injuries

Bus accidents have the potential to cause severe, life-changing injuries. Some of the types of injuries our Chicago bus crash lawyers can help you get compensation for include the following:

Leg injuries
Road rash
Nerve damage
Traumatic brain injuries
Neck injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Fractures and broken bones
Crushing injuries
Lacerations
Whiplash
Organ damage and internal bleeding
Chest injuries
Back injuries
The wrongful death of a loved one

What Damages Are Available to Me After a Bus Crash in Chicago?

Bus accident victims in Chicago can recover economic and non-economic damages for their injuries. These are collectively referred to as “compensatory damages.”

Economic damages are intended to make up for financial losses, such as:

Lost wages
Current and future medical bills
Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
Decreased earning capacity
Out-of-pocket expenses

Non-economic damages aim to compensate you for the other effects you may have experienced due to the accident, including:

Pain and suffering
Loss of quality of life
Emotional distress
Mental anguish and conditions like PTSD or anxiety
Scarring and disfigurement

It’s possible you can recover punitive damages as well, but only in rare circumstances. To get punitive damages, you must show by “clear and convincing evidence” that the at-fault party acted in an egregious manner, such as if they purposely caused you harm. Punitive damages are not compensatory – though, if awarded, they do end up in your pocket nonetheless.

Common Reasons Bus Accidents Happen in Chicago

While buses aren’t known as especially powerful vehicles, they can still exert more force than the average car and are generally much heavier. That means a crash has the potential to cause relatively serious devastation. Common causes of bus accidents in Chicago include:

Fatigued driving
Distracted driving
Not yielding the right of way when appropriate
Running a stop sign or red light
Improper turns or lane changes
Poor weather conditions
Defective machinery
Drunk driving
Failing to check blind spots
Insufficient driver skill
Drugged driving

Whether or not your crash fits into one of the above categories, we may be able to help you pursue a legal claim. Call us today to speak with a Chicago bus accident lawyer about your rights and options.

How Valuable Is My Chicago Bus Accident Case?

Generally speaking, the bus accident cases that involve the most serious injuries are worth the most. However, several other factors could influence the value of your claim, including:

Whether you will be able to return to work
Your age at the time of the accident
The availability of evidence to help prove your claim
The nature of the accident and at-fault party
Whether you will make a full medical recovery
The types of losses you’ve experienced
The terms of any applicable insurance policies

It’s critical that you fully evaluate your damages before demanding compensation from the opposing party. Otherwise, you could end up with less than what you are entitled to under the law. If you hire Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we’ll cut no corners in the evaluation process and work to maximize the value of your claim as much as possible.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Chicago Bus Accident?

Most of the time, you’ll need to demonstrate that the at-fault party was negligent in order to recover compensation after a bus accident. Negligence is a legal term that means something like “carelessness.” Four legal elements are required to establish negligence liability:

Duty of Care – This element entails showing that you were owed a duty of care at the time of the crash, such as the duty to drive safely and obey traffic laws.
Breach of Duty – Did the opposing party violate the duty of care that they owed you? Running a red light is usually a clear example of this element.
Causation – Was the accident caused by the other party? There are two types of causation in this context: proximate and factual.
Damages – Did you sustain damages due to the at-fault party’s actions (or inaction)?

Bus accident cases can be easier to prove at times, as entities like the CTA are considered common carriers. As a result, they are held to a higher standard of care and must take more steps to prevent accidents than the average motorist.

Under Illinois personal injury law, accident victims have the burden of proof to show each element of negligence “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This means that you must bring enough evidence to show that each is at least 51% likely to be true. Examples of evidence you can submit include:

Medical records
Expert testimony and analysis
Eyewitness testimony
Photo and video footage

Some cases may involve a different legal theory than negligence, such as product liability if the crash was caused by a defective part. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers have the skills and experience to help you with any type of bus accident case.

What’s the Time Limit To File a Bus Accident Lawsuit in Illinois?

The amount of time you’ll have to file a bus accident lawsuit in Illinois will depend, in part, on who the opposing party is.

The general Illinois personal injury statute of limitations is two years. You’ll have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit if the at-fault party is an individual person or business, in most instances. If, instead, you need to file a lawsuit against a government agency like the CTA, the statute of limitations is one year.

However, there are exceptions to the above deadlines in some cases. Since you’ll lose your right to compensation if you submit your lawsuit too late, it’s best to confirm the deadline for your particular circumstance with an attorney. We’d be happy to help you make this determination during your free consultation.

Set Up a Free Case Review With an Experienced Chicago Bus Accident Attorney

You may be up against a powerful insurance company or public entity after a bus accident in Chicago, Illinois. But at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, our seasoned Chicago bus accident attorneys are more than up to the task. We also work for a contingency fee, so hiring us costs you nothing upfront – and you only pay us attorney’s fees if we win or settle your case.

Our personal injury law firm in Chicago, IL also provides: