Helping Across the State

After your bus accident, you may be feeling overwhelmed and worried. Your injuries may be severe and you deserve to be fully and fairly compensation for your damages. Our El Paso bus accident lawyers are here to guide you through your case to help you get the best possible results.

Serious accidents and injury can turn a victim’s life upside down, especially if they are unable to afford their medical bills and property damage expenses. Perhaps you or a loved one is in this situation and need quality counsel and representation. Chavez Law Firm has been collectively practicing for 20 years and is dedicated to promoting and protecting the safety of the local community. We strive to do so by representing people who have been seriously injured by others who violated the rules set in place for their safety. “Accidents” only happen because these violators choose to ignore safety precautions that protect the community. Trials are often necessary so that rule breakers can be forced to accept responsibility for the injury that their actions have caused.

Each El Paso personal injury attorney with our firm truly cares for their clients and goes the extra mile to hold the liable party accountable for their actions. We prepare each client’s case with an eye toward trial so that we are ready no matter which direction the case takes. No matter how serious or complex your case may be, our attorneys have the dedication and experience. Fill out our online case evaluation form to submit your information and schedule your initial consultation. Our lawyers are prepared to represent you in any type of personal injury case.

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Sun Metro Bus Injury Claims

A claim involving a city-operated bus raises different issues from a claim against a private company. Identify the operator, bus number, route, stop, direction of travel, and time of the incident. Save any fare record and the names of witnesses. Depending on the facts, useful evidence may include onboard video, dispatch communications, maintenance records, and incident reports. Reporting an incident to a driver or customer-service representative should not be treated as a substitute for legally required claim notice.

Governmental immunity can limit whether a claim may proceed. A lawyer must evaluate the entity involved, the conduct alleged, any applicable waiver of immunity, and notice requirements before assessing a potential case. Do not assume that every injury on public transportation creates a right to compensation.

School-Bus Injuries

After a child is injured, seek appropriate medical care and document what the child, driver, and witnesses report. Identify whether the bus was operated by a public school district, a private school, or an independent transportation contractor. That distinction can affect responsibility, immunity, and deadlines. Preserve school communications, trip information, photographs, and treatment records without relying on a verbal assurance that the matter will be handled.

Claims against a public school district require a specific legal analysis; the rules are not identical to those governing a private transportation business. An injury involving a child also does not mean every deadline is postponed until adulthood. Ask a lawyer to examine the responsible entities and any notice requirement promptly.

Charter and Private-Bus Accidents

Charter trips may involve separate companies that sell the trip, operate the bus, employ the driver, or maintain the vehicle. A company’s logo is a starting point, not proof that it is legally responsible. Save the booking confirmation, ticket, itinerary, carrier name, vehicle markings, and any correspondence. Records concerning driver assignments, vehicle inspections, repairs, and the trip itself can help clarify what happened.

The available claims depend on evidence of a legal duty, a breach, causation, and damages. Insurance coverage and the identity of the actual carrier also matter. Avoid signing a release before understanding what claims and parties it covers.

Texas Tort Claims Act Notice Deadlines

The Texas Tort Claims Act generally requires notice to a governmental unit within six months of the incident. That is not a universal six-month grace period: local notice rules can be shorter, and the lawsuit deadline is a separate issue. The City of El Paso’s published claims instructions specify written notice within 90 days, or within six months for good cause shown. Do not rely on an exception without individual legal advice.

Notice must satisfy applicable requirements concerning the incident and injury; an ordinary insurance conversation may not be enough. Promptly ask counsel to identify the correct recipient, contents, and deadline. See the City of El Paso claim-filing instructions and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 101.

How Texas Personal Injury Compensation Works

When you seek compensation, you are asking the liable party’s insurance company for an award to cover your injuries and damages. In a car accident, the liable party would be the other driver who hit you. In a negligent security case, it would be the property owner.

You can be compensated for the following:

• Medical expenses, both past and future;
• Lost wages/lost earning capacity, both past and future;
• And, pain and suffering, both past and future.

Medical expenses, lost wages, and lost earning capacity is an easier calculation to make than pain and suffering. That is because there are dollar amounts attached to the bills and paychecks, and you can more easily calculate those things. Pain and suffering is more abstract and difficult to put a dollar amount on. That number may be determined by a jury after they have looked at how much this accident has affected your life.

Rules of Modified Comparative Negligence

When there is a compensation award that has been decided, there is an additional factor that goes into how much you can collect. In every accident case, there are insurance negotiations that determine who was responsible for what and by how much. If, for instance, someone was involved in a truck accident where that truck was driving erratically and they tried to speed to get around it, but ended up in an accident, they may be deemed partially at fault. Texas allows for injured parties to collect compensation even if they are partially at fault.

• Injured parties who are 0% at fault get full compensation
• Injured parties who are 1% – 50% at fault get reduced compensation
• Injured parties who are more than 50% at fault get no compensation

Let’s say, in the scenario above, that the driver of the truck was 80% at fault and the injured person was then 20% at fault. If the injured party were awarded $100,000 for their injuries, they would be able to collect $80,000.

Types of Personal Injury Accidents We Handle

Our firm is dedicated to protecting the safety of the community and helping injured victims recover compensation for their damages. Were you injured because of someone else’s negligent or reckless behavior? Give us a call to learn how we can help you file a claim and fight for fair compensation.

Each case is highly individualized. When you are looking for a personal injury attorney, it is best to search for an attorney who has handled your particular case successfully. You do not want someone who has only just dabbled in your practice area. You want someone who knows the ins and outs of your case and will be able to do a thorough job of representing you. Your Texas personal injury lawyer should be a trial attorney and should be someone who you trust. This case will take some time and you do not want to pick someone who you cannot work with and who you do not think will do a good job representing your case.

Texas Personal Injury Statute of Limitations

When you pursue a personal injury case, you need to be aware that you are on a time constraint. Starting from the date of your accident, Texas allows you two years to bring your claim or have it settled in civil court. While it might seem like you have those two years to wait to talk to an attorney, that is not a wise thing to do. Your case is time-sensitive in many ways. If you were to wait to talk to an attorney, you might find that your evidence has disappeared, your witnesses have forgotten fine details of your accident, or that you have made some mistakes that could ruin your case. An attorney will be able to step in and make sure that you do not make mistakes. If you did not have an attorney right away, you might have given the insurance company a recorded statement, effectively jeopardizing your chance at full compensation. The sooner you call an attorney, the better. If you miss your statute of limitations, you will no longer be able to file a personal injury claim.

Frequently Asked Bus Accident Questions

Call Our El Paso Personal Injury Lawyers Today

An injury can change your life and you deserve to get compensation in the fullest and fairest amount for your damages. If you are looking for skilled, dedicated, and supportive representation, please do not hesitate to call our El Paso personal injury lawyers to set up a free, initial consultation. Chavez Law Firm truly cares for the safety of the El Paso community. The laws established in the community are enacted for people’s safety. They are meant to prevent harm, and anyone who violates these laws and rules should be held accountable.