What Compensation Is Available After a Bus Accident in Los Angeles?

A Los Angeles bus accident can be a frightening and traumatic experience that leaves you with painful injuries and expensive medical bills. Knowing how to seek fair and full financial compensation for your bus accident-related losses is important. Find out what types of damages may be available to you under California law.

Who Pays for a Bus Accident in Los Angeles?

The person or party at-fault for causing a bus accident in Los Angeles will be held liable, or financially responsible, for the crash under California’s fault-based insurance laws. Victims filing an injury lawsuit in Los Angeles must establish with evidence that another party caused or significantly contributed to the bus accident to qualify for financial damages from that party’s insurance provider.

In a bus accident case, the liable party/ies or defendant(s) may include:

• The bus driver
• The City of Los Angeles (for an LA Metro accident)
• A private bus company
• The owner of the bus 
• A private school
• The bus or part manufacturer

Most bus accidents caused by bus drivers are the vicarious liability of the overarching company or entity that employed the driver. If an LA Metro bus crashes because of bus driver distraction, for example, the City of Los Angeles could be held liable. 

Economic Damages

You may qualify for financial compensation for various losses that you suffered in a bus accident from the defendant’s insurance policy. They are broadly categorized as “compensatory” and “punitive” damages, with compensatory being the most common. There are two types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages are the financial losses you suffered in the bus accident, such as:

• Past and future necessary medical care
• Hospitalizations or emergency surgeries
• Ongoing medical treatments
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation
• Prescription medications
• Medical devices or disability accommodations
• Lost wages
• Lost future capacity to earn
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket costs

Seek medical care immediately if you get injured in a bus accident in Los Angeles. Keep copies of all of your medical bills and records to prove injury-related economic damages.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to the personal or intangible ways that the accident has affected your life. Common examples are:

• Pain and suffering 
• Chronic pain 
• Inconvenience
• Scarring or disfigurement 
• Lost quality or enjoyment of life 
• Emotional distress 
• Mental anguish 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder 
• Loss of consortium

You can improve your chances of recovering compensation for non-economic losses by collecting credible evidence, such as mental health evaluation records, witness testimonies and an injury journal.

Punitive Damages

In rare cases, bus accidents in Los Angeles can also lead to punitive damage awards for injured victims. This is an additional type of compensation reserved for cases where the defendant acted with gross negligence, maliciousness, recklessness or fraud. Punitive damages are designed to punish the defendant rather than compensate the victim for his or her losses.

How to Maximize Your Financial Recovery After a Bus Accident

During a bus accident case in Los Angeles, you will likely have to go up against a powerful adversary that may try to take advantage of you. Don’t accept the very first settlement offered. It is likely less than you deserve, especially if you suffered a severe injury. Instead, bring your case to a qualified bus accident lawyer in Los Angeles for an evaluation. A lawyer can accurately determine how much your case is worth and fight for fair compensation on your behalf. To discuss the potential value of your case in Los Angeles at no cost or obligation, contact Rose, Klein & Marias, LLP.