If you or someone you love was hurt in a bus accident in Oneonta, New York, the way you’d proceed with a personal injury claim will depend on several factors.
The bus accident lawyers in Oneonta, New York can help you if you or someone you love was hurt in a bus crash. Every year, according to Oneonta Public Transit, over 700,000 people use OPT to get around town. Many of these rides pass without incident, but sometimes accidents happen. OPT passengers include seniors and disabled individuals. Sometimes it doesn’t take a crash for a person to get injured. A sudden stop or change in speed could result in a slip and fall injury or other serious bus accident injury. Oneonta Public Transit isn’t the only bus operator in the city. Every school year, school buses transport children to and from school. While school bus transportation is quite safe, accidents can happen. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fewer than one percent of accident fatalities involve children riding on school buses. This doesn’t mean accidents never happen. Children can get injured when boarding or exiting the school bus. Bus accidents can also involve private commercial carriers.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a bus accident in Oneonta, New York, the way you’d proceed with a personal injury claim will depend on whether you were injured on OPT, a school bus, or while riding with a private bus company. Private bus companies often carry higher-limit insurance policies to cover the company and their drivers in an accident. But when people are hurt in a serious bus accident, there might be multiple casualties and insurance compensation might be divided among many people. Sometimes company policy or negligence can result in accidents. When bus companies put their bottom line over rider safety, accidents and injuries can happen.
The bus accident lawyers in Oneonta, New York at Stanley Law Offices can help you and your family if you were hurt in a bus crash. We can review the type of crash you were involved in, pursue appropriate channels to help you seek compensation, and fight for your rights. You may only have a limited time to seek compensation after a bus accident. Contact the bus accident attorneys in Oneonta, New York at Stanley Law Offices today.
Public Bus Transportation and Sovereign Immunity
Under state sovereign immunity laws, government workers and entities are typically immune from lawsuits. Yet, New York is a state that has waived its sovereign immunity. This means that if you were injured while using New York public transportation, or if your child was injured while riding a school bus, or while entering or exiting a school bus due to driver negligence or error, you and your family may still have the right to sue the state or government entity if you follow proper claims processes. For example, to sue the government, you’ll need to file a Notice of Claim.
Your bus accident lawyer in Oneonta, New York can help you file a Notice of Claim if you or someone you love was injured while riding public transportation or a school bus.
The Notice of Claim must typically include details about the accident, your name, and the damages or injuries you or someone you love suffered. According to the New York Courts, failure to file a notice of claim in a timely manner can result in the dismissal of your case. In New York, you have 90 days to file a notice of claim. Under New York law, car accident victims typically have three years to file a personal injury claim for a typical traffic accident. But if your accident involved a Oneonta, New York City public transportation bus or school bus, the time limit you might have in which to file your claim might be significantly reduced because of Notice of Claim requirements. This is why it is important to speak to a bus accident lawyer in Oneonta, New York at Stanley Law Offices as soon as possible after your bus accident. For example, your notice of claim must clearly “set forth the items and dollar amount of damage or injuries that are claimed to have been sustained.” A bus accident lawyer would likely need time to properly estimate the value of your losses and damages. It is important to not wait until the last minute.
Finally, it is imperative that a Notice of Claim be properly “served” or delivered to the proper agency or entity. Your bus accident lawyer in Oneonta, New York can identify the proper agency to which the Notice of Claim must be delivered, for example to the Department of Transportation, or another government department or entity.
Bus accident claims involving government entities or agencies can be more complicated to pursue than typical auto accident claims or bus accident claims involving private companies. If you were hurt while riding OPT, or your child was injured while riding a school bus, you may want to contact a Oneonta, New York bus accident lawyer as soon as possible. The bus accident lawyers at Stanley Law Offices are here to help.
Contact a Bus Accident Lawyer Today
The bus accident lawyers in Oneonta, New York at Stanley Law Offices are here to help you and your family if you have been injured in a bus crash. If you’ve been hurt while riding a commercial bus, multiple stakeholders might be responsible for your accident. Bus drivers, bus companies, repair companies, insurance companies, and other entities might have a stake in compensating you for your accident. The bus accident attorneys in Oneonta, New York at Stanley Law Offices can identify negligent parties and take steps to hold them accountable. The process can be even more complicated when government entities or agencies are involved in a bus accident.
Don’t delay. You may only have a very limited time to pursue a claim, especially if you were injured while riding public transportation. Contact the Oneonta, New York bus accident lawyers at Stanley Law Offices today. We are here to help you and your family every step of the way.
