As one of the largest service areas for public transportation in the United States, Riverside Transit Agency operates 224 buses that run on 33 local fixed routes and cover more than 2,500 square miles. That is a lot of buses packed into a city whose footprint is only 3,800 square miles. That also means that a Riverside bus accident is more common than you think.
If you’ve been injured in a bus accident and are looking for compensation for damages contact Avrek Law, the future of personal injury law, for free legal advice.
How Many Bus Accidents Per Year in California?
In 2022, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, California had the second highest rate of bus and large truck accidents in the country with Texas being number one. There were 8,144 fatal and non-fatal accidents that caused more than 3,300 injuries in a single year.
But what do you do if you’re injured in an accident that involves a public bus?
No matter if you were riding on the bus and hurt during the accident or you were struck by a bus, it can be more difficult to get compensation from the City of Riverside. Government insurance and private insurance are different, and it could be more difficult to get a settlement from a government insurer than a private one.
How to Sue a City for Damages
No matter which level of government is responsible for the accident that caused your injuries, the Federal Tort Claims Act allows every citizen in the United States the ability to file a claim for damages against any government agency. This includes the federal government for any personal injuries and property damage due to negligence on behalf of an agency and its employees. However, the Federal Tort Claims Act operates with its own special set of rules and timelines when compared to a case involving a private bus company.
In addition to this act, the Westfall Act makes it difficult to directly sue a government employee responsible. As it gives federal employees absolute immunity from tort claims that challenge negligent or wrongful acts performed while at work.
In a case where a city-owned bus damages your vehicle and you’re suffering from personal injuries as a result, you have much less time to make your claim than if it was a private bus company. You only have six months to make an administrative claim. If your claim is denied, you only have six months to file a lawsuit for property damage and two years to file for personal injuries.
That doesn’t mean multiple people may not be held liable for the accident, especially if it was a private carrier. The state of California has comparative liability meaning that multiple parties can be held liable for a single accident. For example, it’s not just the bus driver, but the bus driver supervisor could be at fault. Your accident could also have been caused by the bus maintenance company, bus manufacturer or even the bus parts manufacturer.
A qualified law firm, like Avrek Law, knows exactly what kind of questions to ask and how to dig deep to uncover the truth behind who is responsible for your accident. This is another reason why it’s always best practice to have a qualified legal team keeping an eye on these claims and important dates on your behalf.
California’s Experienced Bus Accident Law Firm
If you are injured in a Riverside bus accident and are looking for legal advice from a Riverside or a Los Angeles bus accident lawyer, Avrek Law understands how California’s legal system works. With more than 50 years combined experience, they have multiple offices across the country offering expert advice for bus accidents right in your state. The consultation is free and you’ll get advice from a law firm with more than $1 billion recovered in more than 45,000 cases. View one of our locations or contact us for a free consultation.
