Cavanaugh & Thickens, LLC HomepageCavanaugh & Thickens, LLC

Call For A Free Case Evaluation

(803) 888-2200

Available 24/7

CALL US NOW

Bus Accident Lawyers in Columbia, SC

Every year, there are roughly 60,000 bus accidents in the United States, with many resulting in injuries. If you’ve been injured in a bus accident in Columbia, SC or nearby, our experienced bus accident lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve for your damages, such as medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, emotional trauma, and much more.

The lawyers at Cavanaugh & Thickens, LLC have over 60 years of combined experience helping accident victims get the justice they deserve and have recovered millions for clients. To speak with an award-winning Columbia bus accident lawyer today for free, simply call (803) 888-2200 or email info@ctlawsc.com.

Types of Bus Accidents We Handle

Our lawyers have the experience and resources needed to confidently represent a variety of bus accident cases, such as:

Whether you were a driver, passenger, or pedestrian injured in any way due to a bus, it is in your best interest to speak with a lawyer today to learn what you may be entitled to.

Compensation Available in Columbia Bus Accident Cases

An experienced bus accident lawyer will help you value all of your past, current, and future damages related to the accident, ensuring you get the entirety of the compensation you deserve under South Carolina law for your physical, financial, and emotional damages. This may include, but is not limited to, compensation for:

Economic Damages:
Economic damages tend to be the primary damages in personal injury claims, and include things like:

  • Medical Expenses
  • Lost Wages
  • Future Medical Care Needs
  • Property Damage
  • And More

Non-Economic Damages:
Non-economic damages do not have a monetary amount directly tied to them, and a lawyer will help you value these and more:

  • Scarring and Disfigurement
  • Physical Pain
  • Depression
  • Pain and Suffering
  • PTSD
  • Anxiety, and more

A reputable Columbia, SC bus accident lawyer will gather the evidence and medical records needed to connect all of your damages directly to the accident in order to help you secure the compensation you deserve.

The value of your bus accident case will vary greatly depending on the severity of your injuries, the length of time it takes to heal, your income, and additional factors. To understand what your bus accident case may be worth, contact our team today. We’d be grateful to help you understand what you’re entitled to under South Carolina law.

Liability in Columbia Bus Accidents

Proving who is liable for the bus accident and therefore responsible for compensating you for your damages is a critical part of your personal injury claim. In South Carolina, you must prove that you were less than 50% liable for the accident in order to receive any compensation.

A lawyer will gather available evidence, collect additional evidence, and much more to prove who was at fault and hold the at-fault party accountable.

In most bus accidents, one or more of the following may be found at-fault:

  • The Bus Driver
  • The Bus Driver’s Employer
  • The Bus Driver’s Supervisor
  • A School Bus Driver
  • A Tour Bus Driver
  • Other Drivers on the Road
  • Bus Manufacturers
  • Bus Owners
  • Government Entities
  • Manufacturers
  • And More

Due to the nature of bus accidents and the multiple parties involved, it’s always in your best interest to speak with an experienced lawyer before trying to handle your case on your own. Our law firm offers complimentary case evaluations where you can speak directly with a lawyer and learn about your options. To schedule one, contact our law firm today.

Common Causes of Columbia Bus Accidents

All buses, including public and private buses, must follow federal and state common carrier laws. In South Carolina, all bus drivers and companies owe passengers a certain duty of care. If they fail to uphold these duties, causing a collision, they can be held responsible for the resulting damages.

A few examples of common causes of Columbia car accidents due to negligence include:

  • Failing to obey the rules of the road
  • Driving under the influence
  • Distracted driving
  • Aggressive driving
  • Driver inexperience
  • Speeding
  • Vehicle maintenance issues
  • Inadequate training, and more.

The standard of care rules apply to all Columbia buses, including but not limited to:

  • The COMET
  • DART Buses
  • University of South Carolina Buses and Shuttles
  • Public School Buses
  • Private Chartered School Buses and Shuttles
  • Hotel Shuttle Buses
  • Church Buses
  • Tour Buses
  • Airport Shuttles
  • Charter Buses
  • Interstate Buses
  • Greyhound Buses
  • Megabus
  • Private Buses
  • Jail Buses
  • RVs, and More

If you or a loved one was hurt in a bus accident caused by driver or company negligence, an experienced bus accident lawyer will help you recover compensation for your medical bills, time missed from work, emotional damages, and much more.

How to Maximize Your Bus Accident Case

With decades of experience handling South Carolina personal injury claims, there are many things we recommend that you do and avoid at all costs during a claim. Should you hire our team, we will ensure that your rights are protected throughout your case and beyond.

You Should:

  • Seek medical attention as soon as possible following the accident and report all symptoms, even the ones that seem minor.
  • Monitor your body and mind for new or worsening symptoms.
  • Follow your doctor’s treatment plan.
  • Attend all doctor and follow up appointments.
  • Commit to your rehabilitation plan.
  • Document your recovery with photos, voice recordings, notes, etc.
  • Keep a journal of your progress, pain and suffering, pain levels, and more.
  • Hire a reputable lawyer.

You Should Not:

  • Accept the first settlement offer without a lawyer’s analysis.
  • Post about the accident on social media.
  • Give a recorded statement.
  • Fall for insurance company tricks.
  • Handle your case on your own.

Common Injuries Resulting From Bus Crashes

The sheer size of a bus alone can make accidents involving these vehicles very serious. Combine the large size of a bus with a crowded inside and a bus’s slower ability to stop, and the injuries resulting from these accidents can be catastrophic. No bus accident is the same, and accidents can result in a wide array of injuries – some leading to:

Understanding the Columbia Personal Injury Claims Process

In Columbia, and throughout South Carolina, personal injury cases generally follow the process outlined below:

  1. Free Consultation – First, after the accident, you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer. After a bus accident, it’s important to speak with a lawyer who has experience handling bus accident cases and understands South Carolina bus laws specifically.
  2. Investigation – Next, our lawyers will get to work conducting an extremely thorough investigation into your accident to identify and prove negligence. We will do this by analyzing the police report; obtaining and reviewing medical records; interviewing witnesses; obtaining additional data available via security footage, black box data, and more; diving into the bus driver’s record, looking into the bus company, and much more.
  3. Treatment – Meanwhile, you will focus on healing physically, and emotionally.
  4. Demand Package – During your treatment process, we will be negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company. This begins when we send the demand package, which includes a demand letter and information related to your accident and resulting injuries.
  5. Negotiation – Following the demand package, we fiercely negotiate with the insurance company to come to a fair resolution to your case. We will keep you updated on every insurance offer, along with our recommendations at each stage.

If the insurance company refuses to come to a fair resolution, then our team will aggressively fight for you in court. It’s important to note that our team has the experience and resources needed to take your case to trial. While some lawyers shy away from trial, we are prepared to fight inside and outside of the courtroom to ensure you get the entirety of what you’re owed.

Contact the Columbia, SC Bus Accident Lawyers at Cavanaugh & Thickens, LLC

If you or a loved one was hurt in a Columbia bus accident, our lawyers are here to help you easily navigate the legal process, ensuring you get the entirety of what you deserve.

To speak directly with an experienced bus accident lawyer for free today, call our Columbia office at (803) 888-2200 or submit our quick and secure online form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cavanaugh & Thickens, LLC is an award-winning South Carolina personal injury law firm with decades of experience and hundreds of 5-star reviews. Our entire team prioritizes a “Client Focused. Results Driven” approach. In addition, our office is dedicated to bettering our communities.