Bus Accident Attorney in Portland, Oregon
When you pay the fare to ride a bus in Portland, OR, you place your trust in the bus driver and the transport company to get you safely to your destination.
Passengers rightfully expect that the bus would be well-maintained and the driver would have the necessary training to follow the road safety laws of Oregon.
Safety rules for bus drivers in Portland are different from the rules for the private vehicle drivers. As the bus driver carries a higher responsibility of a large number of passengers, they are mandated to work only for a certain number of hours a week in order to have adequate rest and sleep before driving.
When a bus driver is ill-trained or is careless enough to break the safety rules (such as driving at a high speed in dangerous road conditions), it puts the bus passengers at a risk of serious personal injuries, including brain and spinal injuries and death.
Have You Been Injured in a Bus Accident?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Gathering Evidence Following a Car Accident
- Biggest Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
- Obstacles to Settling an Oregon Car Accident Injury Case
- Car Collision Injuries and Types of Financial Compensation
- Your Rights in a Car Accident Claim
- What To Do When The Adjuster Won’t Return Your Calls After An Accident
- Delayed Symptoms After A Car Accident
"For over 52 years I have been protecting the financial future of personal injury victim's in Oregon by fighting for maximum compensation in every case." - Roy Dwyer
Common Causes of Portland Bus Accidents
Bus accidents in Portland can occur due to a variety of factors. While all bus drivers in the city need to undergo mandatory training before they can get behind the wheel, sometimes the screening process may not be as rigorous or thorough as it ought to be.
As a result, a Portland bus driver with a record of over-speeding or driving under the influence (DUI) could go unnoticed during screening.
On top of this, as some recent bus accidents have shown, some of the school districts in Portland have an urgent need to hire bus drivers, and they may overlook the comprehensive training requirements.
Other typical causes of bus accidents in Portland include:
- Driver fatigue
- Failure to drive safely in poor road or weather conditions
- Failure to adhere to Portland traffic rules (such as, yielding to the right-of-way traffic)
- Overloaded bus condition
- Poor bus maintenance or a manufacturing defect
- Broken or missing safety equipment
- Unsafe or ill-designed roadway
Things to Know if You are Involved in a Portland Bus Crash
Buses in Portland usually operate as public transport. This can make it somewhat difficult to file a tort claim in a civil court. Here are some of the key facts you should know in order to protect your rights in the event of a Portland bus accident:
Government Entities Operate Most Buses in Portland
Buses in Portland are mostly operated by government entities, such as school districts and ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation). While lawsuits against these public bodies can be daunting, NHTSA reported that as many as 37 percent of the fatalities in bus accidents occur on municipal buses.
Specialized Knowledge of the Bus System is Vital to Investigation
The cause of a car accident is usually quite obvious, but in case of an accident involving a bus, determining the underlying cause of the accident will usually require greater investigation and some specialized knowledge of the bus system.
Determining Liability can be Harder
In case of a Portland bus accident, the number of agencies involved could possibly be high, making it more difficult to determine liability. Some of the agencies may include:
- The government entity which had hired the bus driver
- The agency which trained the driver
- The agency that should have maintained the road
- The department that owns the bus
Victims should seek the services of a knowledgeable Portland bus accident attorney to guide them through this maze.
Statutory Time Limits against Public Entities are Strict
While in case of regular car accidents in Portland, the statute of limitations is two years (with some exceptions), the time limit to file a tort claim notice against public bodies is only 180 days. Moreover, the requirements to file a tort claim notice are more complicated.
Who is Liable for Your Injuries in a Portland Bus Accident?
An experienced Portland bus accident lawyer will be able to identify the appropriate liable parties for your claim.
In Portland, for instance, if you were involved in a Tri Met bus accident, you should know that Tri Met handles its insurance claims internally on its own. In other words, Tri Met operates as its own insurance carrier with its own representatives to negotiate your bus accident injury claim.
But if the accident involved a different bus company, the defendants must be properly identified, which could have different variables.
If the accident occurred due to faulty maintenance (such as brake failure), and the maintenance contract of the bus was given to an agency separate from the bus owner, there could me multiple parties responsible for your injury claim.
Depending on the bus type, the bus ownership and insurance coverage as well as the claim procedure and time limits to file the claim may significantly differ. Looking at these variables, it is ideal for you to have an attorney on your side who would work to protect your interests.
While you recover from the injuries and hire an attorney, it is in your best interests to be circumspect with the bus company representatives and insurance adjusters who may want you to give a statement or settle the claim quickly.
Schedule a Consultation with a Skilled Portland Bus Accident Lawyer
To make a successful bus accident claim in Portland, you would need the services of an experienced attorney who can analyze the complexities of the case correctly, and work with a commitment to maximize the compensation for your injuries.
The attorneys at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss are highly competent in dealing with Portland, Oregon bus accident cases. Call 1-800-285-8678 to schedule an appointment.