Bus Accidents and Public Transportation Liability in Central Texas - San Antonio Lawyers

If you use public transportation to visit the Alamo or explore the River Walk, you expect to arrive at your San Antonio destination without incident. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Texas led the country in bus accidents in 2024, with 1,110 crashes injuring 549 people and killing 15. Victims of these accidents may see their lives change in a flash when serious injuries impact their ability to work and perform other activities.

The San Antonio attorneys at Carabin Shaw understand the aftermath of public transportation accidents and work with victims to seek compensation for their injuries. We offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so victims don’t pay upfront for our services. We have English- and Spanish-speaking professionals available 24/7 at 800-862-1260 to answer questions and provide free case reviews.

Whether you are a passenger on the bus or another motorist, a bus crash is more complex than other San Antonio car accidents. Buses carrying more than 15 passengers are subject to a higher duty of care to their passengers, as mandated by state and federal regulations. Victims must determine whether these regulations were violated to hold drivers and bus companies liable for damages.

Buses can be commercially- or government-owned, resulting in different deadlines for filing claims and damage caps that can impact your compensation. For example, victims of most accidents in Texas have two years to file a lawsuit, but those involving government-owned buses must file a notice of their intent to sue within six months. An experienced bus accident injury lawyer is crucial for understanding the nuances of state and federal laws to protect a victim’s rights and maximize damages.

Bus collisions often involve multiple parties that may be liable for the accident, such as:

• The bus driver who failed to obey traffic laws or drove recklessly
• The bus company that hired unqualified or undertrained drivers
• The maintenance company that missed routine maintenance on the bus
• Other vehicle operators involved in the crash
• Government entities, if poorly maintained roads played a role

If you are the victim of a sudden bus accident, it may be impossible to know immediately which parties contributed to the crash. Your attorney will thoroughly investigate the incident, gathering evidence like:

• Police accident report
• Eyewitness statements
• Photos and videos of the scene
• Bus company records
• Expert testimony

Your legal team is instrumental in determining fault in your accident, so contact a professional immediately to ensure they can collect evidence while it is still available.

Once your lawyer identifies the at-fault parties, the next step is to prove their negligence led to the accident and your injuries. Negligence refers to a breach of a standard duty of care that a reasonable person would employ to keep others safe in a similar situation. In the case of a bus accident, road rules and regulations spell out this duty of care. However, proving negligence can become more complex depending on the at-fault party and the situation.

Your legal team will prove negligence using these elements:

• The at-fault party owed you a duty of care
• That party breached that duty
• The breach caused the accident
• The accident led to your harm

When you prove negligence, you can seek economic and non-economic damages to fully cover your financial needs as you recover from your injuries. Economic damages encompass monetary losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages are your intangible losses, such as mental anguish, emotional distress, and permanent disfigurement.

A bus accident in San Antonio, Texas, can be a traumatic experience that can leave you in pain and unsure of how to move forward. Our compassionate team of lawyers has spent over two decades protecting the rights of accident victims and maximizing their damages. Check our client reviews to see how we’ve helped others, then call us today at 800-862-1260.

For more information:

• Truck Info
• FMCSA
• Cornell Law
• Texas Statutes 41