While bus accidents are not as frequent as other vehicle accidents, every passenger on the bus is at a high likelihood of serious injury when a crash does occur. There are multiple factors that influence how dangerous a bus accident can be:
- The weight of the bus
- The number of passengers
- Lack of a seat belt
- Standing when the accident occurs
- How fast the bus was traveling.
According to the CDC, seat belts alone save thousands of lives per year and greatly reduce the likelihood of an accident being fatal. Most bus passengers are not wearing seat belts or are standing. This by itself increases the likelihood of a fatal accident.
Likewise, a bus accident personal injury claim has the unique ability to be filed even without an accident. This is because the abrupt stopping and jerking nature of buses can lead to the personal injury of many onboard. A bus accident can be devastating, however falling due to a bus suddenly lurching forward can be equally devastating.
If you or a loved one has been in a bus accident, contact Provident today to receive pre-settlement funding. Getting compensation for these kinds of accidents can be tricky. Even if liability is clear in your bus accident case, it could take months or even years to settle.
To make matters worse there is the possibility that you are unable to work. Don’t struggle financially, allow Provident to provide you with the pre-settlement funding you need to make ends meet with 24 hours of approval. All of our cash advances have simple rates, so you can keep the largest portion of your settlement.
Approval factors
When you apply for pre-settlement funding with Provident, there are several factors that combine in order to grant your approval. Below we have detailed each factor: Insurance, liability, and damages, and how they impact your case. It is important to remember that pre-settlement funding should be one of your last choices for financing. This is because even though we offer the lowest rates for cash advances, legal funding is expensive.
Liability
Liability is known as who is responsible for the accident, or at fault. Typically, liability in a bus driving accident can be narrowed down to three groups:
- The bus company – the company failed to keep the bus in optimum condition resulting in a mechanical failure
- The bus driver – the driver was the direct cause of the accident
- A passenger vehicle – a passenger vehicle has driven erratically and cause the accident
In order to qualify for legal funding with Provident, there must be clear liability in the accident – whether it was the fault of the company, driver, or passenger vehicle.
Insurance
Whether or not your injuries are covered depends on who is liable. This is also true for how much you can receive in financial compensation. If a passenger vehicle is found to be at fault for the accident, you can only receive compensation up to their policy limits. This means that if you and multiple people are injured, the policy would be split.
For example, if you and 4 other individuals are injured in the accident, and the policy limit is $20,000, the max each of you can receive would be 4,000 in compensation.
However, if the bus driver is at fault, or the bus itself, you will be covered by the bus’s insurance. Most bus companies are self-insured. This means while they are government entities and have large policies, you will have to act quickly and file your claim within a year of the accident.
Damages
How much in legal funding you can receive is tied to how much your settlement qualifies for. Therefore, people who have more severe injuries, get higher settlements. As such, the more severe your injury, the higher settlement you’ll get, and the more legal funding you qualify for.
If you have had an injection or surgery as a result of the accident, then you should qualify for a cash advance from Provident. However, even without surgery or injections, if you have received any treatment for your injuries, then you should qualify for a cash advance. At Provident we will do everything we can to help you get your bus accident cash advance within 24 hours of approval.
National statistics
Bus accidents are not as common as car accidents. According to the Department of transportation, in 2018, of the 36,560 highway fatalities, only 43 were the result of a bus accident.
According to the Michigan University’s Transportation Research Institute, there are a total of 63,000 bus accidents per year. Those accidents consist of all types of buses:
- Commercial
- Public
- School
- Private
- Other
The research goes on further to say that on average there are 50 individuals killed in bus accidents per year, which reflects the data shown by the Department of transportation as well.
Inner-city buses are 1.9x more likely to be in a bus accident than rural buses. The research also found that charter buses have a higher likelihood of driver error being the cause of the accident.
Typical causes for bus accidents
Below we have listed some of the most common causes for bus accidents in the United States:
- Bus company negligence – bus companies failing to keep buses up to safety protocol with proper maintenance
- Bus driver negligence – the bus driver was unaware of their surroundings/ vehicles, resulting in collisions
- Bus driver fatigue – bus drivers, especially commercial, are often forced to drive extended periods without rest, resulting in drowsy driving
- Passenger driver – buses have the right of way while on the street, a passenger driver does not yield
- Bad weather – bad weather increases reckless driving and accidents
- Blind spots – a passenger vehicle is in the bus’s blind spot, and as a result, the driver turns into them
- Left turns – Bus drivers make wide left turns, and a car does not yield to them.
- Bus fires – the engine of the bus catches fire
Statute of limitations
Generally speaking, you have a limited amount of time to sue a government entity. This time frame is known as the statute of limitations. Each state has a different statute of limitations for suing government entities, however in general it is 1-2 years from the accident date
Below we have listed the statute of limitations from a variety of states:
The statute of limitations for suing a government entity is two years from the date of the accident.
According to the state of Florida, the statute of limitations for suing a government entity is three years from the date of the accident
Georgia statute of limitations state article, you have two years to file your claim against a bus company.
In the state of New York, the plaintiff has 90 days to file a notice of a claim and 1 year and 90 days to file the lawsuit.
The state of Pennsylvania asserts that the statute of limitations for suing a government entity is two years.
There are different statutes of limitations for suing government entities in Texas. In Houston and Auston you have 90 days from the accident. However, in cities such as San Antonio, you have 45 days.
Non-accident-related injuries
It is possible to sustain an injury while on the bus that does not involve an accident. Bus injuries can also be the result of abrupt stopping, aggressive driving maneuvers, wet floors, or the bus engine catching on fire.
If any of these injuries occur while on the bus, it means that the bus driver did not keep the bus in safe conditions. Therefore, you have a personal injury claim, seeing as the bus driver was negligent.
The following are a few injuries you can get on a bus, even if there isn’t an accident:
- Abrupt stopping – a bus making a sudden, extremely abrupt stop causing individuals to fall, hit something, or become injured
- Broken door – a door failing to close properly can result in the injury of someone near the door
- Cluttered aisle – there is trash on the floor that creates a tripping hazard
- Faulty ramp – for individuals who need assistance getting onto the bus, a faulty ramp can result in harm
- Sudden acceleration – bus drivers do speed in order to keep on schedule. Sudden speeding can cause people who are changing seats to lung forward and get hurt
- Wet floors – the floors are wet due to improper maintenance
Common injuries
As stated earlier, while bus crashes are not nearly as frequent as car crashes, they have a high potential of being dangerous. As such, we have listed some of the most common bus accident injuries when they do occur. Some of the injuries are from the result of a collision, while others are the result of non-accident-related occurrences:
- Amputations – when a part of the body has to be removed
- Burns – if the bus engine catches first it’s possible to get up to 3rd-degree burns
- Fractures – falling due to abrupt stopping can cause fractures
- Broken bones – falling can cause broken bones
- Whiplash – if a bus is rear-ended some passengers may experience whiplash
- Traumatic brain injury – for more serious accidents, a bus tipping can cause TBI
- Spinal cord injury – similar to TBI, SCI occurs when the bus is in a severe accident
FAQs
Below we have answered some frequently asked questions about bus accident lawsuit cash advances.
What rates does Provident offer for bus accident lawsuit loans
Provident offers rates between 17.5-22.5 in non-compounding, simple rates. We only charge these simple rates once every 6 months. Non-compounding means we charge based on the original fund amount and never on accumulated funds.
With our simple rates charged every 6 months, Provident can guarantee that you are getting the lowest possible rates for legal funding. If you find a company that has better rates, send us a contract and we will beat it.
Do you qualify for bus pre-settlement funding with Provident?
There are only three requirements for a bus accident cash advance from Provident. We have listed the requirements below:
- 18 years and older – Provident is unable to provide bus accident lawsuit funding to minors
- Attorney – attorneys send vital information in order to see how much funding you qualify for, therefore you must have an attorney to apply
- Cash – you should apply to Provident if you have exhausted all other financing options and need a cash advance now
How much can you receive in funding from Provident
Provident offers legal funding as low as $500 and as high as $250,000. However, that funding scale is not set in stone. If you are in great financial need, or your case has a very high value, you can receive even more in legal funding.
Provident Lawsuit Loans Is Here To Help
If you or a loved one have been harmed while on a bus or in a bus accident, you are entitled to compensation. Lawsuits take a long time to settle, even if liability is clear
Don’t settle for less than you deserve in order to get your settlement faster. If you get a lawsuit loan with Provident, you’ll be able to make ends meet and get a larger settlement. Apply online today or call. You’ll get funding within 24 hours of approval.