St. Petersburg Bus Accident Lawyer

Home \ St. Petersburg Bus Accident Lawyer

Whether you were a passenger, inside another vehicle, or walking down the street, you may have the right to receive compensation after a bus accident in St. Petersburg, Florida. However, getting the money you deserve can be a challenge. The experienced St. Petersburg bus accident lawyers at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys are here to help you fight to win your claim and maximize your financial award.

Collectively, our award-winning litigators have over 25 years of experience and have won millions in life-changing verdicts and settlements for our clients in cases such as St. Petersburg truck accidents, St. Petersburg motorcycle accidents, St. Petersburg car accidents, taxi accidents, boating accidents, recreational vehicle accidents and more.

This is your opportunity to demand justice and recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Let us help you work toward a meaningful recovery. Your first consultation is free, so call our law office at (727) 933-0015 in St. Petersburg, Florida to schedule yours now.

Table of Contents

How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help if You’re Hurt in a Bus Accident in St. Petersburg, FL

You might have a lot of questions after your bus accident. Why did it happen? Who’s at fault? Where do you turn for compensation? You may also be confused and overwhelmed. That’s all normal. But insurers and negligent bus companies will try to use your uncertainty and stress against you.

The best thing you can do is call our experienced St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers to represent you.

We won’t let you get pushed around or bullied into accepting a lowball settlement offer. Our trial attorneys will work diligently to force at-fault parties to accept responsibility during negotiations. However, we’ll approach your case as if it’s undoubtedly going to trial – that way we’re prepared if you’re not offered a fair deal.

While you focus on getting better, our team will handle all aspects of your bus injury claim; we’ll:

Investigate and gather evidence
Consult with state, local, and federal agencies that might also be looking into the circumstances surrounding your mass transit accident
Bring in experts and specialists to provide insight throughout the claims process
Defend you against efforts to limit your financial recovery through allegations of shared fault
Help you make difficult yet important decisions, like whether it’s best to settle or move forward to trial

Our law office in St. Petersburg, FL works on a contingency fee basis. There’s no upfront cost to hire us to represent you. We only get paid if we win your case – end of story.

Understanding Liability in St. Petersburg Bus Accident Cases

Most bus accident cases in Florida are based on negligence. Negligence means that one person (e.g., the bus driver) owed you a duty of care but breached it in some way. As a result of their actions, you got hurt and suffered damages.

What’s a breach of duty of care? Typically it’s a failure to act reasonably under the circumstances – like texting and driving, speeding, or running a stop sign.

Buses Are Common Carriers in Florida

In Florida, buses are classified as common carriers. This means that bus drivers and bus companies have a heightened duty of care. Since you’re paying the bus to get you from one place to another safely, the company (and driver) has a responsibility to exercise the highest degree of care possible.

What does this mean for your bus accident claim? Often, it can mean that it’s easier to establish negligence. Since the duty of care is heightened, it’s easier to breach – small mistakes and violations can often do the trick.

Potentially Liable Parties in Florida Bus Accident Cases

Keep in mind that you could have a legitimate claim for damages against someone other than a negligent bus driver. Even if the bus driver did contribute to the crash, other parties may have, too.

Following a thorough investigation, it may become clear that one or more of the following parties are at fault:

The bus driver
Third-party motorists, including drivers of passenger vehicles, truck drivers, other mass transit operators, and motorcyclists
Bicyclists or pedestrians
The bus company or bus service
A government agency, like the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
A property owner
A bus manufacturer
A bus maintenance company or professional

You can increase the likelihood of securing a full financial recovery by pursuing damages from all parties who share fault. Our St. Petersburg bus accident attorneys will fight to hold anyone who caused your crash fully accountable.

Let’s say you were driving your car in St. Petersburg and crashed into a bus. You were speeding at the time of the collision, so you are assigned some of the blame. This will impact your personal injury claim for damages.

Under the state’s modified comparative fault system, if your share of fault is 50% or less, your damages will be reduced in direct proportion to your degree of fault. If you’re assigned 15 percent of the blame, your damages will be reduced by 15 percent. However, if your portion of responsibility exceeds 50%, you’ll be unable to receive compensation from the other party.

We Handle All Types of Bus Accident Cases in St. Petersburg, Florida

Many different bus lines and services run through St. Petersburg, Florida. No matter what type of bus was involved in your auto accident, Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys can help.

Our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys represent clients who have suffered injuries in:

PSTA bus accidents
School bus accidents
Charter bus accidents
Greyhound bus accidents
Tour bus accidents
Airport shuttle bus accidents
Senior Ride bus accidents, and more

Don’t hesitate to contact our law office in St. Petersburg to discuss the specifics of your case. We’ll listen to your side of the story, assess your legal options, and help you understand what rights you may have.

What Damages Can I Get If I’m Injured in a Bus Crash in St. Petersburg?

If you’re hurt in a car accident involving a bus in St. Petersburg, you may receive compensatory damages in a related injury case. Compensatory damages fall into two categories: economic (to offset your financial costs) and non-economic (to make up for your pain and suffering).

Examples include:

Medical transportation, hospitalization, and present medical bills
Ongoing medical treatment and future medical expenses
Lost wages and income
Disability
Property damage
Chronic physical pain
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium
Disfigurement
Embarrassment
Mental anguish
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

How much is your bus accident case worth? It’ll typically depend on the types of injuries you suffer and how much your life changes after your accident. The more severe the trauma and the more your life is changed, the more money you can expect to recover in an injury claim or lawsuit.

You can get a better idea about the value of your personal injury case by contacting our St. Petersburg bus accident attorneys for a free consultation now.

We’ll Help You Seek Compensation For All of Your Bus Accident Injuries

Buses are large, heavy vehicles. They can be difficult to navigate. When they’re involved in a collision, the consequences can be catastrophic for those involved.

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys is ready to help you pursue damages to account for each and every injury you suffer, including:

Broken bones
Dental injuries
Vision loss
Hearing loss
Concussion
Whiplash
Spinal cord injury
Back injury
Neck injury
Nerve damage
Burn injury
Catastrophic injury
Wrongful death of a loved one in a fatal bus accident
And more

Get to a hospital or doctor immediately after your bus accident. Prompt care will limit the likelihood of complications. Additionally, your visit will help document a link between the bus crash and your injuries, which will be an essential component of your claim for damages.

What’s the Statute of Limitations For Filing a Bus Accident Lawsuit in Florida?

Two years. That’s the standard statute of limitations for bus accident lawsuits in the state of Florida. Historically, the deadline for negligence cases was four years, but the law was changed on March 24, 2023. So, if your St. Petersburg bus accident happened after that date, you should take legal action within two years.

The time limit may be shorter if your case involves a negligent government agency, like the PSTA.

Don’t let time run out. Once the statute of limitations expires, so does your right to recover compensation that you need and deserve.

Arrange a Free Consultation With an Experienced St. Petersburg Bus Accident Lawyer

Don’t let a negligent bus driver, bus company, or another party off the hook after a crash in St. Petersburg. Assert your rights and demand the financial recovery you deserve. Better yet, call Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys and ask our St. Petersburg bus accident lawyers to fight for you.

We’ll take care of your bus injury claim from start to finish while you focus on getting better. To get started, give our law firm a call and set up a time for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We’re standing by to answer now.