When you are involved in a car accident, you already know what steps to take as you want to gather insurance information, seek medical attention and file an insurance claim to get your vehicle repaired. Yet what do you do if you are in a bus driver accident? In these cases, you are the passenger of the vehicle who may sustain serious injuries. Is it up to you to file the claim, or wait for the bus company to contact you. Who will pay for your injuries as well as lost wages?
Serious Injuries with a Bus Accident Vancouver
There may be several occasions when you may take a bus somewhere. You may take a bus every day to work, a shuttle bus to the airport, or a charter tour bus. Most buses are not equipped with any seat belt restraints, as injuries can happen in a variety of ways. The bus may strike a vehicle, sending people violently forward in seats. They may hit the seats in front of them or knock into other people. Even sudden, unexpected stops can cause injuries for people who must stand on the bus because all the seats are filled.
In addition, you could be a passenger or another driver involved in a bus driver accident. The bus driver may become distracted and hit into you when you are crossing the street on foot, or when you are driving your car and have the right of way through an intersection. Since buses are very large vehicles, they can cause significant damage to vehicles and can be hard to stop when striking pedestrians as a person can experience serious injuries or even death.
Filing an ICBC Claim
Whether you are a passenger on the bus, pedestrian or the other driver, you may be able to file a claim with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). You’ll want to gather us much information as you can before you file the claim such as details of the accident, a police report, eyewitness testimony, and medical reports of your injuries. You should also have documents of lost wages, and expense receipts that you may have paid to get your car repaired.
Filing an ICBC can be a confusing and stressful process. You have to ensure that the claim is filed within the required time frame and that all information is available upon request. If any information is missing, the ICBC may deny your claim. If they accept your claim, they may pay out less than you what you need to recoup on out-of-pocket expenses and future medical treatments.
Getting Help to File Your Claim
Here at Diamond & Diamond BC, we are a bus accident lawyer helping people get through the confusing claims process. We can inform you about your rights, ensure you ICBC claim is filed correctly and on time, and negotiate with the ICBC so that you get the right amount of compensation to pay for expenses, lost wages and future medical treatments.
Whether you were a passenger in a bus, a pedestrian, or another driver, contact our accident attorney today. We will discuss your case and provide you with the legal advice that you need.
FAQ's
What to do if you are in a bus accident?
When you have been involved in a bus accident, the consequences can be dire and significant. They could even be more severe than those of a typical car accident. This is because there will be more responsible parties, more victims and serious injuries because of lack of safety equipment like seatbelts and airbags. For that reason, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney to help you with the claim. Bus accident claims tend to be very complex and you’ll surely need the services of a personal injury attorney.
Should I File an Insurance Claim If I Am at Fault?
Regardless of whether or not you get a ticket from police for being at fault, if you were more than fifty percent at fault, your car insurance rates will go up when the policy is renewed. The insurance carriers always determine the driver at fault when a car accident occurs. The insurance carriers are in a position to surcharge the car policy even after you receive a traffic violation for causing an accident or file a claim and are determined to be at fault. The normal procedure is for only one of these occurrences.
What Happens When Someone Files a Claim Against You?
When the other driver makes a claim to your insurance company because he or she believes you are at fault, you need to counter respond. Both the insurers will critically look into each claim and then decide which driver should be blamed. If the insurers decide that you are at fault, they will include it in your claim. You are allowed to dispute that decision but it is important to note that their decision might not change. If your insurer decides that you are at fault, it will definitely impact your insurance premiums. They are more likely to rise as the offended driver might make another claim.