What Should You Do after a Bus Accident?

While buses offer an immense convenience, bus accidents can be exceptionally dangerous – not to mention terrifying. When you are on a bus, you can forego the worries of planning your route, fighting traffic, and scoring a parking spot, but if you’re injured in a bus accident, you’re likely to face a very difficult path forward toward recovery. If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a bus accident, don’t put off consulting with an experienced South Carolina bus accident attorney.

Many Kinds of Bus Accidents

When you think about bus accidents, city buses may come to mind, but bus accidents come in wide-ranging forms that can include:

• Accidents involving private bus lines, such as Greyhound, Megabus, and more
• Accidents involving school buses
• Accidents involving private charter buses
• Accidents involving tour buses
• Accidents involving the shuttle buses used by hotels and airports

Regardless of the kind of bus accident that leaves you injured, the results can be exceptionally dangerous.

Your First Steps Post-Accident

Every bus accident claim involves its own set of unique circumstances, but the basic steps forward remain the same across accidents.

Seek the Medical Attention You Need

If you have been injured in a bus accident, your health and well-being have to be your primary concerns. This means that if the emergency medical professionals at the scene offer you medical care or transportation to the hospital, you should avail yourself of this care. The accident scene in the aftermath of a bus accident, however, is often exceptionally hectic, and if medical attention is not forthcoming, it’s important to seek the medical care you need as soon after the accident as possible. Very serious injuries can be slow to present with obvious symptoms, and the adrenaline coursing through you can mask serious symptoms and considerable pain. Your health is far too important to delay obtaining the medical care you need.

Gather Evidence at the Scene

If you are able to do so, gathering evidence at the scene of the accident is an excellent idea. Fresh evidence has a way of quickly disappearing in the wake of a bus accident, and attending to the matter quickly can make a big difference in your case. It’s important to note here that if you are in no condition to collect evidence, it’s almost a certainty that someone at the scene will. When it comes to gathering evidence, the following basics apply:

• Take pictures of the bus accident from every conceivable perspective and angle. You never know which picture is going to capture the critical piece of information that unlocks your case, so don’t be stingy with the pictures.
• Record the statements of eyewitnesses at the scene (and don’t forget to jot down their contact information).
• Take note of (and pictures of) any mitigating circumstances that may have contributed to the accident, such as the road’s condition, the effects of bad weather, any impediments to a clear view, and more.
• Write down your thoughts regarding how the accident happened as soon after the bus accident as possible. These fresh memories can take on considerable weight as your claim progresses.

Keep Your Thoughts Close

The thing about bus accidents is that you can count on the bus company’s legal team to swoop in and run recon as quickly as humanly possible, and they are on the hunt for comments made by accident victims like you that can be used to bolster their position – and to diminish the claims of the accident victims themselves. In fact, they are gifted at twisting statements to their own purposes, and for this reason, it is a good idea to keep your comments to a minimum at the scene of the accident. If the attending police officer asks you questions directly, it’s important to answer him or her as truthfully and as briefly as possible. Otherwise, you are better off staying mum on the subject until after your claim has been settled or you’ve received a court award.

Take a Break from Social Media

Another special skill of the insurance company is spinning social media posts and pictures into compelling stories that support their take on the accident. Your activity on social media can ultimately have a negative impact on your claim – regardless of whether or not there is any correlation whatsoever – which is an excellent reason why you should give social media a break after a bus accident.

Consult with an Experienced Bus Accident Attorney

Your ability to reach your fullest recovery after being injured in a bus accident is very likely to depend upon your ability to obtain just compensation that covers your physical, financial, and emotional damages (or losses) in their entirety. And the surest way to accomplish this important goal is with a dedicated bus accident attorney in your corner. While you focus your efforts on regaining your health and well-being post-accident, your bus accident attorney will skillfully take on many important tasks, including:

• Compiling the evidence relevant to your claim and using it to construct your strongest case
• Skillfully negotiating with the insurance company for a settlement that covers your complete damages
• Preparing to take your case to court if the insurance company is not interested in engaging in fair negotiations
• Obtaining the expert testimony necessary to adequately bolster your claim
• Having an accident reconstruction created that highlights the at-fault party’s negligence in your claim
• Ensuring that your rights are well protected throughout the legal process 

An Experienced South Carolina Bus Accident Attorney Can Help

Bus accidents tend to be as dangerous, violent, and terrifying as their claims are complicated, and if someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a bus accident, it’s time to seek professional legal counsel. The formidable South Carolina bus accident attorneys at McCravy Law have a wealth of experience guiding bus accident claims like yours toward beneficial resolutions, and we’re well prepared and well-positioned to help you, too. Your case is important, so please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 864-388-9100 for more information today.