Buses play a vital role when it comes to the transportation infrastructure of Chicago and throughout Illinois. These vehicles allow residents and visitors to get to and from their destinations on a regularly scheduled basis. However, accidents involving larger buses can result in devastating injuries for those inside the bus as well as others involved in the impact. Here, our bus accident lawyers in Chicago want to discuss the steps you should take if you are injured in an Illinois bus accident.
Bus Accidents Often Lead To Severe Injuries
Data provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that there were 3,067 total accidents involving buses during the latest reporting year across the state. This figure does not include school bus crashes. There were 1,249 total school bus crashes during the same reporting year.
Overall, there were 846 injury crashes involving buses that year and three bus crashes that resulted in a fatality.
There are various types of buses throughout the Chicago area, including:
- Private bus lines (Coach, Megabus, and Greyhound)
- The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- School buses
- Private charter or tour buses
- Airport and hotel shuttle buses
Steps To Take If You Are Injured In A Bus Accident In Illinois
There are steps that you need to take in the aftermath of the bus accident in Illinois to ensure that you recover the compensation you are entitled to.
First, you need to be mindful of timelines. In this state, personal injury claims must be filed within two years from the date the injury occurs. However, claims against a government entity, including government-operated transit buses, must be filed within one year from the date of the injury. Any claim filed against the government will have a different process that a personal injury attorney will need to help you get through.
- Seek medical care. The most important thing for you to do after a bus accident occurs is to seek medical care. Seeking medical care helps ensure that you get treatment for your injuries while also establishing a direct link between the crash and any injuries you sustained.
- Contact the police. The police absolutely need to come to the scene of the crash to conduct a preliminary investigation and fill out an accident report. The police will work on gathering much of the information that you will need to successfully file an insurance claim
- Gather driver and company information. If the police do not get there quickly, you can write down information about the bus driver and the bus company or agency involved. In fact, use your cell phone to take photographs of the bus and the license plate.
- Get witness information. If there were any eyewitnesses to the bus crash, you need to get their names and contact information. This can include passengers on the bus as well as other drivers or bystanders.
- Preserve evidence. Using your phone, take pictures of any property damage, injuries, debris, skid marks, traffic and weather conditions, and more.
- Continue medical care. You need to continue all medical care until your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement. If you discontinue care before a doctor advises otherwise, this could jeopardize any insurance claim you make.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a bus accident, you need to work with a skilled Chicago personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can handle every aspect of these claims on your behalf, including gathering evidence, filing the claim on time, negotiating with insurance carriers, and more.