Lake Forest Bus Accident Attorneys

If you were seriously hurt in a crash that involved a bus, you may be entitled to monetary damages. Our Lake Forest bus accident lawyers can answer your questions and help you navigate every step of the claims process. You won’t have to pay anything upfront to enlist the help of our skilled and highly accomplished team of attorneys. Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS to set up a free consultation.

How Can I Strengthen My Bus Accident Case?

With your financial future on the line, you’re probably willing to do everything you can to give your case the best chance of success. Unfortunately, the outcome of your case is largely out of your control. That being said, there are still a few steps you can take that could help you avoid disputes down the line that may otherwise delay the proceedings or have a negative impact on the potential settlement or verdict. Here are a few examples:

• Track Expenses: Every receipt, record, and invoice linked to your accident-related expenses should be filed away to reference later. These can include medical bills, pharmacy receipts, insurance statements, paystubs, home care invoices, invoices for domestic help (housekeeping and meal preparation, etc.), and quotes for repairing any property damage. These documents can help your attorney approximate a fair settlement.

• Start a Personal Injury Journal: A personal injury journal can be used to catalogue any information regarding the accident and your injuries. Your first entry should include an account of everything you can remember about the accident. You should also write daily entries documenting the details of your injuries. Describe your symptoms, the duration of these symptoms, and how frequently they occur. Also include information about your doctor’s appointments. These entries may help your lawyer prove non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.

• Temporarily Deactivate Your Social Media Accounts: An insurance adjuster may pore through your social media activity for any evidence that could be used to challenge your claim. For instance, if you posted comments about the accident, the insurance company could use your quotes out of context to argue that you are at least partially responsible for your injuries. By deactivating your accounts until your case is concluded, it will be more difficult for rival parties to gain access to your post history.

Terms to Know Before Bringing a Personal Injury Claim

Personal injury cases often involve a whole host of terminology that’s unfamiliar to new claimants. Insurance claims adjusters sometimes seem to be speaking a different language. The legal proceedings for a personal injury claim can already feel intimidating, without the extra task of expanding your vocabulary. Our Lake Forest bus accident attorneys can guide you through the process so you won’t have to feel like you’re studying for the bar exam. You may just want to familiarize yourself with a few key words to help make the process clearer. Here are some important terms to know:

• Duty of Care: A duty of care sits at the foundation of most personal injury cases. This term refers to a legal obligation of one party to exercise reasonable care toward another. To win a negligence claim, you will need to show that a duty of care existed and was breached, and that this breach resulted in your injuries.
• Negligence: Negligence is one party’s breach of the duty of care owed to another. Examples of negligence in the context of bus accidents include speeding, driving under the influence, running red lights, and violating other traffic laws.
• Deposition: You may be familiar with witnesses in courtroom dramas taking the stand to testify. Deposition is similar, but it happens in the pre-trial discovery phase. Your lawyer will ask questions of the person being deposed, and that deposition would hopefully help to resolve disputes and possibly lead to a settlement. Our Lake Forest bus accident lawyers work with a wide range of experts whose deposition often proves valuable in these cases.
• Causation: This term seems simple on its face, essentially referring to what caused an incident to occur. But in tort law, causation involves two parts you should keep in mind. To prove causation in a negligence claim, a plaintiff has to first show that the accident would not have occurred but for the defendant’s negligence. Then, the plaintiff must show that their injuries would not have occurred but for the accident.
• Liability: This term refers to “legal responsibility.” In most bus accident claims, liability is established by proving negligence, though it may also be imposed by establishing strict liability or proving that the defendant caused intentional harm.

Contact Us Today to Speak with a Bus Accident Lawyer in Lake Forest

Our phoneline is open 24/7 to take your call. Set up a free, no-obligation case assessment today by dialing 1-800-GO-HARRIS or sending a message on our Contact Page.