Myrtle Beach Bus Accidents Attorney

Buses are an important form of public transportation for many residents and visitors alike in Myrtle Beach, as the large vehicles are capable of carrying large numbers of people to locations all over the city at an affordable cost. In addition to buses that provide public transportation, schoolchildren all over the Palmetto State also rely on school buses to get them to and from school.

Whether for education or public transportation, buses are huge vehicles that require special training to operate and regular maintenance to ensure safety. When any bus is involved in a motor vehicle accident, the results can be devastating for everybody involved.

Many passengers on buses involved in crashes do not have seat belts and suffer serious injuries. Similarly, people in automobiles involved in bus accidents can also be severely injured in these collisions.

If you sustained catastrophic injuries or your loved one was killed in a bus accident anywhere in the Myrtle Beach area, do not wait to retain legal counsel. It can be extremely difficult to obtain compensation after a bus crash, but an experienced lawyer will be able to hold all negligent parties accountable. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers is committed to helping injury victims collect all of the compensation they are entitled to. You can have our Myrtle Beach bus accident attorneys review your case and answer all of your legal questions when you call (843) 839-4795 or complete an online contact form to set up a consultation.

Why Do I Need a Bus Accident Lawyer?

For many people who are injured as bus accident passengers, there can be numerous delays in how the insurance companies for the buses handle injury claims. Insurers will often claim that accidents are still being investigated and people can struggle to collect the compensation they desperately need to pay various bills.

In some cases, the insurance company may offer a victim a lump sum settlement to resolve their case, but this amount rarely ever accounts for the full lifetime of care victims require. As a result, people who accept these settlements quickly realize that they will ultimately be responsible for all future costs of care relating to their injuries after the settlement funds have been exhausted.

When a person is injured as the driver or passenger of another vehicle involved in a bus accident, or even as a bicyclist or pedestrian, the insurance company may take a different approach in how it handles an injury claim. The insurer may argue that the victim was actually the party at fault and their own negligence caused or significantly contributed to their injuries.

You want to contact an attorney instead of attempting to deal with any insurance company on your own. The lawyer will be able to conduct an independent investigation of your crash, collect evidence, and then use the facts collected to negotiate for a fair and full settlement to your case.

Why Choose the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers?

William J. Luse has over a dozen years of legal experience and is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the South Carolina Association for Justice. He won the 10 Best Client Satisfaction Award from the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, was named a Top Ten Personal Injury Attorney by the Attorney and Practice Magazine, and has been included among the Best Attorneys of America by Best Attorneys of America, LLC.

Our firm will take the time needed to get to know you and learn more about your story, including all of the ways that your injuries have affected your life. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers believes that these details are important not only to show you that we care about you and your recovery, but they also help us present the case that will resound the strongest with a jury.

We will negotiate for a settlement that covers all past, present, and future expenses relating to your injuries and recovery. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers will not force you to accept a settlement that is not satisfactory, and we can file a lawsuit when necessary.

You should also know that our firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. This means that you will not pay anything unless you receive a monetary award.

Bus Accident Cases We Handle

Coast RTA is operated by the Waccamaw Regional Transportation Authority (and is also referred to as Waccamaw RTA or Lymo) and serves Horry County. Coast RTA is the local bus service recommended by the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Some of the other bus service providers in the Myrtle Beach area include:

• Greyhound Lines, Inc.
• MegaBus
• TriCounty Link
• Cross County Connection
• Carolina Shuttle
• Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA)
• South Carolina’s School Bus Fleet

The causes of bus accidents can be very difficult to determine. Certain large bus accidents involving interstate carriers may trigger federal investigations.

In general, some of the most common causes of bus accidents include:

• Distracted driving
• Driver fatigue
• Defective equipment
• Lack of maintenance
• Inclement weather
• Unsafe road conditions
• Other drivers

Another reasons that bus accidents can be more complex than traditional car crashes is that multiple parties could be liable for damages in these cases. Bus drivers, bus owners, parts manufacturers, maintenance companies, and governmental agencies are among the different people or entities that could all be responsible in these cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do after being involved in a bus accident?

The first thing you should do after being involved in any kind of bus accident is make sure that you receive medical care. You should do this even when you do not think you were hurt, as some injuries can have delayed symptoms. If you wait too long to visit a hospital, an insurance company will inevitably claim that the delay in treatment is evidence that your injuries were not that severe. Another important step that victims can take is to collect whatever evidence they can at the scenes of their crashes. Generally, the steps that can be taken include photographing the scene of the accident and collecting the names and phone numbers of all people who saw the crash. Finally, a victim should make sure to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

What is a common carrier?

South Carolina Code § 58-17-3710 defines common carrier as including “the receiver or receivers or other persons or corporations charged with the duty of the management and operation of the business of a common carrier.” Common carriers are generally people or companies that transport goods or people whose services to the public are provided under some kind of regulatory authority. With common carriers, the people or companies are strictly liable for the goods or people they carry, although important exceptions are provided for cases involving acts of nature, defective goods, shipper negligence, or acts of “public enemies.”

How is my claim different if I am suing a government agency?

When a bus accident claim involves a government entity, it will be subject to the South Carolina Tort Claims Act (SCTCA), found under Title 15 of Chapter 78 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. Whereas the statute of limitations in most motor vehicle accidents in South Carolina is three years, the SCTCA establishes that a person only has two years to file suit against a government entity. The limitations period can be extended to three years when a victim files a verified claim for damages. Another important catch to the SCTCA is that it also limits or “caps” damages in personal injury claims filed against government entities. South Carolina Code § 15-78-120(1) establishes that recovery is limited to $300,000 for any one plaintiff and total recovery is capped at $600,000 under South Carolina Code § 15-78-120(2) for cases involving multiple plaintiffs.

Bus Accident Statistics

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) reported that four people were killed in collisions involving school buses in 2016 and two people were killed in collisions involving passenger buses. In 2016, school buses were involved in four fatal collisions, 113 injury collisions, and 331 property damage only (PDO) collisions, while passenger buses were involved in two fatal collisions, 87 injury collisions, and 249 PDO collisions.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that 4,440 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2016. It was the first time that the total number of fatalities exceeded 4,000 since 2007.

According to FMCSA, involvement in fatal crashes on average from 2006 to 2016 was highest for school buses (40 percent), transit buses (34 percent), and intercity buses (13 percent). FMCSA reported there were 119,000 injury crashes involving large trucks or buses in 2016, resulting in 180,000 injuries.

Contact a Myrtle Beach Bus Accident Attorney Today

Did you suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a bus accident in Myrtle Beach? Whatever you do, make sure not to speak to an insurance company until you have legal representation. The Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers represents clients in Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Socastee, Conway, Little River, North Myrtle Beach, and surrounding areas of Horry County, Georgetown County, and Marion County. You can have our lawyer provide an honest and thorough evaluation of your case when you call (843) 839-4795 or contact us online to receive a consultation.