Calgary’s transit bus system offers plenty of advantages for getting around the city. Whether it’s getting to work, to a Flames or Hitmen game, or to the Stampede once a year, it can be a real boon to individuals and families alike. As you know from watching, listening to and reading the news, though, there’s a darker side too. Transit buses are not immune to the same risks of other users of the roadways – accidents that can cause serious injuries and even fatalities. Considering the size of a transit bus, the crowds on Calgary’s roadways at rush hour (and any time) and the number of people who may be on a bus at any given time, a bus accident can become a catastrophe in no time. (It’s no less a catastrophe if just one person is affected, of course, but the involvement of multiple people and parties in any incident can make the situation much more legally complex.)
That’s where a bus crashes lawyer near you comes in. A bus accident lawyer in Calgary – including the committed and equally compassionate staff at Truck Crash Law – is uniquely qualified to handle the complexity and unique challenges of accidents involving a transit bus. The goal of this article isn’t to intimidate or frighten you, but to educate you about the challenges related to untangling the webs of causation, liability, medical and legal issues involved in such cases.
Here are some reasons that it’s essential to hire a qualified lawyer near you if you or a loved one have been involved in a bus accident in Calgary.
Gathering evidence. If you’ve been involved in an accident, you’ll have medical and personal issues to take care of – some of which may be overwhelming. You and your family may not have the time or resources to gather crucial evidence to help understand what happened and to secure justice. Eyewitness statements and camera footage are extremely valuable; a bus accident attorney in Calgary has the resources, staff, ability and time to get that evidence while you focus on recovering.
Understanding legislation. When was the last time you read the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act? That is the piece of legislation that can provide benefits to people injured in an accident that was not your fault. Qualified bus accident lawyers have read and understand that Act, and how it interacts with your rights at common law through a civil action.
Just how many people are involved? Even a “standard” transit bus-related accident may involve a multiplicity of actors and “parties” – meaning entities who should be involved in the legal proceedings started to determine your rights and everyone’s responsibility. Those parties could include: the municipality, the transit operator, the owner of any other vehicles involved, the driver of other vehicles involved, leasing or financing companies with financial interests in any of those vehicles, insurance companies with policies covering any of those individuals or drivers, companies responsible for vehicle maintenance, companies responsible for highway maintenance, and on and on and on.
If it sounds impossible to get a handle on all of those details amongst that web of actors, it may be – if you try to handle it on your own while facing medical and personal pressures following an accident. Our best advice, then? Don’t try to handle it on your own, but engage counsel from Truck Crash Law. At the very least, get advice as soon as possible from a lawyer in Calgary, and consider retaining a lawyer with specialized expertise in advising, negotiating and litigating in relation to bus crashes, injuries, and property damage.
As a very general rule, people injured in a bus crash in Alberta have up to two years to bring a claim relating to that accident. Don’t wait that long to get legal advice. Evidence goes stale and disappears much faster than that. There are shorter time limits that can affect your recovery.
As soon as you’ve dealt with the immediate medical and practical implications of an accident, reach out to a lawyer near you for advice. They’ll partner with you and your family to ensure you get the justice, resources and remedies you need and deserve after everything you’ve been through.