Were you recently injured in a bus accident in McAllen, Texas? Call The Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa for immediate legal assistance. Our McAllen bus accident lawyer can help you fight for the substantial monetary award you deserve.
The Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa is a trusted advocate for crash victims and families in McAllen and throughout South Texas. Our law firm has recovered millions for injured victims of car accidents, McAllen motorcycle injuries, truck accidents, brain injury cases, and more.
Led by award-winning trial attorney Lino H. Ochoa, our team has more than 27 years of experience taking on tough adversaries and handling complex legal disputes.
Striving to make a difference in the lives of every person we represent, our law firm has recovered millions in life-changing financial awards. Contact our McAllen bus accident attorney or call (956) 815-0055 to set up a free initial case evaluation now.
How the Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa Can Help After a Bus Accident in McAllen, TX
What caused the bus accident? Is the bus driver at fault? Who else could be liable for the crash? What evidence can help you win your case? What happens if the defense blames you for the bus accident? What’s a fair settlement offer?
A bus accident can be stressful. So can a related personal injury claim for damages. Don’t worry about finding the answers to these (and other) important questions. Focus on getting better and let our McAllen personal injury lawyer handle your fight for compensation.
When you turn to the Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa for help, you’ll get the compassionate, trustworthy legal representation you deserve. You’ll also benefit from our team’s in-depth knowledge of Texas personal injury law, extensive experience handling motor vehicle accident litigation and tried-and-true legal strategies.
Trust our McAllen bus accident attorney to:
- Coordinate an independent investigation into your bus accident
- Review the accident report, medical records, driver cell phone records, photographs, black box data, video footage, property damage, tire tracks, maintenance records, and other evidence
- Find and interview witnesses to the crash
- Bring in specialists in the busing industry, traffic accidents, accident reconstruction, forensics, medicine, and other expert witnesses to offer insight into your case
- Handle negotiations with the bus service, their insurance company, and other defendants in your case
- Explain the pros and cons of accepting any settlement offers you receive
- Bring your bus accident lawsuit to trial in Hidalgo County if the defense doesn’t take your case seriously
Bus accidents can be catastrophic. The resulting costs and trauma can be crippling. You shouldn’t have to handle them on your own. Our McAllen bus accident attorney can help you fight to make things right. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win your bus accident case.
Call our McAllen, TX, law office to get started. Your first consultation is free.
Are Bus Accidents Common in McAllen, Texas?
Every year, hundreds of people are injured or killed in traffic accidents involving buses across the state of Texas.
According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 1,149 bus accidents in the Lone Star state in 2022. These accidents caused at least 974 injuries and 28 deaths.
This marked an increase from 2021. That year, Texas had 1,052 bus accidents, resulting in 921 injuries and 21 fatalities.
What Are the Leading Causes of Bus Accidents?
Buses and bus services like McAllen Metro are tightly regulated by Texas statutes and the FMCSA. Despite that, traffic accidents involving buses are quite common.
Some of the most common causes of these bus accidents include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Illegal stopping
- Braking errors
- Wide turns
- Illegal turns
- Unsafe passing
- Following too closely
- Vehicle defects
Many times, these things result from inexperienced and undertrained drivers, negligent hiring, and negligent vehicle maintenance. Other times, bad weather conditions, road defects, and traffic congestion lead to bus accidents in McAllen.
Types of Bus Accident Cases We Handle
At the Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa, our top-rated legal team advocates for victims of all types of bus accidents in McAllen, TX, including:
- Metro McAllen bus accidents
- Greyhound bus accidents
- Charter bus accidents
- Tour bus accidents
- School bus accidents
- Airport shuttle bus accidents
Bus accident litigation is complex. Experience can make a huge difference when you take on a powerful bus service or insurance company. The Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa offers the experienced legal advocacy you’ll need to get the results you deserve. Put our 27+ years of experience to work for you today.
Understanding Liability for a McAllen Bus Accident
Under Texas law, liability is shared by everyone who contributes to a bus accident.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding your bus accident, potentially liable parties might include a:
- Bus driver
- Private bus company
- Government-run bus service, like Metro McAllen
- Bus manufacturer
- Bus mechanic
- Third-party motorist
- Pedestrian
- Bicyclist
- Bus passenger
- Property owner
- Government agency
Since buses are classified as common carriers in Texas, bus drivers and bus services are held to higher standards of care. As a result, even minor mistakes and lapses of judgment can be considered negligent and result in liability.
Our bus accident attorneys in McAllen will dig into the details of your crash and work to identify anyone who played a role. Once we’ve determined liability, we’ll put together a compelling legal claim that helps you hold them accountable.
Can Shared Fault Hurt My Texas Bus Accident Settlement?
Yes, since Texas has modified comparative negligence rules with a 51 percent bar.
Sharing any degree of responsibility for a bus accident will adversely affect your ability to recover compensation from a third party. Damages are reduced proportionately for liability up to 50 percent. Damages are disallowed for liability exceeding 50 percent.
In other words, you can’t recover compensation from a third party if you’re mostly to blame for a bus accident. Sharing half or less of the blame will reduce your take-home financial award.
Don’t be shocked when the bus driver, bus service, or insurance company points fingers at you after the crash. They’ll try to shift as much blame as possible to limit how much they have to pay. If these tactics are successful, you could find yourself unable to recover any damages at all.
When you’ve hired the Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa, you can trust that we’ll anticipate these tactics and work to discount any claims that you’re to blame. The less liability you ultimately share, the more money you can potentially get when your case is settled or decided by a jury.
What Compensation Can Be Awarded to Bus Accident Victims?
As a bus accident victim in McAllen, you can file a legal claim seeking compensatory damages.
Compensatory damages include money to cover your financial losses (economic damages), as well as your harder-to-value trauma (non-economic damages).
Our McAllen personal injury attorneys will help you seek compensation for:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Property damage
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Embarrassment
- Reduced quality of life
Bus accident plaintiffs can also recover punitive damages under the right circumstances. Texas law provides juries with the right to award punitive damages when there is convincing evidence of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Common Bus Accident Injuries
Whether you’re a passenger on the bus, a pedestrian on the street, or an occupant of another vehicle, the injuries sustained in a bus accident can be catastrophic.
These injuries can create massive medical bills, cause you to miss time at work – temporarily or permanently, and inflict extreme suffering.
The Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa is here to help you secure damages for all of your injuries, including:
- Concussion
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck injury
- Back injury
- Soft tissue injury
- Burn injury
- Amputation
- Nerve damage
- Crush injury
- Eye injury
- Broken bones
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a family member
Report your bus accident and seek prompt medical attention. Once your condition is stable, reach out to our personal injury law firm in McAllen to discuss your legal rights. Our team is always available to help 24 hours a day.
Is There a Time Limit for Filing a Texas Bus Accident Lawsuit?
Texas has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most bus accident lawsuits.
This gives you until the second anniversary of your bus accident or loved one’s wrongful death to take legal action.
You forfeit the right to pursue compensation if you fail to file your claim before the statute of limitations expires.
Schedule a Free Case Assessment With an Experienced McAllen Bus Accident Lawyer
Bus companies in McAllen, TX have a responsibility to operate as safely as possible. Unfortunately, many bus accidents happen because drivers are inexperienced, overworked, or distracted. The bus company has to be held accountable. The Law Office of Lino H. OchoaC can help if you or a loved one has been hurt in a McAllen bus accident.
Our McAllen bus accident lawyer has over 27 years of experience handling these complex legal matters. We’ve helped our clients secure millions in well-deserved monetary awards. Put us in your corner today. We serve Hidalgo County and its surrounding areas.
We offer a free consultation, so reach out to our legal team in McAllen, TX at (956) 815-0055 to schedule yours now.
Our personal injury law firm in McAllen, TX also handles:
- McAllen Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers
- McAllen Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Brain Injury Lawyers in McAllen, TX
- Bus Accident Lawyers in McAllen, TX
- McAllen Car Accident Lawyer
- Construction Accidents Attorneys in McAllen, TX
- McAllen Dog Bite Lawyers
- McAllen Medical Malpractice Lawyers
- McAllen Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in McAllen, TX
- Premises Liability Attorneys in McAllen, TX
- Product Liability Lawyers in McAllen, TX
- McAllen Slip and Fall Lawyers
- Truck Accident Attorneys in McAllen, TX
- Uber Accident Lawyers in McAllen, TX
- Wrongful Death Lawyer in McAllen, TX
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in McAllen, TX
The Law Office of Lino H. Ochoa
6316 N 10th St Building D, Suite 102
McAllen, Texas, 78504
(956) 815-0055
Hours: Monday to Friday,
from 9 am – 5 pm
