If you were injured in a bus accident in Chicago, Illinois, you may be entitled to compensation. Meyers & Flowers can help you file a claim for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Our Chicago accident lawyers are some of the most well-regarded in the state, with over $6 billion won for our clients across 100+ years of combined experience. If you hire us to represent you, you can count on us to do everything in our power to help you maximize the value of your claim.
Contact our law offices today at (630) 576-9696 for a free consultation. We can answer any questions you might have about your case at that time as well as advise you on your legal options.
How Meyers & Flowers Can Help After a Bus Accident in Chicago, Illinois
Bus accidents can leave victims with devastating injuries and can also involve complicated legal issues regarding who is liable. When the statkes are this high, it makes sense to hire an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney who can set you up for success and ensure you are fully compensated for what you’ve been forced to endure.
Look no further than the legal team with Meyers & Flowers to help you to that end. More specifically, we’ll get to work and:
- Identify every party that may be liable for the accident
- Collect critical evidence, including onboard camera footage and black box data
- Determine the strongest legal strategy based on the facts of your case
- Work with accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts
- Protect you from comparative fault allegations
- Handle all the paperwork and communications
- Negotiate for a full settlement on your behalf
- Take your case to court and all the way to trial if necessary
Contact our bus accident lawyers in Chicago, IL, today to learn more. We’re ready to get started on your claim as soon as you are.
The Common Carrier Standard in Illinois
One thing that sets bus accident cases apart from typical car crashes is the legal standard that applies to the bus operator. Per the Illinois Common Carrier Liability Act, buses that carry passengers for a fee are classified as common carriers. That designation comes with a heightened duty of care, meaning the bus company or transit authority must take greater precautions to protect its passengers than an ordinary driver would owe to others on the road.
This is an important distinction for anyone who was riding the bus at the time of the accident. The common carrier standard can make it easier to establish that the operator was negligent, since the law already requires them to go above and beyond what would normally be expected.
Filing a Claim Against the CTA After a Bus Accident in Chicago, IL
If your accident involved a Chicago Transit Authority bus, there are special rules you need to be aware of. The CTA is a government entity, but it is excluded from many of the immunity protections that other public agencies enjoy in Illinois. That means you can pursue a negligence claim against the CTA, but the process comes with its own set of procedural requirements.
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Hit by A Chicago Transit Authority Bus?
Most importantly, you must file a formal notice of claim within one year of the accident. Missing that deadline can prevent you from seeking compensation entirely, regardless of whether the CTA is clearly at fault. The CTA is also self-insured, which means you won’t be negotiating with a third-party insurance company. Instead, you’ll be dealing directly with the CTA’s own claims department and legal team, both of which are focused on protecting the agency’s interests rather than yours.
Getting a personal injury attorney in Chicago involved early on in the process is critical in CTA cases. Our lawyers can make sure the proper notices are filed on time and that your claim is positioned as comprehensively as possible from the start.
What Types of Damages Are Available After a Chicago Bus Accident?
If you’re eligible to file a claim after a bus accident in Chicago, you can pursue both economic and non-economic damages for the harm you’ve suffered. Taken together, these are called “compensatory damages” and are meant to make you whole again as best as the law can.
Economic damages reflect your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Ongoing rehabilitation and therapy
- Prescription medications
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages represent your more personal losses, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
Punitive damages may also be available as well. However, these damages are only available in certain kinds of cases that go to trial and that involve egregious misconduct from the defendant.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Bus Accident Claim in Chicago?
The timeline for filing a bus accident claim in Illinois depends on who you’re filing against. For claims involving private bus companies, the standard two-year personal injury statute of limitations applies under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. For claims against government entities like the CTA, you must file a formal notice of claim within one year of the accident, as discussed above, followed by a lawsuit within the applicable deadline.
There are limited exceptions to these rules, but they are rare. We recommend contacting our bus accident lawyers as soon as you can so that nothing falls through the cracks.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Chicago Bus Accident Attorney
Were you or a loved one involved in a bus accident in Chicago, IL? Substantial compensation may be available to you from at least one liable party. Meyers & Flowers is here to help ensure that you recover everything you’re owed, including by taking your claim to court if that’s what justice demands.
Contact our Chicago bus accident attorneys for a free consultation at (630) 576-9696 or by messaging us online. We’ve won billions of dollars for our clients to date and work on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay attorney’s fees if we successfully handle your case.