Talking to Insurance Companies After a Columbus Bus Accident

If you were injured in a wreck involving a bus, contact Bence Law Firm, LLC, right away for help with your case. Whether it was a METRA bus, a school bus, or a private coach, at least one insurance company will be involved and likely reach out to you. Talking to insurance companies after a Columbus bus accident can be perilous if you are not careful. Our experienced bus crash attorney can guide you to reduce the risk and preserve your rights.

Potential Compensation After a Bus Accident

When you get hurt in an accident, you may be eligible to claim significant compensation, which is called damages. Our Columbus lawyer can help you document your expenses and losses after a bus crash to help you maximize your damages.

You may claim your injury-related financial losses, like medical bills, incidental expenses, and reduced income and earnings opportunities. You could also claim pain and suffering damages, which compensate for the negative impact the accident had and continues to have on your quality of life.

Your compensation is dependent on proving that the negligence of the bus company or its driver was responsible for the accident. You may not collect maximum damages if your conduct contributed to the wreck or the severity of your injuries.

What Are the Risks of Speaking With Insurance Companies?

Insurance companies are businesses, and they aim to make a profit. When you file a claim, the insurer intends to resolve it for as little as possible. Insurance company representatives are trained to put you at ease and make you feel like they are on your side. It is easy to be fooled into speaking frankly and unintentionally weakening your own claim. 

The person interviewing and recording you after a bus accident may be trying to get you to acknowledge that your injuries are not especially serious or that you may have had partial responsibility for the wreck. Their questions may seem innocuous or like they are coming from a place of concern, but your answers can be used against you in ways you do not anticipate. Speak with attorney David Bence before agreeing to make a recorded statement to an insurance company about a bus accident in Columbus.

How Responsibility Impacts Your Damages

Bus drivers are held to a higher standard of care than other drivers, and that means they are often legally at fault for wrecks involving their vehicles. However, Georgia law provides a mechanism to reduce a driver’s liability if others were also at fault.

The Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 51-12-33 limits your right to compensation if your conduct played a role in the accident. If you and the other party were both partially to blame, you can collect reduced damages as long as you were less than 50% at fault.

Insurance companies have a strong motive to pin as much responsibility on you as possible. The more fault they can shift toward you, the less they may have to pay. Bence Law Firm, LLC, could carefully review your description of the bus accident in Columbus and your actions to identify potential vulnerabilities, then coach you about how to answer an insurance company’s questions honestly without endangering your claim.

Consult a Columbus Attorney Before Discussing a Bus Accident With an Insurance Company

If you were badly hurt in a bus crash, you might have a substantial claim to be paid by an insurance company. However, you could limit or even eliminate your damages by talking to insurance companies after a Columbus bus accident. David Bence at Bence Law Firm, LLC, comes from a long line of attorneys and could provide wise guidance and aggressive representation to protect your claim and preserve your rights. Contact the firm today for help.