Bus Accident: What Should I Do?
- Seek immediate medical assistance. It is important to determine what injuries you have sustained. Serious injuries can occur internally that you may not be aware of right away.
- Whether or not injuries are involved, notify the police.
- Exchange information with the other drivers involved. Even if there doesn’t appear to be any injuries, be sure to obtain their driver’s license number, insurance information, and the license numbers of the involved vehicles. Injuries may not be immediately apparent and failing to obtain the other drivers’ identification and insurance information may seriously impair your legal rights later.
- Get the names and addresses of any witnesses.
- Note the weather conditions, road conditions and lighting conditions at the time of the collision.
- Take notes of any statements made by other drivers as to how the collision occurred.
- Report the collision to your insurance company if any property damage or injuries are involved.
- If contacted by the insurance company for the other involved motor vehicles, do not discuss the facts of the collision with them. Instead, first consider consulting an attorney to protect your legal rights.
- Keep copies of all information obtained at the scene in a safe place for later reference.
- Do not sign any writings by the other driver claiming to summarize the facts of the accident.
- Do not get into an argument with the other driver(s) about what happened.
- Do not permit anyone to interrogate you about the events of the accident, particularly the other party’s attorney or insurance company or representatives of your own insurance company. If your insurance policy requires that you report your accident within a certain time period, this is another imperative reason to call an attorney immediately.
- Do not accept any claim before you speak with an attorney. Many large insurance companies have adopted settlement policies that encourage their adjusters to offer quick payments to persons involved in automobile accidents.
- Contact Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben immediately following a bus accident at 1-800-752-4265 to learn your legal rights and receive the just compensation you deserve.
