New Mexico has many attractions for tourists to enjoy, as well as many businesses that employees drive back and forth to every single day. With hundreds of buses completing their duties every day, there are bound to be accidents. Have you sustained serious injuries due to a New Mexico bus accident and want to receive the compensation you deserve?
Common Carrier Law in New Mexico
You have probably ridden on one of the following: buses, passenger trains, taxicabs, and more – and every single one of these vehicles falls under “common carrier” law. Common carriers have a business of transporting people and goods from one place to another for a fee. This means that, because they are in charge of carrying many people across cities and states every day, they must exercise the highest degree of care when it comes to passenger safety.
For example: What if a bus driver knew that their steps on the front of the bus were damaged but did nothing to fix it? Then, when you walk to the front of the bus, you trip, and fall and receive serious injuries. It is up to a common carrier driver to warn you of certain conditions or maintain the bus so that nobody receives serious injuries in a situation that could have been easily prevented. You might be able to receive compensation if you were injured in a variety of accidents, such as ones involving speeding, adverse conditions, avoiding traffic signs, and more.
When Does Negligence Occur in a Bus Accident Case?
Bus drivers are caused by negligence every day in New Mexico because not every accident can be prevented and sometimes people are not paying close attention to the roadways. Even if bus drivers must abide by the highest duty of care, sometimes they will fail to realize that they are speeding, or drive while they are fatigued, or even fail to maintain their vehicles to the best of their ability. And it’s not just the bus drivers who could be liable in these accidents – sometimes it is the company if they hired a bus driver with a traffic record, or failed to train the driver properly before putting them out on the roads.
Many common carriers, especially buses, are run by governmental agencies. This means that there are time limits that must be abided by if you want to receive compensation. This makes these cases very complicated at times, which is why you should have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side every step of the way. There may be many more types of evidence that you must show in these cases, so make sure you’re prepared!
When Your Child Has Been Injured
If your child has been injured in a bus accident on the way to or home from school, you may be able to file a claim on their behalf. These cases are usually very cut and dry because school bus drivers must do whatever it takes to protect children as they are transporting them from one place to another. Children are offered special protections, so speak to an attorney as soon as possible if your child has received injuries.
Have you been involved in a bus accident and you aren’t sure where to turn? Do you have medical bills piling up in front of you, past and future lost wages bringing you down, or you are suffering emotionally due to the trauma of the accident? You may have a case. Call an experienced attorney as soon as possible about your case.