After a bus accident in Georgia, the steps you take in the hours and days that follow can directly affect your health and your ability to recover compensation. Seeking medical attention, documenting the scene, and reporting the crash are all important early actions. Acting quickly can help preserve evidence and protect your legal rights.
Understanding what to do—and what to avoid—can make a meaningful difference in your claim. Our Atlanta bus accident lawyers have outlined the key steps below to help you protect your case. Taking informed action now can put you in a stronger position as your recovery moves forward.
Get Yourself to Safety
If you are able, the first thing you should do is ensure that you are safe. Get out of the roadway if possible. However, if you feel injured, do not move. If you are on the bus, stay put until EMTs tell you it is safe to move.
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Call 9-1-1
If no one else on the scene called 9-1-1, call and ask them to send local law enforcement and paramedics. EMTs can diagnose and treat any injuries, creating a record that ties your injuries to the accident.
If police officers interview you, give them the basics and don’t speculate about what the driver was doing at the time of the accident unless you saw them behaving negligently (e.g., texting behind the wheel, falling asleep, or driving erratically).
Gather Evidence
If you are able, obtain evidence at the scene. Take photos of the bus and any other vehicles, the scene itself, any tire marks, hazards you see, and your injuries.
Once you get home, preserve any evidence you obtained. Save your clothing, medical records, and photos or videos you took. Getting other evidence will likely be difficult for you, as you don’t know the processes. A lawyer can help you obtain other evidence, such as surveillance video or information from the bus’s event data recorder.
Be sure that you get a copy of the police report from the agency that responded to the accident.
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Get Medical Care
If you didn’t receive care at the scene, it is imperative that you go to an emergency room, urgent care, or your primary care physician. Your doctor can link your injuries to the bus accident and ensure you get treatment for injuries you may have been unaware of.
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Keep Your Receipts
Be sure to hold onto all invoices, bills, and receipts for anything accident-related. This could include:
- Medical bills
- Pay stubs that show the time you needed to take off
- PTO requests
- Rideshare receipts if you were unable to drive
- Parking receipts at the hospital or your doctor’s office
- Receipts for repair or replacement of your vehicle or other property
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
Getting medical care is important; however, it is equally as important to continue with that care. If you stop treatment early or disobey your doctor’s orders, you give the insurance company the opportunity to claim that you are uninjured or contributing to your injuries.
This can jeopardize your case.
Identify What Entity Owns the Bus
The entity liable for your bus accident determines the process you must navigate. For example, if you are injured in an accident caused by a privately owned bus, you will likely go through a normal bus claims process. You will need to establish that the bus driver owed you a duty of care that they breached, which led to your injuries and damages.
If you need to file a claim against MARTA or another government-owned company, the process is more complex. You will need to provide the entity with notice of claim, after which it has the right to investigate before responding.
The deadlines are also different.
Consult With an Attorney
Holding a bus company liable is difficult, regardless of whether it is privately owned or government-owned. You shouldn’t handle it alone, nor do you need to. Our team can handle every aspect of your case while you focus on your recovery and your health.
What Not to Do After a Bus Accident
It is just as important to know what not to do after an accident.
Don’t Skip Medical Care, Even If You Only Feel Slight Discomfort
The longer you take to get treatment, the easier it will be for the insurance company to claim your injuries are not related to the bus crash. Waiting to get care also risks your health. Some symptoms can take time to appear, which can be life-threatening.
Don’t Speak to Insurance Adjusters
Soon after a crash, the insurance company will call you to get your side of the story. It may seem like the insurance adjuster wants to help you get the compensation you deserve, but they are focused on the insurance company’s bottom line, not on your recovery.
They may attempt to trick you into saying something that jeopardizes your right to compensation. For example, they may ask you how you are or whether you suffered any injuries. If you say, “I’m okay,” they can use that to claim you are uninjured. If you apologize, they can claim that you admitted fault for the crash.
If they ask you for a recorded statement, politely decline and direct any questions to your attorney.
Don’t Post on Social Media
We recommend that you avoid posting on social media, as the insurance company can use those posts against you. Don’t discuss the accident and don’t post yourself engaging in any activities that can imply you aren’t injured.
Don’t Delay
You have a limited time to file a claim or lawsuit after a bus accident in Georgia. For privately owned bus companies, you typically have two years to file a lawsuit, per O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. However, if you are suing a city, county, or the state, you could have as little as six months to notify the municipality.
Don’t Assume You Can’t Afford Legal Help
People often forgo legal help because they think they can’t afford it. However, our team takes these cases on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay anything to get started and only pay for our time if we win.
Let Us Get Started With Your Bus Accident Claim Today
A bus accident can leave you facing serious injuries, mounting bills, and unanswered questions. Taking the right steps early can make a meaningful difference in your physical recovery and your ability to pursue compensation.
You do not have to navigate this process alone. If you were injured in a Georgia bus accident, our team is ready to protect your rights, handle the legal burden, and fight for the outcome you deserve.
Call Bader Law Injury Lawyers today for the help you deserve.
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