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Odessa Bus Accident Lawyer

Odessa Bus Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt in a bus accident in Odessa, Texas, call Zehl & Associates. Our undefeated Odessa bus accident lawyers can help you fight for a substantial financial recovery to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Since 2006, injury victims and families have trusted us to help them take on transportation companies, insurance carriers, and government agencies after life-changing bus accidents. We’ve forced defendants to take accountability and pay our clients billions in top-dollar awards.

Contact our law office in Odessa, TX, at (432)220-0000 to find out how we can help you after your bus accident. Your first case evaluation is free.

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How Our Undefeated Legal Team Can Help You After a Bus Accident in Odessa, TX

The aftermath of a bus accident is often devastating, and always overwhelming. Yet, from the moment of impact, companies like Greyhound and their teams of lawyers and insurers will start gathering evidence in hopes of downplaying your injuries, intimidating you, and avoiding responsibility at all costs, so they can pay as little as possible.

With your physical, emotional, and financial recovery on the line, you can’t afford to put your future in their hands.  

At Zehl & Associates, we stand up to corporate giants who put profits over safety every day, and we not only win — we make sure to recover the maximum compensation possible, so you and your family can focus on what matters most.

With Billions won, our undefeated litigators have secured some of the largest settlements and verdicts in the state of Texas for bus accident victims, including:

  • $18.8 Million for a client injured in a rollover accident — the largest verdict in Greyhound’s corporate history
  • $12 Million for a client injured in a crash caused by a fatigued bus driver
  • $11 Million for a client injured when a drunk bus driver flipped their motorcoach

When you ask for our help, we put the full force of our law firm into your bus accident case.

We will:

  • Make sure you have access to the best doctors and specialists in the country to treat your injuries
  • Launch a full-scale investigation into your bus accident to understand how it happened and why
  • Determine liability for the crash
  • Gather black box data, dashcam footage, driver records, cell phone records, photographs of property damage and the scene of the accident, inspection and maintenance records, and other key pieces of evidence
  • Depose the bus driver, other motorists, eyewitnesses to the collision, and other parties
  • Enlist experts in mass transportation, forensics, accident reconstruction, medicine, and other areas of specialty to consult on your case
  • Represent your best interests during settlement negotiations with the bus service and its insurance company
  • Have an undefeated Texas trial attorney bring your bus accident lawsuit to a jury, if necessary
  • NEVER settle for less than the maximum compensation for your injuries and losses

Our team represents bus accident victims in Odessa on a contingency fee basis. You only pay for our representation if we win compensation for your bus accident case.

Contact us today to learn more about working with our top-rated bus accident attorneys in Odessa. We’re always available to take your call and schedule a time for a free case evaluation.

Texas Bus Accident Statistics

Bus accidents are a fairly common occurrence in the Lone Star State, with hundreds of collisions reported across the state every year.

According to data provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Texas saw 1,156 bus accidents in 2023. This marked a 6 percent increase over the number of bus crashes reported in 2021, when 1,060 crashes were documented.

Most Texas bus accidents result in at least one injury or death. In 2023, 1,096 people were injured, and at least 17 people were killed in Lone Star State bus accidents.

While bus accidents can happen anywhere, it’s common to see buses involved in collisions in urban parts of the state, including cities like Odessa, where it’s more common to travel by bus. Odessa, in particular, is served by the Midland Odessa Urban Transit District – EZ-Rider, which provides about 250,000 rides each year.

Representing Clients in All Types of Odessa Bus Accident Cases

You’ll want to make sure you work with an attorney who has extensive experience and a proven ability to win tough bus accident cases.

At Zehl & Associates, our bus accident attorneys in Odessa help clients with cases involving:

  • School bus accidents
  • Tour bus accidents
  • EZ Rider bus accidents
  • Charter bus accidents
  • Greyhound bus accidents
  • Shuttle bus accidents
  • Fatal bus accidents

Don’t hesitate to put our experienced, trustworthy legal team in your corner after a life-changing bus accident in Odessa. We’re here to make a difference in your life by forcing the bus company and other liable parties to make things right.

What Do I Have to Prove to Win a Bus Accident Case in Odessa?

Most bus accident cases are based on negligence. Negligence involves a deviation from expected standards of care, which in turn causes a bus accident in which a person is injured or killed.

So, you’ll need to prove the following elements if you pursue damages through a negligence-based bus accident claim:

  • The defendant owed you a duty of care
  • The defendant breached this duty of care
  • The defendant’s conduct caused your bus accident and the resulting injuries
  • You suffered damages 

The expected duty of care will depend on who is responsible for causing your bus accident. If it’s a non-bus-related party, such as a manufacturer or third-party motorist, the standard is that of a reasonable person. 

Things change when the bus driver or bus company is at fault. This is because buses are common carriers in the state of Texas. As a result, they’re held to higher standards. A common carrier – the bus driver and bus service – must use the highest degree of care when transporting passengers from one place to another. As a result, even minor mistakes that might not rise to ordinary negligence can result in liability for a bus accident.

You don’t have to worry about what to prove – or how to prove it – when you’ve trusted our Odessa personal injury attorneys with your bus accident case. We’ll investigate your crash, gather evidence, analyze applicable law, and devise a strategy to help you get the compensation you deserve.

What Causes Most Bus Accidents?

Even though busing operations are heavily regulated by state and federal law, multiple bus accidents are still reported across the state of Texas every day. Most often, these bus accidents happen because safety regulations are ignored and poor decisions are made. 

Specifically, leading contributing factors include:

  • Distracted driving
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Speeding
  • Braking errors
  • Failing to yield the right of way
  • Blind spot errors
  • Unsafe passing
  • Improper stopping
  • Illegal turns
  • Pedestrian error
  • Vehicle malfunctions
  • Negligent maintenance
  • Negligent driving, hiring, and training
  • Road defects
  • Vehicle defects

Our bus accident lawyers in Odessa will thoroughly investigate your crash to uncover the underlying cause(s). With this information, we can begin to build a strong legal claim and work to leverage a top-dollar settlement on your behalf.

What Damages Can Be Awarded to an Odessa Bus Accident Victim?

If you’ve been hurt in a bus accident in Odessa, Texas, you can file a legal claim to recover compensatory damages from the bus company, the bus driver, or another liable party. 

Compensatory damages can include two distinct types of awards: economic and non-economic. Each is designed to compensate for a different type of loss.

Economic damages cover financial losses related to your bus accident, including:

Non-economic damages help you cope with trauma and suffering that’s not easily valued, such as:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Disfigurement
  • Embarrassment
  • Chronic physical pain
  • Loss of consortium

Punitive damages can also be awarded in certain situations. Under Texas law, a jury has the power to award exemplary damages when there’s evidence of willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Common Bus Accident Injuries

Where were you sitting on the bus? Were you struck while waiting for a bus? Were you in another vehicle? How fast was the bus moving at the time of impact? 

These and other factors can influence the types of injuries you suffer and how severe they might be.

Zehl & Associates will help you seek damages for all of your bus accident injuries, including:

Report your bus accident to the Odessa Police and seek prompt medical care. Then, call our personal injury law firm to explore your legal options and discover how we can help you get the money you deserve.

How Long Will I Have to Seek Damages After a Bus Accident in Odessa, Texas?

As a general rule, you’ll have two years from the date of your Texas bus accident to file a legal claim for damages. However, there may be exceptions.

If you don’t file your claim within the statute of limitations, you lose the right to hold a negligent bus driver or company responsible for your costs and losses.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Undefeated Odessa Bus Accident Lawyers – Call 432-220-0000

If you or a loved one were seriously injured or tragically killed in a bus accident in Odessa, TX, contact call 1-888-608-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Form.” 

We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide all of the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family. 

The consultation is free, and you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case. 

Remember,  you have rights, and our Odessa bus accident attorneys can help you assert them.  We have represented thousands of injured bus passengers, and have won Billions, including the largest verdicts and settlements in Greyhound’s corporate history and in Texas history. We can fight to get you the financial accountability you deserve.