Bus accidents are very common in California. They are mainly caused by negligent driving, dangerous roadways, poor weather conditions etc. If you are a victim of bus accident and got severely injured, you have the provision to claim compensation for your loss. A common question asked by the victims during a legal consultation is ‘How to determine the value of a bus accident injury lawsuit?’
Each accident case differs by its circumstances and reasons. So there is no common formula or value for calculating a bus accident injury settlement. However estimation about the settlement value can be given by analyzing some factors such as intensity of the injury, requirement for long nursing care, loss of income, pain and suffering etc.
Now, let’s have a detailed look at these factors.
Intensity of the Injury
For a bus accident lawsuit, the intensity of injury is an important factor for the estimation of settlement amount. Often injuries of bus accidents are very severe and painful. Medical expenses as a result of the accident can also cost a huge amount. Traumatic brain injury, damage to spinal cord, facial fractures, injury to soft tissues and internal organs etc. include some of the serious injuries resulting from the bus accident.
Requirement for Long Term Nursing Care
Severe injuries may take years of nursing to cure and fully recover. Long term cost of nursing care, medicines etc. will result in huge expenses which might not be affordable for the victim. Therefore injury victims who need long term care and assistance should be given compensation equivalent to their loss.
Loss of Income and Future Loss
Victims should get paid for their loss of income due to bus accident. If the victim was a breadwinner of the family, the loss of income of the person will badly affect the life of the entire family. In addition, inability of the victim to do their work as before should also be taken into account as future loss. Thus the liable parties have to pay for the victim’s future loss of income too.
Pain and Suffering
While evaluating a bus accident injury, juries will also consider the intensity of pain and suffering caused to the victim due to the accident. Severe injuries and pain not only affect victim’s physical health but also his mental health too. Therefore, it is also considered an important factor for determining the amount of compensation.