Contract ticket rules may purport to exempt or limit operators’ liability. Transit calamities require specialist consideration of system failures and liability exemption claims. Special liability issues, damages caps and time bars apply.

Your claim will succeed if the accident was the fault of (wholly or partly) another person, e.g. a driver or sometimes, another passenger.

If you have been injured concerning public transportation, there are important steps to take to uphold your rights to compensation to the law:

• Report the accident to the proper authorities (bus operator) as soon as possible. Contact emergency services if necessary;
• Collect relevant details that relate to the accident. Whether that is the exact location, the train you were on, platform, weather, eye witness details, time. Also if there are other parties involved in the incident, exchange contact details;
• Seek medical assessment or treatment after the accident;
• It is advisable to seek legal advice regarding your rights and entitlements to compensation. There are strict time limits if you intend to claim compensation.

Sitting and standing injuries, level crossing accidents, group travel, school buses, interstate travel, excursions and holiday journeys are all eligible. Claims can be made for the injured person, family members, bystanders (for nervous shock) and surviving family members in the case of a death.

Call or email today to get expert advice from the Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers at Carter Capner Law.

All vehicles registered in Queensland carry a policy of insurance to cover compensation. This is called “third-party insurance” or “CTP insurance”. The companies in Queensland that insure vehicles against such claims include Allianz, RACQ, QBE and Suncorp.

Someone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of negligence may be able to claim damages (to the extent of their injury) from the third party insurer of the person at fault. Third-party insurance doesn’t cover property damage to a vehicle (i.e. smash repairs). It only provides coverage for personal injury.

Motor vehicles are covered by policies of CTP insurance in all Australian states and territories. If an accident occurs in another state, the laws and procedures of that state’s motor accident compensation scheme will usually apply.

If the vehicle at fault was unregistered, CTP cover does not apply unless the accident happened on a road or in a public place. Public places include locations like some beaches on which vehicles can be driven.

Sometimes “fault” (or negligence) is attributed to more than one person. For example, it may be distributed between two drivers or a driver and a pedestrian. If at-fault is attributed in some way to the person injured, this is referred to as “contributory negligence”. These cases may still be covered by CTP insurance.

Other Types of Vehicles

There are certain types of vehicles in Queensland that are not covered by CTP insurance unless the accident happens on a road. These vehicles include backhoes, bulldozers, front-end loaders, forklifts, cranes, agricultural equipment and amphibious vehicles. For injuries caused by trailers, special rules apply. In some cases, the CTP insurer is the towing vehicle.

Accidents with work vehicles may require assistance from our workers compensation lawyers. Call our Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers and we help you today.

It all depends on the proportion of liability attributable to the at fault driver, the extent of your injury and the quality of your evidence. The amount of insurance you are entitled to is also based on a comparison of how your life was before and after the accident.

If someone whose injury has had a significant effect on their quality of life (work, psychological, physical) is entitled to greater compensation than someone whose injury has had a minor impact on their lives.

General Damages

General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured and will endure in the future as a result of your injuries, as well as any permanent disability you’re likely to suffer.

General damages awarded in Queensland can be quite trivial in comparison to expectations. The most serious injuries such as quadriplegia are awarded around $150,000 and some reasonably serious back injuries $10,000.

Special Damages

These include:

• Expenses paid or incurred by you, including medical and pharmaceutical.
• Expenses paid by others. Some of these amounts are required to be collected from the at-fault party and paid back to Medicare, Comcare, WorkCover, DVA, public hospitals and private health funds.

Past Income Loss

You are entitled to claim for any income you have lost as a result of the incident. If you weren’t currently working and the injuries prevented you from looking for work or caused you to turn down job opportunities, you may also be able to claim for those situations.

Future Income Loss

You are entitled to be compensated for any future economic loss you may incur as a consequence of your injuries. If your injuries have resulted in some permanent disability – even to a small extent – you may be at risk of loss of wages in the future.
People who continue to work full-time can still recover future income loss on the basis they are at risk on the labour market when compared to able-bodied job applicants.

Domestic Assistance (paid and unpaid)

Domestic assistance you receive from friends, family members or care professionals following an accident is compensable in many cases – even if you don’t pay for it. It’s important to keep detailed records of any assistance you get from other people if you intend to claim for domestic assistance.

If you are looking to get a personalised assessment of your entitlement to compensation, contact our Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers and speak to one of our expert lawyers.

To assist Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers with the investigation, it is important to try to do the following:

• Make notes of your recollection of all events relevant to the accident
• Record names and addresses of witnesses
• Take photos and video of the place where you were injured. “A picture tells a thousand words”. Sketches are also helpful
• Take photos and video of any product, equipment or object that injured you
• Take photos of your injuries
• Keep any defective product that caused an injury
• Keep details of your absences from work caused by the injury
• Make a list of visits to doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors etc for treatment and follow-up visits
• Keep all invoices and receipts for medical, chemist etc expenses
• Record details of assistance provided by friends and family members
• Collect contractual records. For sporting injuries, this includes club membership application forms and sign-on forms. For injuries in a car park or theatre this includes the entry ticket
• Collect documents showing your loss of earnings and earning capacity including wage slips, group certificates, income tax returns (for 6 years prior to the accident and each year after), references and resumes

Whether your claim is worthwhile depends on the seriousness of your injury and how that affects your employment and lifestyle.

There are some claims that are not worthwhile such as those for trivial injuries where there is no insurer or the party at fault does not demonstrate significant assets against which a judgment can be enforced.

If you are not sure if your compensation claim is worthwhile please contact us and we will help assess your needs and eligibility for our no-win no-fee service.

Our Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers at Carter Capner Law offers specially tailored services in connection with severe brain injury and spinal injury accidents for children and adults to help formulate comprehensive loss statements that include individualised damages components that make up multi-million dollar claims.

In most cases, bus accident claims are resolved before any court proceedings with a personal injury settlement. However, if your claim does go to trial, you may only need to attend if your presence is required to determine the outcome of the case.

In some cases eg interim applications for payment of rehabilitation expenses, Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers may be able to attend on your behalf.

Strict time limits apply to all bus accident claims. A Notice of Accident Claim (NOAC) must be sent to the insurer of the at-fault party within one month of the first consultation with your lawyer (which typically includes the date of your first telephone discussion) and no later than:

• In the case of an unidentified vehicle being at fault – within 3 months of the date of accident- see below;

OR

• For any other identified vehicles, within 9 months of the date of accident.

If you fail to lodge your claim on time, you may still qualify for compensation. There is provision for extending these time limits if you’re able to provide a reasonable excuse when submitting your NOAC which our bus accident lawyers can help with.

As well as the 3-month and 9-month time limits, most claims have an absolute cut-off of 3 years from the date of the accident.

Different time limits may apply to children and persons under a legal incapacity (e.g. unsound mind). Don’t delay your right to claim for compensation, speak to one of our Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers today.

After you’ve submitted the CTP claim, the insurer will decide whether they’ll accept or deny fault. It varies from case to case but it is important to note that finalising a claim too fast may be detrimental as the assessment of all your losses may not be assessable during the early stages.

Also, some claims may take a little longer for several reasons:

• Your injuries are too early to determine, a stabilisation period may be in effect.
• There may be instances where there are difficulties in negotiations between the insurer and our bus accident lawyers.
• There are delays in the court process.

Every claim is unique and has its own difficulties or simplicities. Our Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers endeavour to get your claim processed and appropriately looked at so you get the best outcome and maximum compensation to what you’re entitled to in accordance with the law.

Many people experience whiplash or soft tissue injuries from rear-end collisions and many other bus accidents. Whiplash injuries could be significant and the cost of rehabilitation and physio can be costly.

We are here to help our clients recover damages that occurred from bus accidents across Queensland.

Call or email today to get expert advice from Coach & Bus Accident Lawyers injury experts at Carter Capner Law.