Virginia Bus Accident Attorneys

School bus, city bus and commercial bus accidents can cause devastating injuries and even death to innocent victims. At first glance, these tragedies appear to have a lot in common but the laws are different depending on the type of bus that caused the accident. As a result, most people need a lawyer to help them handle potential personal injury claims arising out of bus accidents.

The personal injury lawyers at Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen have represented hundreds of bus accident victims over the years. We understand the complex laws and regulations affecting the operation of public and private buses and know how they may affect you and your case. Contact the bus accident lawyers at Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen for a free consultation at 866-388-1307.

Types of Bus Accidents:

Commercial Bus Accidents

City & Public Transit Accidents

School Bus Accidents

Virginia's tangled web of statutes and case law concerning bus accident liability can make it hard to determine what laws apply in a bus accident case. Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen attorneys know the steps you must take to preserve your claim. We can advise you regarding critical notice requirements and deadlines, statutes of limitations, sovereign immunity defenses, and laws applicable to common carriers. Upon acceptance of your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means you pay us for our legal services only if you make a monetary recovery.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a bus accident through no fault of your own, call our bus accident attorneys today for a free consultation at 866-388-1307 or contact us through email to find out if you have a case.

City Buses and Public Transit Systems

Each year, bus passengers, private motor vehicle passengers, and pedestrians are seriously injured or killed in accidents involving buses owned or operated by municipalities and other governmental entities.

When a person is injured through the negligent acts of a bus driver or through the bus owner's failure to properly maintain and repair a public bus, the victim may claim damages against the city, governmental entity and/or its driver. However, special laws and regulations may apply.

To some degree, the doctrine of sovereign immunity will protect governmental entities and their employee bus drivers from personal injury claims. Virginia law restricts the amount of damages an injured person may recover from governmental entities and their bus drivers. Notice requirements and notice filing deadlines require that a claimant act quickly and appropriately to preserve his rights. If you have been seriously injured in an accident involving a public bus, contact the city bus accident attorneys at Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen. Learn your legal rights, your notice responsibilities, and the deadlines you must meet before you can pursue your claim. Click here to view our case results.

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Commercial Buses

Greyhound, Trailways, and other private local or national commercial bus companies carry passengers across our state. These companies, which generally include cab companies but not private charter buses, provide services open to the public upon payment of a designated fare. They are considered common carriers. Specific state and federal statutes and regulations control them.

Unfortunately, commercial buses are frequently involved in accidents in which members of the public are severely injured through a commercial bus driver's negligence or through failure of the bus owner to properly maintain and/or repair its bus and equipment. Under the law, a common carrier and its drivers must exercise the highest degree of care for the safety of its passengers. This care must be reasonably compatible with the conduct of its business in a convenient and satisfactory manner. Common carriers and their drivers are held to a higher standard of care than vehicle operators who do not carry paying passengers. Nevertheless, common carriers are not insurers of their passengers' safety.

The bus accident lawyers at Allen and Allen are familiar with the complicated laws and regulations governing common carriers. They have investigated and handled many commercial bus cases to a successful conclusion. Let us help you. Call our commercial bus accident lawyers today at 866-388-1307.

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Michigan Auto Accident Lawyers

Answer: Yes. Michigan auto accident law places a cap on the maximum monthly payout of no-fault wage loss benefits. This amount is adjusted every year for inflation.

Question: Are my wage loss benefits taxable?

Answer: If you are receiving your wage loss benefits through a motor vehicle insurance company, because of an accident, those benefits currently are not taxable under Michigan and Federal law.

Question: What if I was driving a motor vehicle that was uninsured at the time of the Michigan auto accident ?

Answer: If the car you were driving is uninsured and you were the registered owner of the vehicle, then you are legally barred from bringing suit against an at-fault driver and from claiming First-Party benefits.

Question: What if the police say that I was at fault in the car accident?

Answer: If you are determined to have been more than 50% at fault, then you do not have a claim against the other parties involved in the auto accident. However, it is strongly recommended that you check with our office about the percentage of fault that is likely to be attributed to you in a Michigan auto accident.

Question: What is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Answer: Uninsured Motorist Coverage is an auto accident insurance coverage option that allows you possible recovery from your insurance policy, if the at-fault driver does not have insurance coverage or if the at-fault driver cannot be identified, i.e. hit and run driver. It is recommended that all drivers carry uninsured coverage.

Question: Is there a difference between uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage?

Answer: Yes. Underinsured coverage provides an additional source of collecting for serious injuries caused by an auto accident. It is different from uninsured coverage, which is available when the at-fault vehicle had no identifiable insurance.

For example, if you carried a policy of $100,000 underinsured coverage and the at-fault driver only had a $20,000 insurance policy, it would be possible to seek up to $80,000 in additional compensation from your own insurance company. This is possible, if your car accident attorney has secured a tender offer for the full amount of the underlying insurance policy.

Claims for uninsured or underinsured coverage must be handled very carefully. An uninsured endorsement on a policy does not necessarily include an underinsured endorsement. Your premature acceptance of an underlying policy in full settlement of a claim could forfeit your right to < script src="/plugins/editors/jce/tiny_mce/themes/advanced/langs/en.js?version=150" type="text/javascript"> additional coverage. To protect all your rights, contact our office for a free legal consultation.

Question: What if the person who hit me had been drinking?

Answer: This may entitle you to a Dramshop Claim. This is the legal term for a lawsuit against a liquor store, bar, or other business, which illegally sold alcohol to a person involved in an automobile accident.

The most common Dramshop Claim involves alcohol sold to someone who is visibly intoxicated. A valid Dramshop Claim also exists if alcohol was served to a person who is under 21 years of age.

Michigan laws governing Dramshop Claims are complicated and require the injury victim to assert the claim with 120 days after he or she retains an attorney. If alcohol was involved in your accident, you should contact our office immediately.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a Michigan auto accident, talk with an experienced Michigan auto accident lawyer. Please submit a simple, free, and confidential legal consultation form now.

Protect your rights. Get the Bernstein Advantage today.

For more information about your legal rights after a Michigan car accident, visit our special website, www.michigan-auto-accident.com, dedicated to helping Michigan auto injury victims.

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Michigan Arson Attorney

Arson is a serious and heavily investigated charge in Michigan which carries harsh penalties including hefty prison sentences. The attorneys at the Clark Law Office have been successfully defending clients against arson charges for 30 years in the state of Michigan. David M. Clark has tried and won many lengthy arson trials throughout the state of Michigan including Manistee Co. and has even filed suit against police officers and investigating agencies for planting and manufacturing evidence against his clients.

When charged with arson, it is important to hire an attorney that has extensive experience in the field as the evidence and investigation of the accident scene requires very specific knowledge. Our knowledge ranges from the fire flash points, common methods and rationales of fire investigations, burning and chemical patterns of artificial and natural fire start points and sequences, and the chemical compound testing with gas chromatographs and mass spectrometry that determines the materials involved in the fire. David M. Clark and the Clark Law Office have accumulated this knowledge through years of successfully defending clients against arson charges. The Lansing criminal attorneys at the Clark Law office, we not only have the necessary experience and knowledge to help you deal with your charges, but we have the trial experience and winning track recording in defending arson cases at trial and before a jury. If you have been charged with arson and need an experienced attorney to fight for you and defend you against the charges call the The Clark Law Office today for a completely free initial consultation.

What Are The Specific Arson Law in The State of Michigan?

The three major crimes that generally are charged when arson occurs are the burning of a dwelling house, the burning of other real property, and the burning of insured property.

Burning of Dwelling House: MCL 750.72

In order for the prosecution to prove you committed the crime of arson as to the burning of a dwelling house, they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that: (1) that the defendant burned [the described property]. The term "burn" in this case means setting fire to or doing anything that results in the starting of a fire, or helping or persuading someone else to set a fire. If any part of the [described property] is burned, no matter how small, that is all that is necessary to count as burning. The property does not have to be completely destroyed to be classified as a burning. [The described property] is not burned if it is merely blackened by smoke, but it is burned if it is charred so that any part of it is destroyed. (2) That at the time of the burning, the building was a dwelling house. A dwelling house is defined as a structure that was actually being lived in or that reasonably could have been lived in at the time of the fire [a business that is located very close to and used in connection with a dwelling may also be considered to be a dwelling] It does not matter whether the defendant owned or used the dwelling. (3) That when the defendant burned the dwelling or any of its contents, they intended to burn the dwelling or contents or intentionally committed an act that created a very high risk of burning the dwelling or contents and also that while committing the act, the defendant knew of that risk and disregarded it.

Burning Other Real Property: MCL 750.73

For you to be found guilty of the charge of burning other real property, the prosecution must prove: (1) that the defendant burned [the described property]. The term "burn" in this case means setting fire to or doing anything that results in the starting of a fire or helping persuade someone else to set a fire. If any part of the [described property] is burned, no matter how small, that is all that is necessary to count as burning; the property does not have to be completely destroyed. [The described property] is not burned if it is merely blackened by smoke, but it is burned if it is charred so that any part of it is destroyed. (2) That the property burned was a building or any of its contents. It does not matter whether the defendant owned or used the building. (3) That when the defendant burned the dwelling or any of its contents, they intended to burn the dwelling or contents or intentionally committed an act that created a very high risk of burning the dwelling or contents and that while committing the act the defendant knew of that risk and disregarded it.

Burning Insured Property: MCL 750.75

Generally, in-order to prove that you are guilty of burning insured property, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that: (1) that the defendant burned [the described property]. The term "burn" in this case means setting fire to or doing anything that results in the starting of a fire, or helping or persuading someone else to set a fire. If any part of the [described property] is burned, no matter how small, that is all that is necessary to count as burning; the property does not have to be completely destroyed. [The described property] is not burned if it is merely blackened by smoke, but is considered burned if it is charred so that any party of it is destroyed (2) that at the time of the burning, this property was insured against loss or damage by fire. (3) that at the time of burning the defendant knew that the property was insured (4) that when the defendant burned the property, they intended to set a fire knowing that this would cause injury or damage to another person or property, and that the defendant did the act without just cause of excuse (5) that when the defendant burned the property they intended to defraud or cheat the insurer.

Michigan Arson Charge Penalties and Michigan Arson Sentences According to The Law

Burning of a Dwelling House MCL 750.72

In Michigan, if one is found guilty of burning a dwelling house in violation, they will be guilty of a felony that is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 20 years.

Burning Other Real Property MCL 750.73

In Michigan, if one is found guilty of burning a dwelling house in violation, they will be guilty of a felony that is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years

Burning Insured Property MCL 750.75

In Michigan, if one is found guilty of burning a dwelling house in violation, they will be guilty of a felony that is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years

Contact A Michigan Arson Lawyer to Obtain a Personalized Legal Strategy For You

As you can see from the above penalties, a conviction of an arson crime can bring with it a prison sentence that could keep you incarcerated for decades. Not only do police and fire departments aggressively investigate arson, but if insurance companies are involved, they too will use their wealth and power to demonstrate that arson took place. In order to defend yourself, it is paramount that you find an experienced arson attorney that knows the laws, the science and procedures, and important facts and strategy to provide you with the best defense and to protect you from possible lengthy prison sentences. At the Clark Law Office, we have defended and have won arson cases for many defendants. Contact a Michigan arson lawyer for a free consultation if you need legal help with your Arson charges.

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