While Hub City Transit provides convenient transportation services for those in Hattiesburg, accidents often occur. If you have been injured by a Hattiesburg Hub City Transit bus or other vehicles, you deserve to be compensated.
Hub City Transit buses are responsible for causing devastating injuries in Hattiesburg. Fortunately, our Hub City Transit accident and injury attorneys can help you overcome the challenges of suing a government-owned company. “Sovereign immunity” places a number of limitations and requirements on a victim’s rights that must be observed if they want to recover compensation.
Our attorneys for Hub City Transit accidents and injuries at Howe Law can provide you with your free case assessment when you call us at (844) 876-4357.
Common Injuries Caused by Hub City Transit Accidents in Hattiesburg
Hub City Transit accidents in Hattiesburg are responsible for some of the most serious injuries in Mississippi. Fortunately, our Hub City Transit accident and injury attorneys can help you recover compensation, whether you sustained minor injuries or more serious ones. The following injuries are the ones most commonly caused by Hub City Transit accidents in Hattiesburg:
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are some of the most serious and potentially long-lasting injuries that can occur in a Hattiesburg Hub City Transit accident. They occur when a person’s spine is damaged, and the spinal cord is either bruised, compressed, or broken. The damage can range from mild to severe, but in all cases, it can have a tremendous impact on the victim’s mobility as well as their ability to function normally.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are caused by an external blow to the head or body that disrupts normal brain function. The severity of a TBI depends on the type, force, and location of the impact but is not uncommon in Hattiesburg Hub City Transit accidents. These types of injuries can easily cause permanent brain damage if not properly treated by a medical professional immediately following an accident.
Fractures
Fractures are one the most common injury associated with Hattiesburg Hub City Transit accidents. A fracture is a break in the bone that can range from a hairline crack to a severely splintered bone. Serious fractures often require surgery to treat properly and could affect the victim’s mobility for years to come. Victims commonly need months, if not years, of physical therapy to regain their previous strength.
Whiplash
Whiplash is the name of an injury to the neck caused by sudden acceleration or deceleration during an accident. The head snaps back and forth, which stretches and damages the ligaments in the neck, leaving them vulnerable to future injury. The severity of whiplash depends on the speed of the bus when it stopped or moved, how fast your head was moving, and how far it moved before stopping.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are another serious cause of damages in Hattiesburg Hub City Transit accidents. Burns can be caused by a fire or by the radiant heat of an explosion. Burns can also be caused by contact with hot surfaces like a steering wheel or from hot liquids such as gasoline.
Public vs. Private Transit Companies in Hattiesburg
When a bus or transit accident occurs, one of the most important questions is whether the vehicle is publicly or privately owned. If it is a privately owned bus, filing a lawsuit will not be all that different from pursuing other types of personal injury lawsuits. If the bus that caused the accident was publicly owned, like Hattiesburg Hub City Transit buses are, many other important considerations must be taken into account.
Because Hattiesburg Hub City Transit is a public transit company in Mississippi, it and its employees are protected by sovereign immunity. Therefore, suing the government or its employees without their consent is challenging. However, a bureaucratic process allows individuals to sue for injuries, losses, or potential wrongdoing caused by a government entity. To ensure the success of your claim, it is crucial to adhere to the procedural requirements to the letter, as any oversight could jeopardize your case.
Suing for an Accident and Injury Caused by Hattiesburg Hub City Transit
Under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-46-11, the state and its political subdivisions are not immune from claims for monetary damages arising out of the torts of such governmental entities. The law creates a general rule that eliminates sovereign immunity for many types of negligence committed by government employees, including accidents and injuries caused by Hattiesburg Hub City Transit. However, the law also creates a list of requirements that victims must comply with for their cases to proceed. It is important to note that these rules must be followed to sue a Mississippi government entity and its employees for actions committed within the scope of employment.
Sovereign Immunity Requirements in a Hattiesburg Hub City Transit Accident and Injury Case
Before filing your lawsuit, you must submit a written “Notice of Claim” to Hattiesburg Hub City Transit to inform them of your intention to file suit. You will have 90 days from the date of the accident to provide your notice to the necessary Hattiesburg Hub City Transit officer and should include as much detail about your claim as possible.
If your lawsuit is filed successfully, you cannot elect for a jury trial. Usually, this would be your right, but only bench trials are permitted when suing a government entity. This can benefit your case since a judge will better understand complex evidence and legal arguments. Still, they can also be less rewarding than a jury when deciding the compensation you should receive.
It is important to understand that not all of your damages will be covered because of the caps the law places on the compensation victims can recover. In cases against private companies and citizens, victims typically can recover compensation for most damages caused by an accident. However, compensation is limited to $500,000 total for cases against a government agency. If your injuries are serious, this might only cover your medical costs but could leave you responsible for other damages, like your long-term physical pain and emotional suffering. Punitive damages are also barred from being rewarded in a lawsuit against Hattiesburg Hub City Transit.
The 90-day deadline for your notice is not the only time limit you should be concerned about. Hub City Transit accident victims will only have one year from the date their accident occurred to file their lawsuits in Hattiesburg. This means having the evidence you need to prove your case collected and organized with your complaint. If you wait to start your case, there might not be enough time to collect your records and file your case.
Our Hattiesburg Hub City Transit Accident and Injury Attorneys Can Help
For a free case evaluation with our Hub City Transit accident and injury lawyers, contact Howe Law today at (844) 876-4357.
