Spokane Bus Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a bus accident in the Spokane area, you’re facing more than just physical pain. You may be dealing with emotional trauma, mounting medical bills, lost wages, and the uncertainty of how to rebuild your life. At Brumley Law Firm, we understand how overwhelming this time can be, and we’re here to help you explore your options and provide legal support so you can make informed decisions. As your Spokane personal injury lawyer, our goal is to help you understand your legal rights, navigate the process, and evaluate whether pursuing compensation may be appropriate under Washington law..

Why Hire Brumley Law Firm For Your Bus Accident Case in Spokane?

When you’re coping with serious injuries and unexpected costs from a bus crash, it’s essential to choose a law firm with the experience, insight, and resources to handle your case effectively. Here’s why Brumley Law Firm stands out for bus accident claims in Spokane:

• We have extensive experience with bus accidents and personal injury cases, including complex matters involving buses, school buses, tour buses, and other mass-transport vehicles.
• Joshua Brumley’s experience working for insurance companies informs our approach to building strong cases and anticipating insurer tactics.
• We have handled many bus‑accident matters and bring experience in dealing with the issues common to transit‑vehicle claims.
• Our firm is committed to serving the Spokane community with compassion, clear communication, and tenacious legal representation.
• We work on a contingency‑fee basis: you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation, though you may be responsible for case‑related costs regardless of outcome.

Choosing a bus accident lawyer who understands these complex cases can help you navigate the legal process more confidently and effectively.

Client Testimonials

“Brumley Law Firm took over my bus accident case and handled everything, from dealing with the insurance company to guiding me through physical therapy and recovery. They made me feel supported every step of the way.”

“Joshua Brumley’s experience with insurance-company tactics meant we weren’t blindsided when the adjuster called. My settlement exceeded what I expected and I felt the law firm genuinely cared.”

“As a Spokane resident, I appreciated that Brumley Law Firm knew the local courts and bus-company responsibilities in Washington state. Their team kept me informed and took the weight off my shoulders while I healed.”

Client feedback suggests how we approach our cases, though every case is different and past feedback does not guarantee future results.

How a Spokane Bus Accident Attorney Can Help You With a Case

Handling a bus accident claim involves many moving parts, investigating liability, dealing with multiple parties, and negotiating with insurance companies that often want to minimize what they pay. A dedicated bus accident attorney from our team will:

• Handle all communications with the bus company, its insurer, third-party vendors (maintenance contractors), other drivers, and witnesses. This frees you up to focus on your recovery.
• Gather and preserve crucial evidence from the accident scene: bus maintenance records, driver logs, surveillance footage, passenger witness statements, injury photographs, and more.
• Consult with expert witnesses when necessary (e.g., accident reconstruction engineers, bus-system safety experts, biomechanics specialists or medical experts) to demonstrate how the bus driver error, mechanical failures, or bus company negligence caused your injuries.
• Determine all possible compensation sources, including the bus company’s insurance, public-transit authority insurance (if applicable), driver’s personal insurance, third-party contractors, and any manufacturers or maintenance vendors.
• Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, leveraging our knowledge of how adjusters think and operate (thanks to Joshua Brumley’s background). We aim for a reasonable settlement but are prepared to go to court if necessary.
• Guide you through the legal process, from filing the claim to mediation, settlement, and if needed, trial. We keep you informed, explain your options, answer your questions, and help you make strategic choices.
• Focus on your recovery, we help you understand what documentation you’ll need for your medical treatment, lost wages, other related costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and any ongoing care or rehabilitation.

With our experienced legal team by your side, you don’t have to navigate the complex legal process alone. We advocate vigorously on your behalf and pursue fair compensation based on the facts of your case.

Common Types of Bus Accident Cases

In Spokane and throughout Washington State, bus accidents can happen in a variety of contexts. Some of the most common types of bus accident cases we handle include:

• City or public transit bus crashes involving passengers or pedestrians.
• School bus accidents involving students boarding, alighting, or riding in school buses.
• Tour bus or charter bus accidents occurring on highways or rural roads around Spokane.
• Bus-passenger injuries due to sudden stops, sharp turns, mechanical failures (e.g., brakes, steering), or flying debris inside the bus.
• Multi-vehicle accidents where a bus is involved and another driver or third-party contractor shares fault.
• Bus company negligence such as inadequate driver training, driver fatigue, distracted driving by the bus driver, impaired driving, or poor route planning.
• Bus accidents involving poor road conditions, weather hazards, or insufficient signage which contributed to the crash.
• Fatal bus accidents resulting in wrongful death claims by surviving family members.

By tailoring our advocacy to each unique case, whether it’s a school bus accident, a tour bus crash, or a transit-bus collision, we ensure full attention to the specific facts, injuries, and losses you may face.

Statistics on Bus and Traffic Accidents in Spokane County

Understanding local accident trends helps explain why Spokane residents are increasingly seeking experienced legal help after serious crashes. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), there were 810 traffic fatalities statewide in 2023, marking a 9% increase from the prior year. The agency also recorded 3,413 serious-injury crashes, highlighting ongoing roadway safety concerns across Washington.

In Spokane County specifically, the Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC) reported 913 crashes involving at least one fatal or serious injury between 2018 and 2022, underscoring a consistent pattern of high-impact collisions throughout the region. These include incidents involving buses, passenger vehicles, and pedestrians.

The Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) found that motor-vehicle traffic injuries accounted for 12.8% of all unintentional fatal injuries in Spokane County, making transportation-related incidents one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the area.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) recorded over 10.1 million fixed-route bus passengers in 2024, a 13.6% increase from the previous year. With this level of public-transit activity, even a small number of bus-involved collisions can affect many passengers and motorists.

At the state level, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) continues to monitor commercial-vehicle and school-bus crashes, noting that human factors such as distracted driving, driver fatigue, and drunk driving remain key contributors to serious and fatal collisions.

Together, these findings illustrate that while Spokane’s public-transit system serves millions of riders safely each year, the risk of a bus accident, or any collision involving large vehicles, remains a serious concern for residents of Spokane and surrounding communities.

Compensation You Can Obtain in a Bus Accident Case

If you were hurt in a bus accident, you may be entitled to seek compensation for a wide range of losses. Some examples include:

• Medical expenses: past and future medical bills, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medication, assistive devices.
• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity: time you missed at work during recovery, future income losses if you cannot return to the same job or work at full capacity.
• Pain and suffering: compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, PTSD, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Non-economic damages: these cover the intangible effects of a bus crash, such as disability, disfigurement, reduced quality of life, and emotional trauma.
• Other related costs: transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, caregiving, lost household services, property damage (e.g., personal items destroyed in crash).
• Wrongful death claims: if a fatal bus accident occurred, surviving family members may pursue compensation for funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, and emotional suffering.

Understanding the full scope of what you may recover is critical: the insurance company often focuses only on immediate medical bills or property damage. Our Spokane bus accident lawyer team works to ensure maximum compensation by addressing both economic and non-economic damages, so you’re not left with out-of-pocket costs or long-term hardship.

What is the Process for Filing a Bus Accident Claim?

Here’s a step-by-step overview of how a bus accident claim typically unfolds, and how we help guide you through each stage:

1. Seek immediate medical attention: Your health comes first. Getting prompt treatment also documents your injuries and links them to the crash.
2. Contact Brumley Law Firm for a free legal consultation: We review the accident scene, gather initial information, and explain your legal options.
3. Preserve evidence from the accident scene: Our team begins collecting bus maintenance records, driver logs, surveillance footage, photographs of the vehicle and scene, witness statements, and any other relevant documentation.
4. Formal investigation and analysis: We determine how the accident occurred, whether due to bus driver error, mechanical failures, bus company negligence, or third-party fault. We consult experts if needed and assess all possible responsible parties.
5. Filing of the claim or lawsuit: We prepare and submit your bus accident claim to the insurance company or, if litigation is needed, we file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.
6. Discovery and negotiations: The insurance company conducts a review, we engage in negotiation tactics, we respond to requests for evidence, and we maintain communication on your behalf.
7. Settlement evaluation or trial preparation: We evaluate any settlement offer to ensure it accounts for all losses (past, present, future) and decide whether it is in your best interest. If no fair settlement, we prepare for trial.
8. Resolution and compensation: If we reach a settlement or win at trial, we help you recover compensation and ensure you understand how funds are disbursed, including paying medical liens or other costs.
9. Post-resolution support: We review your settlement’s adequacy, confirm you’re covered for future care or complications, and address any lingering concerns.

Throughout the process our experienced bus accident lawyers handle communications, strategy decisions, insurance company negotiations, and keep you informed every step of the way.

Statute of Limitations in a Spokane Bus Accident Claim

Under Washington law, most personal injury lawsuits, including bus accident cases, must be filed within three years from the date of the injury or accident.

There may be exceptions or shorter deadlines if you are pursuing a claim against a government entity or public transit authority.

Because missing the deadline can result in losing your right to seek compensation, it is important to act promptly and reach out for legal guidance as soon as possible.

Elements of Negligence in a Bus Accident Claim

To establish liability in a bus accident case under Washington law, your attorney generally needs to prove four key elements of negligence:

1. Duty of care: The bus driver or bus company owed you a duty to operate the bus safely, maintain the vehicle, train the driver, and obey traffic laws.
2. Breach of duty: The bus driver or company failed to meet that duty, for example, driver fatigue, distracted driving, impaired driving, inadequate maintenance, or exceeding speed limits.
3. Causation: The breach of duty directly caused your accident and injuries, e.g., a mechanical failure allowed the bus to swerve, which caused your injuries.
4. Damages: You suffered measurable harm, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc., as a result of the bus accident.

Your experienced bus accident lawyer will investigate each element thoroughly, gather evidence, and build a compelling case on your behalf.

Washington State’s Comparative Fault Laws

Washington is a “pure comparative negligence” state. That means if you were partly at fault for the bus accident, say, you were distracted or crossing the road improperly, you can still recover compensation. However, your award would be reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example, if you suffered damages of $100,000 and the court found you were 20% at fault, you would recover $80,000.

A knowledgeable bus accident lawyer will anticipate potential fault-arguments from the insurance company or defendant and work to minimize your attributed liability.

Contact a Spokane Bus Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident in Spokane, the aftermath can feel overwhelming. The emotional, physical, and financial burdens are heavy, and you don’t have to face them alone. At Brumley Law Firm, our experienced legal team is prepared to help you understand your rights, identify responsible parties, gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact us at (833) 740-2275 for a free consultation so we can explore your legal options together and help guide your next steps in seeking fair compensation.