FastCounsel

Detailed Answer

When a bus crash occurs in Connecticut, injured parties must prove both fault and damages to recover compensation. Connecticut follows common‐law negligence principles: you must show the bus operator or carrier owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused your injuries and losses. As common carriers, bus companies face a heightened duty to transport passengers safely.

1. Establishing Negligence and Fault

To prove the carrier breached its duty, you need evidence that the driver or company failed to exercise reasonable care. Relevant factors include speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, or poor vehicle maintenance.

2. Key Evidence to Prove Fault

• Photographs and Video Footage: Capture the crash scene, vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signals, and road conditions.
• Surveillance Recordings: Obtain bus dash-cam or nearby security cameras showing the collision.
• Police Reports: Review the Connecticut State Police or local police crash report for officer observations and citations.
• Bus Maintenance Logs: Request inspection, repair, and maintenance records under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Connecticut vehicle laws.
• Driver Records: Secure driver’s logs, training certificates, drug‐testing results, and employment history.
• Eyewitness Statements: Gather written or recorded accounts from passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists.
• Black Box Data: Analyze electronic control module data for speed, braking, and engine performance.
• Expert Analysis: Commission accident reconstruction professionals to model crash dynamics and causation.

3. Documenting Damages

• Medical Records and Bills: Compile hospital reports, imaging studies, therapy notes, and itemized billing.
• Lost Wage Evidence: Use pay stubs, employer letters, and tax returns to calculate income loss.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Track transportation to medical appointments, medication costs, and assistive device purchases.
• Property Damage Estimates: Include repair invoices or total loss valuations for personal property.
• Pain and Suffering Logs: Keep a symptom journal to document physical pain and emotional distress.

4. Statutes of Limitations and Contributory Negligence

In Connecticut, you must file a personal injury claim within two years of the crash under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584. Connecticut applies a strict contributory negligence rule, meaning any fault on your part could bar recovery (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-184).