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Bus Fire Victims Information

IN BUS FIRES THE ACTIONS YOU TAKE TODAY MAY DETERMINE
THE DOLLARS YOU RECEIVE WHEN THE CHECKS ARE WRITTEN.

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You have experienced a Bus Fire loss and now you need to be made whole. Your bus may be for commercial use and it is costing you money each day it is out of service, or it may be a bus for school, church or a bus conversion. Whatever the use, correct, decisive, and timely decisions must be made now when there are Bus Fires. If you have insurance, the insurance company will work out a settlement with you on the loss, based upon your policy (if you and the insurance company cannot come to an agreement on the amount due you then you may want to explore the appraisal clause process. See Certified Appraisals). If you have an additional monetary loss due to a Bus Fire that is not covered under an insurance policy, such as a buildings, personal effects, motorized vehicles, etc. then you need to seek a remedy, that being for you to conduct your own independent Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation in order to collect the dollar amount from the negligent party.

An insurance company will most likely want to conduct a Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation, which will hopefully find the negligent party, so they can recover their loss. This procedure is handled through their Fire Subrogation Department. So where does it leave the owner/insured?

The owner/insured is generally not entitled to the results of any insurance company Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation. If the Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation does lead to litigation then the Certified Bus Fire investigator can usually only represent one party. The insurance company paid for the Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation and they are looking to only recover their loss pursuant to the policy. If the owner/insured wants to recover a loss then they must have their own Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigator present at the Bus Fire Investigation in order to represent their interest. If a Bus Fire Claim is made to a Bus Manufacturer for a loss by the owner/insured one of the first request of a Bus Manufacturer will be “provide us with a Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation Report showing we are negligent”. If you cannot provide evidence to substantiate your position, then you most likely have no case and no recourse. On the other hand the insurance company has their Certified Bus Fie Origin & Cause Report and will attempt to collect.

In order for an owner/insured to protect their interest the following procedure is recommended Bus Fires:

After the fire department has left, leave the Fire Damaged Bus in its present location if at all possible. Many times evidence is lost due to the movement of the Burnt Bus. If it must be moved then tell the towing company in no uncertain terms that all Bus Fire debris, especially what has fallen beneath the vehicle, must be protected and preserved. If they fail to protect the Fire Damaged Bus, then they may be responsible for the loss, especially if spoliation issues rise.
DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING AROUND OR INSIDE THE FIRE DAMAGED BUS AND MAKE IT CLEAR, NOBODY IS TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE FIRE DAMAGED BUS. YOU OWN IT, AND YOU DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO IT UNTIL THERE IS A SETTLEMENT. If you make a Bus Fire Claim then you must allow an insurance company representative to visually look at the Bus Fire Damaged, but under no circumstances are they to disturb the condition of the Bus or the Bus Fire Scene prior to the Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Intrusive investigation.
Protect the Bus Fire remnants from the elements of the weather. The insurance company may or may not know to do this. Remember you own the Fire Damaged Bus.
If you wish to proceed with collecting the total amount of loss less what the insurance company will pay under the policy then you must proceed in obtaining your own Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigator.
Most Bus Fire Investigators don’t understand the complexity of a Bus Fire. A Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Expert is critical in you finding out the cause of the Bus Fire and you not just hearing “it’s undeterminable” and you cannot recover your full loss.
Once you have your Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigator he or she will be in charge of the Bus Fire Investigation. A date and time will then be set to conduct the Intrusive Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation and to legally notify all interested parties.

You may review our photo gallery of Bus Fires, and please feel free to call us with any questions you may have. We are at your service to conduct a Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation anywhere throughout the United States and abroad. Remember you own the Fire Damaged Bus and the decisions you make regarding its disposition may decide whether you are made whole or not.

Frequently asked questions about Bus Fires and Origin & Cause Investigations:

Will a Fire Department Report work for me? Fire department reports provide information about when Bus Fires were called in, who responded, how long it took to extinguish, and if the Bus Fire looks suspicious. Their reports generally do not provide definitive determination as to the Bus Fire Origin & Cause.
How long before there is a Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation? Usually a date and time is set at about 2-3 weeks.
Why does it take so long? All possible negligent parties must be legally notified.
Do I have to be present? No but it is a good idea as questions may arise as to the sequence of events leading up to the Bus Fire that only you can answer.
I have some personal items left in the Fire Damaged Bus; can I look to see if they are still good? It is not a good idea to enter a Fire Damaged Bus unless you are accompanied by the Certified Bus Fire Lead Investigator. The Bus Fire Lead Investigator will determine if you may enter.
Should I take photographs? Taking photographs can be helpful especially if they were taken during the Bus Fire.
What about my Bus Records? If you have your Bus Service Records make a copy and offer them to the Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigator. He or she should ask for them prior to any Bus Fire Investigation.
Can I talk to my neighbor or a friend about the Bus Fire? It is best not to. Your discussion as to what you observed and what you did should be limited to the fire department, law enforcement and your Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigator.
How much does a Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation cost? It depends on the geographical location of the Bus Fire Damaged vehicle. Contact our office for an estimate quote.
When the Certified Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation is complete what happens to the collected and retained evidence? We have evidence storage at our facility.
Should I contact an attorney before the Intrusive Bus Fire Origin & Cause Investigation? An attorney is generally a good idea, but most clients wait to find out what caused the Bus Fire and who might be negligent first. That way the attorney will have what he or she needs to pursue your just compensation.

Please visit our Certified Bus Fires Gallery to view a few of our cases.