Injured in the Gunnison, Colorado bus crash? Here are some tips to protect your legal rights.

A tour bus crashed in Gunnison, Colorado on December 18, 2010, resulting in numerous injuries. Many of the injured and their families will have legal claims against the tour bus company, Gotta Go Express Trailways, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas. The bus was transporting a church group from Denton, Texas, on the way to Crested Butte, Colorado.

If you were injured in this crash, here are some important tips:

1. DO NOT AGREE TO GIVE A "RECORDED STATEMENT." Bus companies frequently send their claims investigators immediately to a bus crash site, or to the hospital where bus passengers have been transported, in an attempt to get the victims to give a "recorded statement." The bus company investigators act like this will benefit the injured passenger, however, that is far from the truth. The only purpose of the recorded statement is so the bus company can try to eliminate or minimize the injured person's claim. Bus company claims adjusters are very skilled at what they do, and they know how to trick people in to saying things that will harms their claim. Because the statement is "recorded," it is preserved to be used against you for all time.

You are not required to give a recorded statement for any purpose. If you are asked to give one, simply refuse.

2. DO NOT AGREE TO SIGN ANY "FORMS." Bus company representatives often ask the injured to "sign a few forms," ostensibly to help them pay the victims. This is nonsense. The bus company is simply trying to get you to sign forms that will allow them to pull every medical, employment, or other record on you for your entire lifetime. Or, even worse, they are asking you to sign a "Release" in which you will sign away your legal rights, forever. Nothing good can come out of signing forms provided by the bus company.

If they ask you to sign forms, simply refuse.

3. TALK TO A BOARD CERTIFIED INJURY LAWYER. You may not end up hiring a lawyer, but you can certainly talk to some lawyers just to get some valuable information. You should consider speaking with lawyers who are "Board Certified" in Personal Injury Law.

If you do not have serious injuries, you may very well be able to get fair compensation from the bus company on your claim without hiring a lawyer. By talking to some Board Certified lawyer, you can get valuable information on the probable "value" of your claim -- meaning, how much the bus company will probably pay you.

If you have serious injuries, you should consider hiring a Board Certified lawyer to represent you in your injury claim against the bus company. There is simply no other way you will be able to get fair compensation for a serious injury.

Because this particular bus company is based in Forth Worth, Texas, and because many of the bus passengers are from Denton, Texas and from the Dallas area, lawsuits involving this crash can be filed in Texas.