Common Bus Accident Injuries

Due to the size and weight of the average bus, it’s easy to assume that any injuries sustained in a bus accident will be minor, but this is not always the case. Buses don’t generally contain the same safety devices as a standard passenger vehicle, such as seatbelts and airbags. This often leads to the type of injuries incurred in forward-backward or side-to-side impacts, where the head and neck are whipped in the opposite direction of the spine, such as inaptly named whiplash injuries. Injuries sustained in a mass transit accident may require ongoing medical treatment and even time off work during the recovery period. If you or a loved one were injured in a bus accident, reach out to an injury attorney to discuss your options for physical and financial help.

Common injuries sustained in bus accidents include but are not necessarily limited to the following:

• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Whiplash
• Bruising
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries

If you or a loved one were involved in a bus accident, consider the following steps:

• Collect evidence from the scene. The good news is that in many mass transit accidents, the injuries sustained are minor enough to allow the injured party to collect evidence from the scene. Pertinent evidence may include photos of the bus after the accident, as well as photos of any other vehicles involved in the collision. Damaged property, malfunctioning traffic signals, and weather conditions may also be important elements to document at the scene. Finally, collecting the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident is a good way to make sure you or your attorney can follow-up with potentially valuable testimonies.
• Seek medical care. It is particularly important to seek medical care after being involved in a bus accident. Some injuries may not be felt for days or weeks after the accident, especially the type of injuries that are commonly sustained in bus accidents. However, waiting to seek medical care may not only result in a worsening of the injury, but can also have a negative impact on your case if you choose to pursue litigation in the future. For the same reasons, it’s important to attend any follow-up appointments your doctor requests.
• Talk to a mass transit injury attorney. It’s important to talk to a mass transit injury attorney if you or a loved one were injured in a bus accident. These cases can be particularly difficult to handle alone, primarily due to the myriad of parties involved. From large corporations to state and local public transportation agencies, these parties have access to legal and insurance resources the average person does not. A successful personal injury claim can help pay for damages including medical bills, lost wages, and more. It may help to note that like most personal injury attorneys, mass transit injury attorneys generally offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means clients don’t pay unless and until they win. This allows injured parties and their families to focus on recovery rather than worrying about finances.

If you or a loved one were injured in a bus accident, talk to a mass transit attorney about your options for recovery.