Bus Passenger Injuries
When a bus collides with another vehicle, the occupants of the car struck by the bus often get all the attention. However, bus passengers are often seriously injured as well. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 261 buses involved in fatal collisions during 2015. The risk of serious injuries, disabilities, and property damage from bus accidents is also high.
How Passengers Are Hurt While Riding the Bus
Bus passenger injuries are often more severe than those caused by a car accident, due to the lack of safety equipment such as airbags and seatbelts. When a bus accident occurs passengers are often tossed from their seats, subsequently colliding with other passengers, walls, or windows.
Typical bus passenger injuries include:
- Severe scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
- Fractured and broken bones.
- Torn ligaments and tendons.
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement.
- Spinal damage.
- Brain injuries.
- Fatal injuries of all sorts.
Bus Collision Causes
Serious injuries frequently occur when the bus crashes into a stationary object, collides with a truck, or simply runs off the road. There are many causes of this, including operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving recklessly, drowsy driving, or driving a bus that has defective equipment or has been poorly maintained.
Bus accident claims can be very complicated, since these collisions often have multiple responsible parties, including:
- The driver.
- Vehicle equipment manufacturers.
- The bus management company.
- Government entities, if a public bus.
Pursuing a Claim
When you step onto a city bus, tour bus, school bus, or shuttle, you’re entrusting your safety to the bus driver and the company he works for. It’s devastating to discover that the bus company you’ve paid to transport you safely has done just the opposite.
Injuries caused by a bus accident can impact your life by leading to chronic pain, loss of income, and strained family relationships. When you’ve been hurt in a bus accident, you need a professional attorney to help you receive fair compensation for your injuries. To learn more about what the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., can do for you, visit us on Facebook.