When there is a bus accident, multiple passengers may become injured, especially if it is a major accident involving a rollover or collision with another large vehicle or an immovable object like a bridge abutment. People put their trust in a bus driver, including parents who send children off to school on busses. When there is a bus accident, injured parties may file under Personal Injury laws to obtain fair compensation for damage claims.
Bus Accidents
Across the US, there are about 764,509 busses registered. During the year 2012, there were 12,000 injury crashes involving busses, with 23,000 persons injured. Some busses have routes that expose them to greater risks, such as tour busses or inter-city busses that travel on high speed highways. Other busses have limited travel involved, such as school bus transportation.
A bus is a large vehicle, with some limitations for driver vision range. They are harder to control and steer in an emergency and have weight distribution that can lead to instability or rollovers. The safety factor for passengers on busses is better than that for persons traveling by other means of transportation. Still, between 2005 and 2010, there was an average accident occurrence of 1,003. Thirty-two accidents per year were fatal, resulting in 44 deaths on average, while about 505 were nonfatal.
Bus Accident Injuries
Most bus riders do not have protective restraint devices, like seat belts. Some school busses are now required to provide seat belts for children. When a bus is in a collision, especially at high speeds, the passengers can be tossed out of their seats, onto the floor or even outside the vehicle through windows. The frame of the vehicle may also cause physical injury to occupants, depending on the type of crash impact. In a rollover accident, the bus may be crushed, and harm passengers inside.
Physical bus accident injuries are similar to other accident injuries, with harm to body, limbs, head, neck and spine. In some wrecks, people might suffer from cuts, bruises, or loss of body parts. The accident could also precipitate fear and a heart attack for some passengers. When the accident occurs due to negligent behavior or deliberate attack, injured parties have legal options to pursue to obtain fair compensation for damage claims.
Bus Accident Claims
Claims for persons injured in bus accidents include medical expenses, work loss, nursing home care, rehabilitation and recovery therapy, psychological treatment, and in some cases disability costs. You deserve compensation and in some cases, additional punitive damage awards for certain injury claims.
With so many variables to consider, you should start with consultation with our experienced Personal Injury Attorney, as soon as possible. Learn more here about this area of law that allows injured persons to obtain fair compensation for Bus Accidents claims.
