Accidents involving buses are relatively rare, at least compared to the number of overall vehicle accidents. However, due to the very nature of these types of incidents, injuries that occur as a result of bus accidents are often severe. These injuries can occur to passengers on board the bus or others involved in the accident and other vehicles.
Bus Accidents Injure Various Parties
When a bus accident occurs, this is a serious event that can injure various parties involved. Not only does this include the passengers on the bus, but also drivers and passengers and other vehicles as well as bystanders if there were any nearby.
Even a seemingly “minor” bus accident can lead to serious injuries, particularly for bus passengers. If a bus rear-ends another vehicle or is jolted suddenly by another type of collision, the passengers inside could experience whiplash or serious contusions. In the vast majority of cases, bus passengers do not wear seatbelts, so this increases the chance that injury will occur. For anything more than a relatively minor accident, severe injuries are a likely when a bus crash occurs.
Common Bus Accident Injuries
Some of the most common injuries associated with bus accidents include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken or dislocated bones
- Internal bleeding or internal organ damage
- Lacerations or puncture wounds
- Amputation injuries
- Crush injuries
- Severe sprains or strains
This is certainly not a complete list of the types of injuries that could occur as a result of a bus accident, but it does cover a wide range of traumatic injuries that do occur regularly as a result of these incidents.
However, what many people do not consider, at least not in the immediate aftermath of a bus crash, is the emotional and psychological pain and suffering that individuals experience as a result of these incidents.
Bus crash victims, due to the traumatic nature of the incident, could experience significant feelings of fear, anxiety, stress, and sleeplessness in the days, weeks, and months that follow the incident. Bus crash victims may even develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What Compensation Is Available After a Bus Accident?
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a bus accident caused by the negligence of a bus driver, a bus company or agency, a government agency, or any other entity, you may be able to recover various types of compensation. Determining liability in these cases can be challenging, and it typically involves obtaining more evidence than would typically be needed for a car accident in Santa Ana. Aside from photographs from the scene, video surveillance, and eyewitness statements, it will also be necessary to obtain bus maintenance and safety records, driver employment records and safety records, hours of service documentation for the driver, and more. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney in Santa Ana can help you get the necessary evidence to recover compensation for your injuries.
Bus accidents can affect various types of occupants. This can include school children on school buses, as well as those riding and long-distance buses or local transportation buses.
We strongly encourage any bus accident victim to work with a skilled Orange County bus accident attorney who has experience handling these complicated claims. A bus accident attorney at Callahan & Blaine can be the one to advocate on behalf of the client every step of the way and handle all communication with other parties.
