Because of the size of buses and the number of people involved, injuries from bus accidents can be severe. Common injuries from bus accidents include:

• Broken and/or dislocated bones
  Treatment may include splints, braces, plaster casts, traction or surgically implanted metal rods or plates.
• Lacerations
  Small cuts can heal themselves with the aid of bandages. Deep lacerations may require stitches to properly close the wounds.
• Burns 
  First-degree burns, depending on their severity, may be treated at home with cool water and bandages. Second- and third-degree burns should be treated by a medical professional.
• Back injuries 
  Back injuries may include slipped or ruptured discs. Either of these conditions can be very painful, and may require surgery and/or pain management therapies or medications.
• Neck injuries
  Treatment may include rest, ice, physical therapy, pain relievers, and wearing a cervical collar.
• Whiplash
  Treatment may include physical therapy, chiropractic care, prescription medication, or occasionally injections.
• Spinal cord trauma
  Unfortunately, there are no ways currently known to reverse spinal cord injury. Doctors frequently treat spinal cord trauma with surgery, traction, steroid medications, or experimental treatment.
• Internal bleeding or trauma to internal organs 
  Treatment includes intravenous infusions of vitamin K, platelets, frozen plasma and blood. Doctors are currently experimenting with inducing clotting through medication.
• Amputation
  Successful reattachment depends what body part was amputated, the condition of the amputated part, time between amputation and attempted reattachment, the general health of the individual.
• Concussion or Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  Any brain injury is serious. With so much still unknown about the brain and how it functions, doctors follow a “do no harm” approach, treating obvious external issues and hoping that the brain will heal itself. Some surgical procedures that may be used to minimize secondary damage to brain tissue are:
  • Blood clot removal
    Bleeding inside or outside of the brain can result in blood clots that put pressure on the brain and cause tissue damage.
  • Skull fracture repair
    Surgeons may need to repair severe fractures in the skull or remove skull fragments from the brain.
  • Surgery to stop bleeding in the brain
    Bleeding in the brain that does not stop on its own may require surgery.
  • Opening a window in the skull 
    If there is excess pressure in the skull, one method to relieve it is through opening a window in the skull to allow more room for swollen tissue.
• Permanent disability
  Many serious injuries are impossible to fully recover from. The effects of permanent injuries will be felt for the remainder of the victim’s life. If the permanent injury is severe enough, the victim may be permanently disabled.
• Wrongful Death
  If a victim loses his or her life due to the fault of another person, the family of the victim may be eligible for compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.

Usually a bus crash has more than one cause. Several minor factors coming together at the same time can make a normally safe situation dangerous. Common factors that can contribute to bus accidents include:

• Driver fatigue
  When bus or car drivers fail to get adequate rest before embarking on a trip, they put themselves and everyone else in danger. Recent studies show that driving tired can be even worse than driving while intoxicated, because unlike an intoxicated driver, drivers who fall asleep while behind the wheel cannot even attempt to take evasive action.
• Distracted driving
  Although it is strictly prohibited, texting while driving is one of the main distractions that contributes to accidents. Most drivers don’t realize that if you read a text while driving at 55 mph, you will have taken your eyes off the road for approximately 5 seconds and traveled the length of a football field without looking up. Other distractions include using a navigation system, talking on the phone and eating while driving.
• Weather
  Increased glare, fog or reduced light can affect visibility. Rain can also make streets slippery, increasing the chances of drivers losing control of their vehicles.
• Blind spots, obstructions, or poorly designed roads
  External factors, coupled with inattention or excessive speed, can be very hazardous.
• Mechanical failures
  Whether caused by a failure to properly maintain the vehicle or simple bad luck, the driver may not be able to control the vehicle when essential functions are compromised.
• Violating the rules of the road
  Speeding, failure to obey signs, and failure to yield the right of way can contribute to fault in a bus accident.
• Drunk or impaired driving
  Whether on the part of the bus driver or another driver, drunk and impaired driving puts everyone on the road at risk.
• Left turns
  Extra caution must always be taken when making a left turn. Combined with reduced visibility, speed or other factors, left turns can be treacherous.
• Impatience
  While bus drivers typically follow the rules of the road, other drivers are often in a hurry. Car drivers pass busses at speed, jump in too close in front of busses and drive hazardously in a race to get ahead of the bus.

Public transportation buses are those most frequently involved in collisions in the United States, with thousands of drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and occupants of other vehicles injured or killed since 2002. Tour bus accidents are less common than public transportation bus accidents, but the results are deadly. Because tour buses frequently travel by highway at high speeds, accidents involving tour buses have a higher than usual rate of serious injury or death.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), school buses, in contrast, are one of the safest forms of transportation. Although about 134 people are killed each year in school bus-related accidents, the vast majority of them were drivers or passengers in other vehicles. 21% of the fatalities involved pedestrians, bicyclists and others outside of the bus, with only 8% of the fatalities occurring inside of the bus.

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a bus accident, it’s a good idea to consult a bus accident lawyer. Bus accidents have unique considerations that other accident types do not. An experienced bus injury lawyer will know how to build the strongest case for you so that you can get the compensation that you need to best recover from your injuries and/or provide for future expenses.

Call us today at (866) 675-0701 and get the benefit of our over 50 years of experience and 99% success rate. Pay nothing unless you win!