Being a passenger in a bus accident can be both physically and emotionally devastating. The types of injuries that are often suffered in these incidents may be mercifully minor or can be so serious as to be life threatening or life altering. Because buses are so large they are automatically likely to cause much greater harm than is true for a passenger vehicle.
Because buses are so large they are often unable to stop or even to slow down in time to minimize the impact of an accident. They also have a tendency to have a high center of gravity. This is particularly true of the double-decker buses that have become such a popular low-cost alternative form of transportation between America’s major cities. Contact a bus accident attorney who will help if you have been injured in a bus wreck.
Buses Lack Safety Belts and Other Safety Devices
When passengers riding in an automobile are involved in an accident, they have the benefit of a number of innovative safety devices that can protect them from serious injury. These include safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and airbags that are installed in a number of locations within a vehicle in order to maximize their impact for all passengers.
By contrast, very few buses that are driving on America’s roads are even equipped with safety belts, and even those buses that do have them installed have no requirement that makes passengers wear them. As a result, when an accident occurs a passenger can easily be thrown to the floor, against the seat in front of them, or even through the window.
Common Injuries from Bus Accidents
There are a wide range of physical injuries that can befall passengers on board buses. These include broken bones, burns, soft tissue injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and traumatic brain injuries. Unfortunately, bus accident victims also frequently die as a result of their injuries, leaving their loved ones devastated by loss.
When these injuries and tragedies occur, many people feel that there is no remedy available to them, but that is not the case. An experienced bus accident attorney will be able to help you determine whether your suffering was a result of negligence, and if so will be able to hold the guilty parties responsible and make them pay for the harm they’ve caused.