Passengers on a bus are at a greater risk of injury in an accident than are other types of motor vehicle passengers. Although more modern buses are currently equipped with seatbelts, many older buses do not have this technology. Therefore, in the event the bus is involved in an accident, passengers may be thrown by the force of impact, possibly making contact with the back of a seat or a headrest, and causing them to sustain an injury. Moreover, due to the lack of restraint on many buses, an accident victim may fall out of his or her seat and onto the floor, suffering a serious head, neck, or back injury.
Some bus accident injuries are more serious than others. While some are soft tissue injuries, others involve broken bones and fractures.
Some of the most common injuries that an accident victim may suffer in a Gwinnett County bus accident include:
- Traumatic head and brain injuries – A bus accident victim can suffer a traumatic brain or head injury by striking his or her head on the bus floor or on the headrest in front or behind.
- Broken bones – A bone fracture can occur when a bus accident victim is suddenly thrown to the floor due to a forceful collision. These types of injuries typically require surgery to correct.
- Soft tissue injuries – A soft tissue injury typically refers to a contusion or a muscular sprain/strain. Bus accident victims can suffer these injuries when their heads and necks jerk forward and backward in an abrupt motion, causing a whiplash-type injury. Although these injuries may not always require surgery to correct, they often require physical therapy, depending upon the extent of the injury sustained.
- Back and spinal cord injuries – A back or spinal cord injury typically happens when an accident victim suffers a forceful impact on his or her back or neck. In a bus accident, this may occur when a passenger falls out of his or her seat at the time of the collision, striking the neck or back on the bus floor. In the worst cases, back and spinal cord injuries can lead to partial or full paralysis, preventing the accident victim from moving and functioning.
If you or a person you love has sustained one or more of these injury types during a bus accident, the experienced team of Gwinnett County bus accident lawyers at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can assist you with pursuing monetary compensation for your injuries.
