Bus Accident Injuries

Bus Accident Injuries

Statistically, bus accidents far less often than car crashes, though when they do happen, they tend to get more attention than other types of accidents, and they tend to cause more severe injuries.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), about 16,207 buses were involved in 15,978 crashes in 2015, killing 295 people and injuring 16,983 more.

The injuries resulting from these crashes are as varied as the accidents themselves. However, some types of injuries are commonly seen in bus accidents including:

1Head and Brain
Head and brain injuries occur when a passenger hits their face or head violently against a window, another passenger, or in the case of a rollover, the bus roof and sides. This type of traumatic brain injury can be mild to severe, usually dependent on the force with which the brain is jarred back and forth. Even if there are no visible cuts or marks on the head, the passenger may still suffer concussion, brain swelling, bleeding on the brain, and possibly even cognitive disorders.
2Back and Spine
Passengers commonly suffer back injuries like muscle strains and tendon and ligament sprains in accidents. More severe injuries may occur depending on the crash type such as spinal fracture, disc and vertebrae injury, and even severe nerve damage. These types of injuries can have long-lasting if not life-long effects and dramatically change quality of life.
3Neck, Shoulder, and Arm
The shoulder is commonly injured in bus accidents as it is often slammed against the side of the vehicle upon impact. Muscle and tendon injuries like whiplash in the neck and bone fractures in the arm and hand are also common in impact accidents.
4Pelvis and Leg
Hip and leg injuries are common in rollover accidents, especially because there aren’t seat belts to hold passengers in, and in fall accidents, like when a bus starts moving before passengers are seated, or when passengers fall while exiting or boarding.
5Psychological Harm
A bus crash can be traumatic no matter how minor it may be, but when multiple people are hurt, bleeding, not moving, or screaming in fear and pain, psychological and emotional injury can ensue, and post-traumatic stress disorder is not uncommon.
6Internal Injuries
Internal organs may be injured in severe and violent crashes. Rollovers, rear-end collisions, and side-impacts can cause passengers great internal injury to any organ. The liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and heart can be pierced or punctured by the passengers own broken bones or from blunt force trauma.

Broken bones and soft tissue injuries are the most common injury in all vehicle crash types, not just buses, and these can be some of the hardest to heal, repair, and live with. Bones sometimes ache long after a fracture has healed and soft-tissue injuries can take an extended period of time to heal, and still may not allow the injured passenger to return to their normal life.

If you have been hurt in a bus crash, having to worry about medical costs, bills, daily living costs, and supporting yourself and your family will only slow recovery and healing. Fortunately, financial compensation may be available to you for your injuries, suffering, lost wages, and other damages. Fill out the form for a free consultation and learn more about how to recover compensation for your injuries and losses.


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