Five Common Bus Crash Injuries

Bus driver error, such as extreme fatigue or distraction, causes about 90 percent of the bus crash injuries in California.

Many bus drivers are behind the wheel early in the morning or late at night. Most people are naturally drowsy at these times, regardless of the amount of sleep they had the previous night. Bus driver distraction is an issue because many bus drivers are also chaperones and tour guides. No one can safely multitask behind the wheel. Failure to wear a seat belt often exacerbates the injuries described below.

Whether or not the victim was buckled up, a San Marcos personal injury lawyer obtains maximum compensation for serious injuries. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Whiplash

This head-neck injury is a soft tissue injury that’s difficult to diagnose. Whiplash is also a degenerative condition which, if not properly and promptly treated, could cause paralysis.

Extreme, violent motion causes whiplash, and the motion in a bus crash is about as extreme and violent as it gets. As mentioned, most buses don’t have seat belts. As a result, during collisions, passengers are tossed about.

The motion injures nerves in the cervical spine. Since initial symptoms usually include neck pain, many doctors dismiss whiplash as accident soreness. The condition quickly progresses, as pain radiates down the arms. At this point, whiplash’s progress is difficult to reverse.

Broken Bones

After being tossed about, a severe impact usually doesn’t just break bones. That impact often crushes them.

The more severe injury requires more aggressive medical treatment. Normally, doctors must use metal parts, like plates and pins, to surgically reconstruct the bone. The more aggressive treatment means longer, more difficult, and more expensive physical therapy.

Bus crash broken bones often create damage disputes. Many insurance adjusters believe all broken bones are alike and all can be treated for the same amount of money. A San Marcos personal injury lawyer works to ensure that victims get the medical treatment they need, not the medical treatment an adjuster is willing to pay for.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

The motion of a bus crash injures nerves and crushes bones. This motion also causes the brain to slam against the skull.

Contrary to popular myth, the brain is about the size of a coffee mug. So, the skull is basically a water tank that suspends the brain in cerebrospinal fluid. Sustaining a head injury is like shaking a raw egg. The motion essentially scrambles the brain. These injuries are permanent. Dead brain cells don’t regenerate.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spine is a long chain of bones connected by fragile nerves. Extreme motion usually knocks the chain out of alignment, causing injuries like pinched nerves which are difficult to treat and extremely painful.

PTSD

Physical injuries are only part of the story. Bus crash injuries also include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. In fact, simply witnessing a fatal injury or being trapped in a wrecked vehicle can leave long-lasting emotional scars. That’s especially true if children are involved, such as in school bus crashes.

Count on a Savvy San Diego County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Carlsbad, contact the Pursley Law Firm. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.

Source:

cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2013/12/human-error-cause-vehicle-crashes/