Bus accident injuries are rarely minor, often causing victims incredibly expensive medical bills, which might just be the tip of the iceberg regarding their damages from a crash. After suffering skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, facial disfigurement, or other harms, we can build a case that facilitates your speedy and fair recovery.
Injuries are provable through medical records, so prioritize your physical health and seek medical attention for any visible or apparent injuries, including contusions, lacerations, back injuries, and head injuries. Before leaving the scene, consider preserving evidence by photographing property damage and debris, calling 911 so police officers can write a crash report, and getting eyewitnesses’ contact information. We will continue building evidence and obtaining any at risk of getting destroyed, like footage from security camera systems that are often installed in buses.
Call Rice Law for a free case review from our bus accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.
Common Bus Accident Injuries in Beltsville
Bus accidents present a high risk of injury to passengers. Injuries might be challenging to heal from, permanent, and in some cases, fatal, warranting lawsuits against the party or parties responsible for a crash in Beltsville.
Skull and Brain Injuries
Whether you are standing up or sitting down as a bus passenger, if an accident happens, there is a high risk of head or brain injury. Smacking into the seat in front of you or hitting the side of the bus or another fixed object like a handrail creates the risk of skull fractures, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries. These are some of the most challenging injuries to recover from, and some victims experience a permanent decline in cognitive abilities and motor functions after suffering brain injuries. There may also be a concern of brain bleeding or swelling, especially if there is also a skull fracture that might require urgent surgery and intense follow-up care. Some head and brain injuries require victims to stay under evaluation at the hospital for days or weeks to ensure no further complications or concerns. This is incredibly expensive, and in these situations, our bus accident lawyers can begin tracking the cost of treatment for victims while they are still in the hospital and get working on their claims so that they do not have to delay their lawsuits.
Neck and Spine Injuries
Like brain and head injuries, neck and spine injuries are very concerning. If you suspect a neck injury after a bus accident, try your best to remain still and have paramedics come so that they can take you to the emergency room while keeping you immobilized properly so the injury does not worsen during transport. With these injuries, there is a possibility of needing multiple invasive surgeries, years of physical therapy, and considerable mental and emotional distress for victims. Even when injuries are not permanent, and victims can make full physical recoveries, they will likely have to take time away from work during this period, regardless of their occupational responsibilities, as neck injuries are very physically limiting.
Facial Injuries
Facial injuries like broken noses, jaws, brow bones, and cuts and bruises to the face are also common. These injuries could happen when victims fall to the floor during accidents, collide with other passengers in the vehicle, or have broken glass fly in their faces. Some facial injuries will require reconstructive and plastic surgery, the cost of which should be covered in your lawsuit. Facial injuries can also be very emotionally distressing for victims, worsening the intangible damages they suffer and thus increasing their deserved recoveries during lawsuits.
Lacerations and Contusions
Lacerations and contusions throughout the body are common. They could be indicative of possible internal injuries, so it is wise to get checked out by medical professionals even if you feel generally okay after an accident. Deep lacerations could contain debris like glass or dirt, so getting them cleaned out will be important to prevent infection. Furthermore, some victims are understandably in shock after major bus crashes and other motor vehicle accidents and might unknowingly and unintentionally ignore some underlying injuries until it is several days or weeks later. Listening to your body and taking any pain seriously after an accident is important.
Fatal Injuries
Bus accidents can be very chaotic and catastrophic for bus passengers and the drivers and passengers of the cars buses collide with. When these accidents turn fatal, victims’ survivors may be able to seek damages for their loved ones’ through wrongful death lawsuits. Our attorneys can also help with these claims, which differ somewhat from typical personal injury lawsuits.
Preserving Evidence from Bus Accidents in Beltsville
One of the most helpful things you can do in the immediate aftermath of a bus crash is to document the scene with photographs and by calling the police. When many victims are involved in these crashes, which is often the case, involving law enforcement is crucial so that they can write accurate accident reports for our lawyers to refer to in the future.
Do your best to get the contact information of eyewitnesses, other bus passengers, and others whose statements would be useful to our attorneys. Taking pictures can also preserve property damage to involved vehicles and debris, glass, tire marks, or car parts left on the road from the collision. We will give these photos to accident reconstruction experts in many cases, who can use them to confirm whether or not the bus driver or another driver on the road was ultimately at fault for the wreck. In addition to bus black box data, reviewing possible footage from bus security cameras may provide more context about a collision and a bus driver’s actions, and we can work to preserve this footage after taking on your case.
Call Us for Help with Your Case in Beltsville Today
Call Rice Law for a confidential and free case analysis from our bus accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.