Buses and other forms of public transportation do a good job of limiting the number of automobile accidents involving their passengers. However, this does not mean they are totally safe. Passengers on the bus, travelers in other vehicles, bikers, cyclists, and pedestrians can all be badly injured in a bus accident.
The size and weight of a bus can make it challenging to steer and bring to a swift halt. A bus’s weight can make it more susceptible than other vehicles to rollover accidents. The sheer number of people traveling on a bus puts a more significant number of lives at risk at once than other automobiles.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident in Long Beach, it is crucial that you contact a Long Beach bus accident attorney with Simmrin Law Group as soon as possible. Our experienced legal team is ready to help you recover the damages you are entitled to receive.
Long Beach Bus Crash Injuries
Buses are not equipped with typical safety features seen in most automotive vehicles. This means they lack airbags and seatbelts, making them more risky in some ways. In school and transit buses, passengers often travel with their bags and backpacks.
These bags and their contents can become dangerous projectiles when the bus travels at faster speeds or hits another automobile. When buses hit other motor vehicles, they can push them into oncoming traffic with tragic results. Passengers in cars, trucks, and SUVs can be crushed beneath the bus or trapped between the bus and roadside concrete barriers.
Bus Accident Injuries
Bus accident injury victims can suffer an array of traumas. Some of the most common injuries seen in bus accident victims are as follows:
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause minor concussions or serious brain damage.
- Back and neck injuries can be a constant discomfort until it heals, like a whiplash. However, it can mean more serious damage, such as paralysis from spinal cord damage.
- Burns from explosions or even chemical burns can leave a person in terrible pain, as well as seriously disfigured and badly scarred.
- Permanent disabilities or death can result from being hit by a bus.
Since many bus accidents involve children, they may face an uncertain recovery and require extensive treatments, rehabilitation, and procedures.
The Value of a Long Beach Bus Accident Claim
If you were hurt in a bus accident, whether as a passenger, driver, in or on another vehicle, or walking, you could be entitled to compensation for the damages you sustained. Since each case is different and has its own set of variables, it is difficult to estimate the value of your claim. Speak to a Simmrin Law Group bus accident lawyer in Long Beach to determine the damages to which you are entitled.
Damages You May Be Entitled to Receive
You may have the right to seek compensation for the damages you sustained if you were in a bus accident. These damages fall into three categories: economic, non-economic, and punitive.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the financial losses and expenses you sustained due to your involvement in a bus accident. These are easy to establish since the losses can be measured fairly simply. Listed below are some of the economic damages that you might be entitled to:
- Medical expenses include hospital stays, medical testing, surgeries, procedures, intensive care unit costs, prescription costs, ambulance or airlift travel, and follow-up doctor visits.
- You may be entitled to reimbursement for the expenses associated with traveling to and from doctors and specialists.
- Loss of wages can be tough as medical costs are coming in, rather than money, when you cannot work.
- Property damage is typically another vehicle, but if you have a laptop, a phone, or a smartwatch, any of these are also considered damaged property.
- The costs of rehabilitation can be extremely pricy. Sometimes this includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy.
- Mobility devices can be necessary and are an expense worth pursuing. These might include wheelchairs, walkers, canes, scooters, crutches, and lifts.
- Handicap-accessible vehicles are expensive but may be necessary, depending on the injuries sustained in a bus accident.
- Amputations and prosthetics can be a challenging thing to deal with and an expensive issue to tackle.
- Home alterations such as handrails, grab bars, ramps, bathroom accommodations, and kitchen alterations may be necessary so that the person injured in the bus accident may once again have access to their home.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate the injured bus accident victim for the less tangible things they have lost due to the bus accident. Your bus accident attorney in Long Beach can help you determine the non-economic damages that you are entitled to receive. Listed below are some common subjective losses that are often awarded to personal injury victims:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Anxiety disorders and depression
Compensatory damages help the bus accident victim overcome the issues they are left to struggle with after the wreck. The talented Long Beach legal team at Simmrin Law Group will work hard to ensure you are reimbursed for the damages you sustained in your bus injury accident.
Punitive Damages
In Long Beach, you could be entitled to punitive damages if the court sees fit. This would mean that you could potentially be awarded damages that are in place to punish the person who is liable for the accident. This usually only happens if the responsible party’s actions are particularly egregious.
The judge will use punitive damages as a way to punish the liable party or entity. It also acts to discourage the defendant and others who might be tempted to behave similarly. It is meant as a punishment and a deterrent.
Contact a Long Beach Bus Accident Lawyer Today
If you or someone you care about has been injured in a bus accident, we understand the fear, trauma, and frustration that can come with such an injury. Our goal is to help our clients recover compensation for the damages they suffered.
Reach out today for a free consultation. We will assess your case and determine how we can help.