Bus Accidents in Lexington Kentucky
A bus is a motor vehicle that carries 10 or more passengers. Whether you’re on a Lextran bus, a school bus, a privately chartered bus, or an airport or hotel shuttle, you expected to be transported from your location to your destination safely. A bus accident might be the fault of a bus driver, another driver or both of them. Since there are no seat belts or airbags to protect bus passengers, they’re vulnerable and exposed to injury, especially if they’re on a crowded Lextran bus and standing. Whether they were passengers on the bus, drivers or occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians or bicyclists, our personal injury law firm represents injured bus accident victims along with the families of those who died in bus accidents.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration searched for common causes of bus accidents in 2009. Aside from possible pedestrian interference, it found that four of the most common causes of bus accidents involved the following:
- Bus company negligence. Some bus companies ignore regulations involving the hiring and training of drivers and keeping their busses continually maintained. Poor maintenance, especially of brakes and tires, can result in a tragedy.
- Bus driver negligence involving speeding, following too closely, lane changes and distracted driving. These have all been known to cause bus crashes.
- Driver fatigue that causes bus accidents. Like truck drivers, bus drivers have hours of service rules that are intended to reduce driver fatigue. They’re often ignored.
- Bad weather and road conditions that can require bus drivers to slow down or even get off of the roadway. A bus driver’s failure to use due care and caution in adverse weather or road conditions can cause injuries or fatalities.
Get to the Emergency Room, and Then See Us
When passengers are injured in bus accidents, they can suffer severe injuries necessitating hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation. They might also lose their ability to earn an income. The economic and emotional consequences can be devastating. You’ll want to seek immediate medical attention. Then, talk with us right away in order to assure that your rights are going to be protected.
Here are some of the more common injuries that we’ve seen in the past:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Since there aren’t any seat belts or airbags on buses, there’s a significantly increased chance that a passenger might hit his or her head in a sudden stop and impact. Blunt force trauma can cause concussions that in turn cause blurred vision, nausea, loss of cognitive abilities, seizures and even personality changes.
Spinal Cord Injuries
These types of injuries can also be caused by trauma like a passenger hitting their head on a seat or window. Passengers might be thrown around inside of the bus or even ejected through a window or door. Spinal cord tears can be partial or complete. Partial tears result in paraplegia. Full tears result in quadriplegia.
Fractures
Blunt force trauma can also result in fractures. Serious fractures usually result in surgery and extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation. All of that can interfere with a victim’s ability to work for an extended period of time. There’s also a likelihood that there will be permanent residual effects from the fracture.
Whiplash
This neck injury is primarily caused by the sudden stopping of a bus due to an impact. Whiplash symptoms include neck and shoulder pain, loss of range of motion, muscle spasms and headaches. If left untreated, whiplash symptoms can get worse.
Contact a Lexington KY Bus Accident Lawyer
When a bus accident occurs, there might be several factors figuring into it that make it difficult to determine liability. You’ll want to build a solid case with experienced and effective Kentucky bus accident attorneys. Remember that we don’t just represent passengers who were injured in bus accidents. We represent other motorists and their passengers along with pedestrians and bicyclists too. If you were injured in a bus accident, or if a family member perished in one anywhere in Kentucky, contact us right away to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. Kaufman and Stigger, PLLC, has over 100 years of combined experience in personal injury cases and proudly serves the Louisville and Indiana areas. With our no-fee policy, you can feel free to call to discuss your case with qualified attorneys. Our firm only gets paid if we win a verdict or settlement on your behalf. If you are involved in a bus accident, call us at (800) 937-8443.
