The Unique Dangers of Bus Accidents
While most drivers know to be especially wary around trucks, that same caution isn’t often extended to buses and other passenger-ferrying vehicles, marking a significant gap in familiarity with the dangers of bus accidents. Despite only a couple hundred fatal bus accidents occurring annually, these collisions are significantly more likely than other crashes to maim or seriously injure their passengers and have good odds of killing the occupants of other vehicles. Though the causes of bus accidents vary, at minimum, these crashes are just as dangerous as truck accidents in Nevada, and in some ways, are even more deadly.
Mass and Design Concerns
Whether you’re a bus passenger or are being hit by a bus, the overall design of a passenger bus is likely to be your chief concern. By dint of their form factor and size, buses present numerous unique dangers on the road:
As with any truck/ large vehicle, the sheer mass of buses makes them especially lethal if they strike other cars or pedestrians; furthermore, buses can’t slow down or steer rapidly, making bus accidents higher-velocity and more direct on average as compared to other collisions.- Buses have even higher profiles and centers of gravity than most trucks, rendering them all the more susceptible to rollover accidents. Furthermore, unlike with trucks, the distribution of “cargo” (i.e. passengers) in a bus is often unevenly distributed, contributing further to rollover risk.
As with any truck/ large vehicle, the sheer mass of buses makes them especially lethal if they strike other cars or pedestrians; furthermore, buses can’t slow down or steer rapidly, making A Lack of Safety Devices
Beyond its overall make and build, the internal portions of a bus are far more dangerous than other vehicles in most contexts. For one, buses generally lack airbags of any variety (save for in the driver’s seat), providing passengers scarcely anything to cushion an impact. Similarly, since most buses don’t feature passenger seat belts, riders are often ejected from their seats altogether in high-velocity crashes. This has the minor upside of minimizing the odds of whiplash but makes secondary collision injuries (such as traumatic brain injuries, cuts, bruises, and other wounds) caused by being thrown about the bus far more common. This is exacerbated by the large, open spaces in buses, which give airborne passengers a dangerous amount of room to accelerate before striking something.
Talk to a Nevada Bus Accident Attorney
If you’ve been involved in a bus accident as a passenger or within a secondary vehicle, it’s vital that you talk to a Nevada bus accident attorney at (702) 550-1111 before getting too far into the claims process. Filing for compensation from a government agency or commercial bus company is a complex affair, and you’ll need the help of a legal professional to stave off the efforts of insurance adjusters and the opposing side’s attorneys.
Aaron Law Group can help, so don’t hesitate; our compassionate Las Vegas professionals are glad to answer any questions you might have about the aftermath of a bus accident, and can furthermore help you come to an honest, informed decision as to whether a lawyer is right for you. You deserve compensation and a stress-free recovery process, so we’ll help get you on track with an efficient, sensible plan that can remove tedium and confusion from the process.
