Many Queenslanders spend a lot of time on buses, whether it’s the daily commute to work, TAFE or university or traveling to school.
Having more significant capacity compared to most vehicles, accidents involving busses can cause injury to many people at the same time.
If you have been involved in a bus accident and have sustained injuries you may be unable to work and require ongoing medical care which can be expensive. If you have sustained an injury on a bus due to another person’s negligence, including the driver, you may be eligible to lodge a claim for compensation.
As a bus driver, you too may have a claim for compensation if you have been injured whilst working. You may also be eligible to make a workers compensation claim, depending on the cause of the injury.
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Common Types of Injuries From Bus Accidents
There can be many reasons why accidents and subsequent injuries happen from bus accidents. Common types of bus accidents can include: Driver error on the part of bus driver, Driver error on the part of other drivers on the road, causing an road traffic collision involving the bus, and, Accidents sustained due to poor management of the internal furniture of the bus.
No matter the type of bus or bus company involved in bus crashes or the how they occurred, you as a passenger, may sustain serious injuries, may be entitled to claim compensation. The most common sorts of bus accident injuries include:
The impact created when a vehicle stops suddenly, can cause your head to jerk forwards, then backwards. This sudden movement causes strain on the muscles and tendons of the neck, to the shoulders and down the back. Whiplash can be painful and take several years to recover from.
The force and impact of the accident can cause the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower back to overstretch or tear. Sprains and strains usually lead to acute low back pain, tightness and muscle spasms.
Your legs, arms, and ribcage may bear the brunt of the bus accident and can break and fracture easily. Broken bones are very common injuries and are rarely permanent or life-threatening, although some broken bones may require surgery to set the bone and place hardware to help your bones heal correctly. Open fractures occur when the fractured bone punctures the skin, are considered severe, and generally require surgincal intervention.
Internal bleeding is often associated with fractures and can be a sign of other serious internal injuries. If left untreated, even for a short time, internal bleeding can lead to the loss of limbs or vital organs and in serious cases can cause death.
During bus accidents, you can easily hit your head causing a concussion. Concussion may lead to issues with memory and the general feeling your brain is not working as it normally does.
A traumatic brain injury can change the way your brain functions, handles information and processes emotions. While you can recover from a brain injury to some degree, depending on the type and severity of the damage, treating it may be a lifelong process.
Any form of brain injury should never be ignored and seeking medical treatment and assessment will put you in the best position recover fully.
Anytime our bodies undergo a situation of extreme stress or trauma – such as a bus accident– there is the potential to develop PTSD. Symptoms can include being scared of driving after an accident, aversion to certain sounds or images, or even sleeping problems due to anxiety or nightmares. Professional psychological treatment should be sought immediately after symptoms are noticed.
What You Can Claim For Bus Accidents in QLD?
Medical expenses, future medical costs and out of pocket expenses
You are able to claim for medical costs incurred that are directly related to the bus accident, including pharmaceutical expenses, rehabilitation aids and appointments with medical professionals after a bus accident. Any medical treatment you receive will need to be documented and you will need to ensure that you keep all medical bills. These will be used to form a basis of your claim.
Economic damages: past and future losses
You may find that you need time off work to recovery from your injuries. If your injuries prevent you from working you are entitled to claim for any lost wages and the potential income you may not be able to earn due to your long standing injuries. In addition to this, if your injury has caused you to become less efficient at work, this is something that will be factored into you claim.
Additionally, if there is an expectation that you will be unable to continue working as you did before the injury was incurred, these future economic losses with be accounted for in your claim.
Ongoing pain and suffering - General damages
Bus accident victims can suffer with pain after a bus accident and can endure pain and suffering in the future as a result of their injuries. Although in Queensland, there are strictly imposed restrictions on general damages, they can be claimed.
Housekeeping, caregiving and attendant care costs
If your injuries are substantial, you may require assistance to do everyday tasks that were previously not an issue for you prior to your bus accident. The help and assistance you receive during this time of recovery will need to be documented in order to include in your bus accident compensation claim – even if you don’t pay for the help directly.
The Bus Injury Claims Process
Your claim for compensation will depend on the circumstances surrounding the incident. An injury associated with a bus could be a motor vehicle accident claim, public liability claim or even a industrial workers' compensation claim. Each of these processes involve different steps, therefore, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible to better understand your entitlements, the claim type your injury falls under, and they can advise you in relation to timelines to ensure your ability to claim is not affected.
As many bus accident claims are motor vehicle accidents, a brief outline of the initial steps involved is below:
1. Seek Medical Assistance
Your physical and mental health are always first priority. Seek medical assistance for any injuries, and even if they are not apparent immediately, it is wise to visit the local emergency department, to be checked over by doctors. No matter where you are treated for your injuries, it's important that you mention the circumstances by which you sustained your injuries. Be sure to obtain a full injury assessment and keep all documentation as this will form part of the process for seeking compensation.
2. Report Your Accident to The Police
It is important to ensure that the accident from which your injury arose, is reported to the police, and you note the QP number associated with that report. This is important to ensure that if police intervention is required to ensure similar accidents are less likely to occur in the future, and reporting the accident to the police is an essential part of a motor vehicle accident claim.
3. Speak to a Lawyer
Speak to a personal injury lawyer to better understand your rights and entitlements under the law, and the potential avenues you have open to you in terms of compensation. Most law firms will provide a complimentary initial conversation in which you can gain the aforementioned information.
4. Funding for Medical Treatment
If you choose to run a bus accident claim, you lawyer will attempt to secure funding for treatment of your injuries, in order to encourage healing
Frequently Asked Questions
Get expert advice today
To check your compensation entitlements, request a free case review with our expert lawyers. We can explain your options to Bus Accident claims so you are clear on your rights during this difficult time.
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Disclaimer: This information is designed for general information in relation to Queensland compensation law. It does not constitute legal advice. We strongly recommend you seek legal advice in regards to your specific situation. For help understanding your rights, please call 1800 960 482 or request a free case review to talk to one of our lawyers today.