An extreme amount of force is required to fracture most bones in the human body. Unfortunately, that level of force is easy to obtain when dealing with a bus or trolley. Many victims of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) crashes have difficulty returning to work while recovering from broken bones. If you’ve been hurt in a bus crash or slipped and fell on SEPTA property, an attorney is necessary for the financial side of your recovery journey.
What to Do After Breaking a Bone in a SEPTA Collision
Creating a paper trail on both the accident itself and your broken bone injury is necessary to recover damages after an accident. Immediately after the collision, report the accident to the bus driver and the police, photograph the scene, speak with witnesses to gather their contact information, and seek medical attention.
After seeing a doctor to assess your injuries, your next move should always be to contact an experienced personal injury attorney with knowledge of SEPTA cases. Because the Transportation Authority is a government organization, either seeking an insurance settlement or pursuing a lawsuit can come with serious challenges. SEPTA personal injury cases are unique due to the limited timeframes to file a suit and several legal defenses frequently used to try to deny payment.
These challenges are why it is critical to begin working with an attorney as soon as possible after the accident. Your legal team can help your recovery by negotiating with insurance or taking your case to court, as well as serving as an important resource for avoiding common pitfalls that may interfere with recovering the compensation you deserve.
Types of Broken Bones in SEPTA Accidents and Potential Compensation
The potential for fractures during any vehicle crash is high. You may break a bone if directly struck by a SEPTA bus as a pedestrian or driver, or if you slam into the inside of a SEPTA vehicle while riding as a passenger. In these types of crashes, you can easily experience breaks to your:
- Arm
- Back/spinal cord
- Collarbone
- Foot
- Hips
- Hands/fingers
- Legs
- Pelvis
- Ribs
- Skull/facial bones
- Sternum
Broken bone injuries range in severity depending on the specific type of fracture. For instance, a transverse fracture occurs when a bone breaks in two at a right angle, while a compound fracture involves the bone breaking through the skin and often requires surgery to repair. On the more severe end, a comminuted fracture involves a bone shattering into three or more pieces.
More serious fractures often lead to weeks or months of recovery, or in some cases result in permanent disfigurement or disability. It’s important to note that broken bones may also come with other associated injury types beyond just the fracture itself. For example, suffering a skull fracture may also include a traumatic brain injury with its own serious health consequences.
Any type of fracture in a bus or trolley collision, from shattered elbow joints to broken legs, often requires expensive medical treatment that is calculated in any potential settlement or court judgment. Your attorney can utilize medical records to prove your injury was caused by the accident, then gather and present evidence that SEPTA’s negligence was responsible for the injury. With your lawyer’s help, you have a legal right to seek compensation for costs like:
- ER visits and time spent in the hospital
- Physical therapy sessions
- Out-of-pocket costs if you need to travel while seeking treatment
- Economic damages from loss of wages while recovering
- Further loss of earning potential if you need to get a lower-paying job or are unable to work in any capacity due to the injury
- Pain and suffering if the injury results in a loss of quality of life
Don’t Wait to Take Legal Action After a SEPTA Crash
Our legal team wants to know more about your case to find out if we are the right fit to help you recover damages after a crash. Get in touch today and let us know the details of your accident so we can set up a consultation.
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