New Orleans Bus Accident LawyersOffice Location: 400 Poydras Tower, Poydras St Suite 1975, New Orleans, LA 70130

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines a TBI as a sudden bump, blow, jolt, or penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function. A severe TBI can affect the following:

• Cognitive function (Memory and attention)
• Motor function (impaired balance, weakness in extremities)
• Sensation (hearing, vision, touch)
• Behavior and emotions (anger, depression)

If your loved one experienced a TBI, they may never return to the person you once knew. A severe TBI is a life-changing injury that often requires life-long medical and personal care. In some cases, the patient may require a nursing home facility. Rising costs of this type of care average more than $5,000 per month in Louisiana.

Spinal Cord Injury

Another severe injury is damage to the spinal cord. The spinal cord performs an important function in relaying messages to the brain regarding sensations and receiving messages from the brain regarding mobility.

A spinal cord injury is either complete or incomplete. A complete injury means there is no sensation or movement below the point of injury. An incomplete injury means there are limited sensations and movement below the injury point.

Damage to the spinal cord affects the ability to move your arms and/or legs, to feel hot and cold temperatures, and to control bodily functions.

Accident victims with this type of injury typically need power chairs, accessible transportation, and home modifications. The replacement of expensive medical equipment, the need for personal care, and rising medical care costs can range into the millions each year.

Neck & Back Injuries

The neck and back are something we tend to take for granted—until we experience back pain and can no longer turn our heads or use our bodies correctly.

The trauma of a bus accident can result in serious whiplash. Whiplash is an injury caused by the rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Symptoms of whiplash tend to develop within 24 hours of the injury and can include:

• Neck stiffness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Blurred vision

Back injuries from a New Orleans bus crash can result in a herniated disc or chronic, lower back pain. Thoracic and lumbar spine injuries are also common injuries that prevent you from returning to the activities you enjoy.

Broken Bones

With more than 200 bones in the human body, a bus crash is likely to break more than one. The severity of the break depends upon the force that caused the break. A violent impact can result in an open, compound fracture, or a comminuted fracture where the bone shatters into three or more pieces.

Broken bones may require multiple surgeries and physical therapy. Some patients may need personal assistance with daily tasks, such as cooking and bathing. The recovery process for healing broken bones is often long and frustrating for patients.

Internal Injuries

The injuries you cannot see are perhaps the most dangerous of all. You may feel fine immediately following a bus accident when in fact, you have internal bleeding or organ damage. This is why you should always accept transport to the hospital.

An internal injury is a very serious—and sometimes fatal—injury that requires immediate medical attention. Only a medical professional using testing equipment like that of a CT scan can properly diagnose and treat an internal injury.

A serious bus crash can place you at risk of one or more of these serious injuries. The driver is the only person on board who controls the bus.

If a bus driver operates the bus in a negligent manner that results in serious injuries for you, contact the experienced law firm of Stewart J. Guss Injury Lawyers.