Most Common Injuries After a SEPTA Accident
Daily SEPTA ridership can vary by month, but on average, the daily ridership is over 700,000 trips. SEPTA is one of the largest and most diverse transit systems in the country, with more than 120 bus routes, two major subway lines, trolleys and streetcars, regional rail lines, and a high-speed rail line. SEPTA mainly serves counties in Pennsylvania in and around the greater Philadelphia area, but it also connects to New Jersey and Delaware.
If you live in Pennsylvania or New Jersey and you ride SEPTA, you clearly wouldn’t be alone, and if you use SEPTA services as a part of your daily commute, you are one of many. Most SEPTA trips go smoothly, but that doesn’t mean that SEPTA is immune to accidents. When a SEPTA accident happens, the most common injuries that are reported include
Soft Tissue Injuries
When a SEPTA bus is accelerating forward but has to stop abruptly because of a hazard, derailment, or other issue, this can cause passengers to have their bodies, heads, and necks violently slam forward and then quickly jerk back. This rapid motion can cause soft tissue injuries like muscle strains, ligament sprains, and tendon damage.
Broken Bones
Sudden stops can cause passengers to slam against the walls of a SEPTA vehicle or fall inside, and this can lead to broken bones and fractures.
Head Trauma
Riders who strike their heads during a SEPTA accident can have concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) of varying severity.
Spinal and Neck Injuries
The force on the body and impact to it from a SEPTA accident can damage the spine, leading to whiplash, herniated discs, vertebral fractures, spinal cord injuries, and more.
Internal Injuries
When the body is slammed against another object like a seat, wall, or pole, internal damage can be done, such as internal bleeding, organ damage, or nerve injuries.
Disfigurement
Extreme SEPTA collisions can cause disfiguring injuries with significant and permanent scarring. These types of injuries can be extremely traumatic to deal with and may involve intensive surgeries and long-term rehab.
Psychological Harm
It can take a while for physical injuries to heal, but emotional and psychological trauma can linger for a very long time. A victim of a SEPTA accident can develop anxiety, fear public transportation, or even suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
SEPTA accidents can lead to a wide spectrum of harm, from whiplash to brain injuries and even emotional trauma. If you were in a SEPTA accident, it is essential to stay vigilant by seeking medical treatment as soon as possible and gathering as much documentation as you can, such as pictures of the accident scene or doctor’s notes, for example. Since obtaining compensation in the aftermath of a SEPTA accident can be challenging, what can be helpful is taking your case to an attorney who understands how to file and manage SEPTA accident claims.
Speak to a New Jersey and Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney Today
After a SEPTA accident, call our South Jersey personal injury lawyer at Monaco Law PC at (609) 277-3166 for our New Jersey office and (215) 546-3166 for our Pennsylvania office to discuss your case today.
We are a New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury law firm serving Atlantic County, Bucks County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Chester County, Cumberland County, Delaware County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Ocean County, Salem County, Susquehanna County and all of New Jersey.
