Friday, March 13, 2015
There are many different transportation options for your child to get to and from school, including walking, riding a bicycle, carpooling in a car, and more. However, one of the most popular ways for children to travel is by riding the school bus. Not only do school buses eliminate millions of cars from the roads each day, but school buses are also widely thought to be the safest way for your child to travel to school each day. This is because school buses are designed specifically to avoid tipping or rolling over in the event of a collision and are reinforced to protect the young passengers on board. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that while over 33,500 individuals died1 in general motor vehicle crashes in general in 2012, only an average of 19 children die in accidents related to school transportation on an annual basis.
When you agree to allow your child to travel by school bus, you should be able to expect that your child will arrive at school and back home in a safe condition. While accidents involving school buses are relatively rare, they do occur and children riding the bus can sustain serious injuries. If your child is injured during a school bus ride, you should expect that whoever was responsible for the accident should be held liable for any losses you incurred due to the injuries. However, school bus accidents can often be quite complicated and recovery is not always as easy as you may imagine. For this reason, your first call should be to an experienced personal injury attorney at the Dolman Law Group who understands the unique nature of school bus injury cases.
Common causes of school bus injuries
When you think of school bus injuries, you likely immediately think of an incident in which the school bus collides with another vehicle or object. There are many different parties who may be responsible for school bus collisions for various reasons. Some examples of negligence that may cause this type of accident include the following:
· School bus driver error, including distracted driving, impaired driving, fatigued driving, not having the proper training or license, violating traffic laws, and other reckless driving behaviors.
· Poor maintenance of the school bus resulting in malfunctions.
· Dangerous road hazards or conditions that cause a bus driver to lose control.
· Third party driver errors.
While collisions do cause a number of the injuries suffered on school buses, there are many other ways in which injuries can occur in a school bus setting. For example:
· Slip and fall accidents while entering or exiting the school bus
· Slip and fall accidents in the aisle of the bus
· Defective or poorly maintained windows that can seriously injure finger or arms
· Broken seats that can cause a child to fall or become trapped
· Assaults from other students that occur due to inadequate supervision by bus personnel
· Dangerously planned school bus stops that result in pedestrian accidents
No matter how your child suffered injury on the school bus, any negligent parties that contributed to the injury should be held accountable for their actions.
Complications in school bus accident cases
Though you deserve to fully recover for your child's injuries and losses, school bus accident cases can be complicated. Many different parties may be liable for your losses depending on what type of entity owned the school bus. For example, buses can be owned by public school districts, private school districts, churches or similar organizations, or a private company that contracts the buses to a school. The legal issue that may arise in your school bus accident case will vary depending on the cause of the injury, who owned the bus, and other factors. For this reason, you should always make sure to choose a personal injury lawyer who understands the complexities of this type of case.
Call a Clearwater personal injury lawyer for help today
If your child has sustained any type of injury on a school bus, please do not hesitate to call a personal injury attorney at the Dolman Law Group to discuss a possible case today. We offer free consultations, so please call us at 727-451-6900 for help.
Dolman Law Group
Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 451-6900
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 451-6900
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