When it comes to school bus accidents, bus driver error is a common cause, as well as negligent driving on the part of passing motorists. Though buses are generally considered to be safe because of their size, various circumstances give rise to serious injuries among school-age children.
There are many types of school buses, from large transit-style school buses similar to the commuter buses operated by transit authorities in metropolitan areas, to small school buses carrying fewer passengers (many of them outfitted with three-point seatbelts).
Millions of children in the U.S. are transported everyday to and from school and to school-related sporting events and extracurricular activities. If your child was injured in a school bus accident as a passenger, when getting on or off the bus, or when crossing the street, contact us at 866-798-0737 for a free consultation.
Representing Injured Schoolchildren in Bus Accidents
If your child was injured in a school bus accident, the responsible parties are often the bus driver, the school district, and/or a private contractor who may operate the school bus on behalf of the school district.
The cases we handle regarding school buses usually involve the following situations:
- Bus drivers driving off and not seeing schoolchildren in the blind zones near or around the bus
- Motorists failing to stop for the crossing arm and stop sign, hitting a child trying to board or exit the bus and/or crossing the street
- A child mistakenly left behind on the school bus or not dropped off at his or her stop
- Flawed design: most school buses do not have seat belts (except for many small buses); these buses may not comply with federal safety standards, such as reinforced steel in case of rollover
- Dangerous 15-passenger vans that are used as shuttles in transporting children to and from school-related activities
- Older buses with deficient structural integrity; when these types of buses are involved in an accident, the passengers are more likely to be injured
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that schoolchildren and teenagers are actually safer riding in school buses to and from school than they are riding or driving cars. Despite this apparent fact (largely because of federal safety standards mandating safer school bus design), school bus accidents still happen and do cause injuries to children every year.
Contact Us
It's never easy when it comes to children. And because we've been representing people as Texas personal injury lawyers since 1990, we understand. For a free consultation, contact us at 866-798-0737 today.
