For generations big, yellow buses have been carrying children to and from school.
Each day you trust them to carry your most precious cargo, your kids.
And the truth is that school buses are designed to be a safe mode of transportation.
Looking at the statistics, school buses are dramatically safer than if the children were travelling in their parents’ cars.
In fact, the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reports school buses are seven times safer than cars. [Source]
But the reality is that despite being exceptionally safe, school bus accident injuries do happen.
Sometimes the injuries are from hitting another vehicle, sometimes a kid can get hurt after getting off the school bus, and sometimes it’s just crossing the street.
Let’s take a look at three different scenarios, all dealing with school bus injury accidents.
Sometimes the other vehicle is a school bus
Take the Gilbert bus accident at Gilbert and Recker Roads in December 2014.
It was a cool December morning when a bus carrying 40 school children for the Gilbert School District was making it’s way to the school for drop-off. Suddenly there was a wrenching stop when the larger bus collided with a smaller bus operated by Tutor Time.
Glass shattered on the larger bus, resulting in minor injuries to the students, none of which required medical treatment. Both buses sustained damage and of course, there were a lot of scared children!
In this scenario, it’s fortunate that the kids involved weren’t hurt.
It’s the job of the emergency services personnel to make sure the kids aren’t seriously injured or in need of immediate medical care but it’s our experience that many injuries may not show at the time of an accident.
Since there’s just no way to easily tell if your child sustained an injury that can present later, the Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer recommends seeking medical attention especially if the accident involves children. While they may not show symptoms initially, they can suffer long-term injuries if left untreated.
And if you’re not sure whether you have a case, contact us anyway.
There are unique rules on handling cases involving school bus accidents and we can make sure that your rights are protected.
School bus accidents happen – stay alert at all times
Children will run in front of a bus to cross the street without giving thought to traffic.
The tragic death of 8-year-old Elizabeth Bates underscored that sometimes the systems you think are in place don’t cover everything. In 2012 a young girl was struck and killed by a motorist because the school bus driver hadn’t extended the STOP sign to notify drivers that children were getting off the bus.
At the time the law was such that they were only required to do so on public roads. The school district used this as their defense against criminal charges for the bus driver.
Elizabeth’s family lobbied to get the legislation changed and in 2013 the law was revised, requiring school bus drivers to extend the STOP signs even when on rural or private roads.
Even with the law change, bus drivers aren’t perfect. It takes just one moment of inattention to cause a tragedy.
And while these types of school bus accidents aren’t common, it’s critical to get expert legal assistance immediately.
The truth is that your mind is on protecting your child, not worrying about your legal rights. That’s why we do everything so that you don’t have to.
Being in a crosswalk doesn’t mean you’re safe
Just ask former Skyline high school student Wynnona Brookes.
Talking with her friends, Wynnona was crossing the street at a crosswalk to head home when a school bus drove through the crosswalk, hitting her and knocking her down. She suffered major injuries because the school bus driver failed to yield at the crosswalk.
Wynnona went through a painful year of recovery as her body healed from the extensive injuries and her family piled up big medical expenses. Fortunately for her, she reached a settlement with the Mesa Public Schools.
If you or your child has been in an injury accident involving a school bus, it’s time to call Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer for a free case review.
Our expert team understands the unique rules of pursuing school bus accident injury cases and will make sure that your rights are protected right from the beginning.
Contact us or call the experienced team at Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer at 602-535-5899.
