Was Your Child Injured in a School Bus Accident?

Concerns about school safety often revolve around high-profile school shootings. However, your child is much more likely to be injured while riding a bus to and from school than from a violent attack by a gunman.

At Earnhart Law, our Delray Beach personal injury attorneys have helped those injured in bus accidents obtain compensation for their injuries. According to the National Safety Council, about 13,000 people are injured in bus accidents each year, including 4,000 children, so these are not rare accidents. Give our Delray Beach personal injury lawyers a call to discuss your case.

Types of Bus Accidents

Children can be injured when getting on or off the bus or while riding. Some of the more common incidents that lead to injuries include:

• A child can trip or slip in a bus aisle or when stepping on or off the bus. The aisles could be cluttered or there could be spilled liquids that reduce traction. Poorly constructed or designed buses are also a challenge to exit safely.
• Violent attacks. Your child could be injured by a fellow student on the bus. School districts should have policies regarding bullying and how a driver is supposed to respond. Unfortunately, many drivers might ignore or not know the protocol.
• The driver could have made an error that led to a collision, injuring your student. Buses are not usually equipped with seat belts, so your child could get tossed around after a crash.
• A school bus could roll over if it leaves the road and trips on something. Students can be severely injured in this type of accident.
• Bus malfunction. Sometimes, school districts do not properly maintain a bus, which leads to an accident. For example, the steering or brake systems could fail, and the bus could crash.

Determining fault in an accident requires careful consideration of evidence. School districts are often unwilling to fully open the books so that family members can really understand what happened. Hiring an attorney gives you a chance to protect your child’s rights.

Suing a School District in Florida

In some situations, a third party could be at fault for the crash. For example, many districts have contracted out their bussing to private companies. However, it is not always clear that districts can escape liability by doing this.

If the district is to blame, then obtaining compensation is often difficult. Florida law requires that you provide written notice to the district and then wait a certain amount of time for them to investigate the incident. Failure to follow these steps will prevent you from obtaining compensation, so work with an attorney who understands the process for suing a public entity.

Contact Our Law Firm for Assistance

Parents are rightly angry whenever their children are injured while at school. Bus accidents are often avoidable had the driver or district been more careful. Fortunately, we can seek monetary damages for your child’s injuries.

Give Eanrnhart Law a call at 561-265-2220. We have provided compassionate legal assistance to the Delray Beach community for over 30 years. Our consultations are free.

Resource:

injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/school-bus/