San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog
On February 7, a school bus carrying students crashed into another vehicle in Lancaster, California. The bus rolled over and hit a utility pole near East Lancaster Boulevard and 20th Street East. The accident occurred around 7:15 a.m. while the bus was carrying eight students with special needs and two of their aids. Seven students suffered minor injuries and one suffered critical injuries. The driver of the other vehicle, a Cadillac, was also taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The crash is currently under investigation though an initial statement from the bus driver alleged that the Cadillac ran a red light.
This accident is one example of the type of collision a school bus can be involved in. While school bus accidents are generally rare, they are not unheard of and can result in serious injuries and fatalities. While the students in Lancaster had seat belts and were wearing them, many students do not have safety belts in their buses or choose not to wear them. This is one of the reasons students may be seriously injured in a school bus crash. If you or a your child was hurt while riding the school bus, contact a San Francisco school bus accident lawyer from Brod Law Firm to learn about your legal objects.
School Bus Accidents
According to the National Highway traffic Safety Administration, there were 1,214 school-transportation-related accidents between 2004 and 2013. From these incidents, 1,344 individuals were killed, which amounts to an average of 134 deaths each year. Individuals operating or riding in the school transportation made up 8% of these fatalities, individuals in other vehicles accounted for 71% of deaths, and 21% of those killed were pedestrians, bicyclists, or others. Of the pedestrians killed between 2004 and 2013, 116 were 18 years or younger. Most of them were struck by school buses or vehicles functioning as school buses while one-third were hit by another type of vehicle.
Causes of Bus Accidents
School bus accidents can happen for a number of reasons, including:
- Speeding or other traffic violations
- Failing to stop at a railroad crossing
- Driving too fast for the road or weather conditions
- Driver error
- Intoxicated driving
- Drowsy driving
- Distraction
- Improperly trained or uncertified bus driver
- Poorly or unmaintained school bus
- Defective parts on the school bus
- Traffic congestion
- Construction
Recovering After a Bus Accident
If you or your child is hurt in a school bus accident, who you recover compensation from will depend on who caused the collision and the resulting injuries. If a driver of another vehicle caused the crash, you will need to file a claim with that driver’s auto insurance provider or file a personal injury suit against that individual. If that driver was an employee on duty at the time of the accident, you will likely need to deal with his or her employer, which can lead to your suing a business to recover. However, if the accident was caused by the bus driver, you will need to deal with the bus driver’s employer, which may be your school district.
Contact a San Francisco School Bus Accident Lawyer for Help
Dealing with a school bus accident can be tricky, particularly if the crash was caused by the bus driver. If your family is suffering due to the crash, an experienced personal injury attorney from Brod Law Firm can help. Our lawyers can investigate the collision and explain your legal options, including recovering through an insurer or filing a personal injury claim in court. To learn more, contact Brod Law Firm at (800) 427-7020.
(image courtesy of Joel Peel)