Millions of children rely on school buses to get them safely to and from school, field trips, and after school activities. The good news is that, even without seat belts, school buses remain the safest form of road transportation. Though the risks are low, school bus accidents claimed the lives of 128 people nationwide in 2023, with most victims being pedestrians – often children getting on or off the bus – rather than passengers inside the bus.
If your child was injured in a school bus accident, it is essential to understand your legal rights as well as the legal rights of your child to secure medical care, protect your family’s financial stability, and hold all negligent parties accountable. An experienced child injury attorney can support your family through this challenging time.
School Bus Accident Statistics
This 2014-2023 injury data from the NSC provides insights into school bus accident injuries among children:
- About 71 percent of the deaths in school bus-related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus, about six percent were pedestrians, and about six percent were school bus passengers.
- Of the people injured in school bus-related crashes, about 34 percent were school bus passengers, 52 percent were occupants of other vehicles, and about four percent were pedestrians.
Determining Liability in School Bus Accidents
Understanding who may be held accountable in a school bus accident is a critical first step in protecting your child’s rights and pursuing the compensation your child and family may need to recover. But, determining who is responsible is not always straightforward because liability may rest with multiple parties. In many cases, liability may involve the school district, the bus driver, a crossing guard, a government entity, or another motorist.
- In some cases, factors such as poor vehicle maintenance or inadequate driver training may play a role – both of which may place liability on the school district.
- If the school bus driver or crossing guard is liable for the accident, a claim may be brought against the driver/crossing guard and, in many cases, their employer (typically the school district) under applicable insurance coverage.
- If another motorist is responsible, an injury claim would typically be brought against their car insurance policy.
- If unsafe road conditions were responsible for the accident, the government entity in charge of the road where the accident occurred may be liable. When a government entity is liable, injury claims can involve unique rules, shorter filing deadlines, and specific legal procedures that a personal injury attorney can help with.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
A personal injury lawyer can help by thoroughly investigating the accident, identifying all potentially responsible parties, and gathering the evidence needed to build a strong claim. An experienced attorney understands how to navigate claims against government entities, deal with insurance companies, and pursue compensation for medical expenses, future care needs, pain and suffering, and other losses. Having legal guidance allows parents to focus on their child’s recovery while protecting their family’s legal rights.
Contact a Child Injury Lawyer Today!
A child injury lawyer can help you recover a full and fair settlement for the injuries sustained to your child caused by the negligence of another. We know the sneaky strategies used by insurance companies to get injured people to agree to settlements far below what they are worth. There are no up-front costs to you to file a claim and our clients typically end up with a settlement or jury award that is five to ten times larger than they could have negotiated on their own. We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County who were injured in Washington State since 1979. Contact the experienced and hard-working child injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Mount Vernon, WA today for a FREE consultation!
