With the new school year right around the corner, you want to feel secure that your children are safe within the confines of their school buses. Rest assured: school buses are considered one of the safest modes of transportation because of their unique construction.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires full-sized school buses to incorporate “compartmentalization” into their construction. It’s a crash protection design that provides a protective envelope consisting of closely spaced seats with energy-absorbing seat backs (like a carton of eggs). Fatalities occurring from school bus accidents are rare. Nonetheless, even with these safety designs, school bus accidents account for approximately 17,000 injuries annually necessitating emergency room visits.
Common causes of school bus accidents
The most frequent causes of school bus accidents are listed below.
The bus driver was speeding.
The bus driver was distracted.
The bus driver was inattentive as children got l off the bus and crossed in front of the bus.
The weather was inclement.
Other vehicles, in violation of the law, passed a stopped school bus.
The bus driver didn’t have control over the students.
The bus was poorly maintained or was defective.
The children weren’t seated.
Lack of seat belts (this last is a contentious issue as the NHTSA states that the buses are safe enough without them).
Responsible parties in a school bus accident
If a child is injured by a driver in a vehicle who illegally passes a stopped school bus, or who causes an accident because of excessive speed, or for any other negligent reason, the driver is usually the responsible party.
However, if the accident is the fault of the bus driver, or because of a poorly maintained or defective bus, or if the bus accident occurs on school grounds, it might be difficult for a layperson to know who the responsible entity is.
How a Wisconsin school bus accident attorney can help
Different circumstances determine who to file a personal injury claim against: the school district; the bus driver; the negligent motorist; or the school bus company.
As experienced Wisconsin school bus accident attorneys, we can help determine who to file a personal injury claim with, in the unfortunate event a child is injured.
If your child is ever injured in a school bus accident, please give us a call. We’ve had a lot of experience with such accidents and we’ll be able to help you determine the right course of legal action.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact us. Please click on https://www.direnzolaw.com/blog to read our other personal injury articles.
If you have any questions related to personal injury law, please call us at 920-725-8464, or toll free at 1-800-529-1552. Our personal injury consultations are always free.
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