Does your child ride the school bus to school each day? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that school buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting children back and forth to school. They have found students are 50 times more likely to arrive alive if they take the bus than if they drive themselves, are driven by a family member, or ride with friends. However, no mode of transportation is perfect. NHTSA also reports that from 2004-2013, there were 1,214 school transportation related crashes, resulting in 1,344 deaths. Of those deaths, 8 percent were individuals on board a school transportation vehicle.
While you certainly hope a tragedy like this would never happen to your family, it is important to know what course of action you have if your child is injured or killed in a school bus accident. Unfortunately, this situation can be a bit complicated, with a few different legalities to consider. The first issue, as it is with any car accident, is establishing fault. If the school bus driver has been found negligent by the police, you may be able to sue for compensation. The next issue to consider is liability. Depending on where you live, if the school bus driver is found to be at fault for the accident, you may also be able to sue the school or school district the bus driver works for and/or the manufacturer of the school bus. The third issue to contend with is the statute of limitations on filing a claim in your state.
If you find yourself in this situation, it is highly recommended that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney to assist.
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