Going back to school means riding on a bus for many students. While buses are typically safe, because of the size of the vehicle, a bus accident can result in serious injuries.
When parents put their kids on the school bus, they expect that they will make it safely to school. And thankfully, most do — every day, thousands of buses deliver children to school without incident. But when an accident does occur — due to driver error, poor road conditions, other drivers, poor maintenance or any other reason — the results can be catastrophic.
School buses are just one type of bus on our roadways. Charter buses, city buses, and other types of buses are all driving through the streets and highways every single day. In many cases, charter buses present the biggest risk of accidents, as they tend to travel along highways and freeways at much higher rates of speed. This increases the risk of a crash — and the chance that the passengers could be very seriously hurt or even die.
The Danger of Bus Accidents
When a bus does have an accident, the consequences can be quite severe. That is what a group of college students in Virginia learned last year. Traveling back to school after the Thanksgiving holiday, the 50 students abroad a charter bus had an absolutely terrifying experience after their bus driver lost control of the vehicle. The 58 year old driver was attempting to merge onto a highway via a ramp when he lost control of the bus, causing it to leave the roadway and tip onto its side. Of the 50 people aboard the bus, 34 were injured, including one critically. The driver was charged with reckless driving when the police determined that speed was a factor in the crash. Thankfully, it appears that all of the passengers will make a full recovery from this accident — but they still suffered injuries and may even require ongoing treatment.
As mentioned above, charter buses present unique dangers because they tend to travel on highways at higher rates of speed. They also are typically full of passengers, plus their luggage and other belongings. Because these buses do not usually have seatbelts, passengers can be violently tossed around the cabin of the bus — along with their luggage and other bags. For this reason, injuries to passengers’ head, back, neck and extremities are common.
If you have suffered an injury in a bus accident in Southern California or Arizona, you can benefit from the advice and assistance of a skilled bus accident lawyer. An attorney who specializes in this type of case will have unique knowledge and insight into the best practices regarding how to regard bus drivers, the mechanics of a bus accident, and the best expert witnesses to hire if the case goes to trial. An experienced bus accident lawyer will fight to recover compensation to help anyone who has been hurt by the negligence of a bus driver or bus company, including medical expenses, lost wages and other damages related to pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and more.
Bus accidents require an attorney who knows how to handle these specific type of cases. Contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to speak to us about how we can help you if you’ve been hurt in an accident in a school, charter, or city bus. We offer free initial consultations and we never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
