School Bus Accidents

When we hear that a school bus has been in an accident, we instinctively hold our breath. No matter whose children are on the bus, it can be catastrophic when that many children are put in harm’s way.

How Do School Bus Accidents Happen?

School Bus Accidents happen in the same way as many other car crashes. However, we see certain situations more often:

• Distracted Driving: Bus drivers sometimes drive distracted. There can be many reasons, including trying to control the children on the bus and make sure they’re properly seated. Regardless of how they’re distracted, School Bus drivers are trained and expected to pay attention to the road at all times.
• Crashes Caused By Other Vehicles: Often when a school bus is in an accident, it’s the fault of the other driver. Whether it’s a rear end accident, an intersection accident, or any other type of collision, there’s a heightened risk of tragedy when the bus is full of children, no matter their age.
• Blind Spot Accidents: School Buses are large, and they sometimes limit the visibility for other drivers. That’s no excuse when a driver disregards what might be in a blind spot and causes a collision with another vehicle or strikes a pedestrian, child or adult.

Seatbelts and School Buses

Seat belts save lives and prevent injuries. Everyone knows that. However, School Buses in Massachusetts are not required by state law to have seat belts. One would think that the opposite would be true, as Child Safety should be an overarching principle of state law. Instead, this decision is left up to various school districts. While some have seat belt requirements, others do not.

Insurance Issues With School Bus Accidents

While School Buses often carry insurance, insurance issues often arise with accidents involving School Buses. With many School Bus Accidents, there are often multiple children who are injured. Whether there were 5, 10, or 20 children injured, it can create situations where there isn’t enough insurance to cover all of the injured children.

This is especially true when a School Bus Accident is caused by another vehicle. Most personal auto insurance policies are meant to be sufficient for injuries involving a handful of passengers at most. When more than 5 people are injured in a School Bus Accident, even people who have more than the required amount of insurance find their limits to be insufficient.

Experienced School Bus Accident Lawyers

If your child was injured in a School Bus Accident, you’re likely worried. It’s one thing to suffer an injury yourself; it’s completely different when it’s your child who’s injured. While children are notorious for bouncing back from injuries quicker than adults in some cases, that doesn’t negate the pain they go through on a day-to-day basis. Injuries can be especially tough for kids when it keeps them from doing the things they enjoy. Whether it’s soccer, basketball, or even just being able to go out with their friends, a child’s life can be impacted by an injury.

At Marcotte Law Firm, we understand what kids go through when they’re injured. We have decades of experience handling these claims, and we know how to get your child the compensation they deserve.

If your child was injured in a School Bus Accident, call or email us for a free, no obligation consultation.