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School buses transport an estimated 26 million children back and forth to school every day. There are nearly a half of million bright yellow or orange buses throughout the U.S. In most cases; the buses provide the safest option for children to travel to school. However, even though a child is more likely to be injured riding in a passenger vehicle versus a school bus, there are still incidences when bus drivers are negligent in their duty to provide safe transportation for their precious cargo.
The Illinois bus accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC regularly represent families in cases where children were injured in Chicago school bus crashes. If you have questions about the legal rights related to your child's injuries under Illinois law, we invite you to contact our law office for a free case review.
Bus Driver Negligence Resulting In Injuries To Students
Most people would agree that school bus drivers have a tough job. They must be vigilant in ensuring that their riders get on and off the bus safely and keep control of children all while driving the students to school and back home again. To ensure safety, school bus drivers receive training in student management, safety procedures and the intricacies of operating a bus.
Between 2000-2009, there were 1,386 fatalities involving school vehicle crashes. Over half of these collisions involved two-vehicle accidents, with the occupants of the other vehicles making up 72% of the deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites the top four reasons for bus In accidents where only the school bus was involved in a single-vehicle fatality crash as:
- Striking a fixed object
- Person falling from the vehicle
- Vehicle overturning
- Bus hitting a train or other non-fixed object
Loading And Unloading Children From The Bus
One of the most significant dangers to children on the school bus is not the ride itself, but getting safely on and off the bus. Of the children fatally injured in a school bus accident between 2000-2009, most were either on foot or a bicycle when struck by the bus or another vehicle.
- 73% of the children killed were struck by the school bus,
- 34% of those fatally injured were hit by a bus going straight,
- 22% were killed when the bus was leaving a parking space or in a lane of traffic,
- 15% of the children were killed when the bus made a turn.
In addition to the fatalities, there are many injuries to children who fall or have other accidents when loading and unloading onto the bus. The NHSTA estimates that between 8,500 and 12,000 children are injured each year in school bus accidents.
Who’s Responsible for Injuries to a Child in a Chicago School Bus Accident?
In most cases of negligence in a school bus accident, the driver and the school district are both legally liable parties. The school district insures both the buses and their drivers to cover accidents. However, if the cause of the crash is found to be negligence, a school bus accident lawsuit may be necessary to settle a financial compensation claim.
Illinois School Bus Injury LawyersNo child should ever be harmed through negligence on the part of a school bus driver. Parents expect that when they entrust the safety of their child to a school district employee that the driver will do everything possible to keep the children safe. Our Chicago bus crash attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are experienced in handling sensitive cases that involve child injuries and will work with you to get the best possible monetary outcome in your case. We invite you to meet with us to discuss your child’s school bus accident. Our law office works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no charge for the consultation or any fee unless we obtain a monetary award for you. 888-424-5757
School Bus Information Resources:
http://www.stnonline.com/resources/10-safety/786-school-bus-safety-data
