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School buses transport an estimated 26 million children back and forth to school everyday. There are almost a half of million of these bright yellow or orange buses throughout the U.S. and in most cases, they are the safest way 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 regularly represents families in cases where children have been 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 StudentsMost 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, keep control of their charges and all the while drive their students to school and back home again. However, school bus drivers are trained in student management, safety procedures and all the intricacies of driving a bus.
Between 2000-2009, there have been 1,386 fatalities involving school transportation vehicle crashes. Over half of these were two-vehicle crashes, with the occupants of the other vehicles making up 72% of the fatalities. In accidents where only the school bus was involved in a single-vehicle fatality crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sites the top four reasons for the crash as:
- Striking a fixed object
- Person falling from the vehicle
- Vehicle overturning
- Bus hitting a train or other non-fixed object
One of the biggest dangers to children when riding the school bus is not the ride itself, but instead getting safely on and off the bus. Of the children that were fatally injured in a school bus accident between 2000-2009, most were either on foot or a bicycle and were 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 parked 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 liable party will be the school bus driver and the school district they work for. School buses and their drivers are insured to cover accidents, however if negligence is found, a school bus accident lawsuit may be necessary to be awarded financial compensation.
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 they will do everything in their power to keep them safe. Our Chicago bus crash attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are experienced in handling sensitive cases that involve child injuries and will work with you to get the best possible outcome in your case. We invite you to meet with us to discuss your child’s school bus accident. We work 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
