Personal Injury Attorney Bristol, TN
Our littlest of citizens are trotting off to kindergarten and our independent teenagers are in high schools across the country. And for all the children in between, once they leave the loving arms of their families and board the school bus, what guarantee is there that they will be safe? Many argue they are just as safe if they were in a car driven by their parents. What people do not always realize is that there are certain dangers they may occur involving school transportation that can leave your children seriously injured and traumatized.
National statistics show that during a nine-year period, there were more than 115 school children pedestrians that were killed in school-transportation accidents. More than 60 percent of those victims were struck by school buses.
If this happened to someone in your family, securing the right legal representation is crucial. A compassionate team with the experience to aggressively work on your behalf is your best chance of obtaining a settlement and recovering compensation for your loss. If your child has been injured in a school bus accident, contact a law firm to meet with a skilled personal injury attorney and find out how they can help.
Passengers and Pedestrians at Risk
Although there are many factors that can cause a school bus accident, in many cases, it is the bus operators themselves who are to blame. Although we trust that drivers behind the wheel are experienced, rested, and able to competently undertake their travel, unfortunately, fatigued, impaired and distracted, school bus drivers are fast becoming the norm.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees the rules and regulations regarding bus drivers. Before an individual can get behind the wheel of a bus, they must be thoroughly trained and they must also obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with the appropriate endorsements. In addition to passing a general knowledge test, the majority of states also require drivers to have passed a school bus endorsement test, a passenger endorsement test, and an air brakes test.
The expectation of any school bus operator is that they be alert, experienced, and competent behind the wheel of a bus that is in roadworthy condition and free of mechanical defects or issues.
In the event of a bus accident, local school transportation departments should have procedures in place that may include drivers doing the following:
- Visual check of passengers.
- Secure the vehicle, maintain calm, take a log of everyone’s position on the bus, but, if necessary, evacuate immediately.
- Contact the dispatcher who will call for a police response and EMS services.
Any accident can be a frightening experience, but school bus accident can be especially traumatic for children. Working with a personal injury attorney Bristol, TN trusts at The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt can help you through the legal process.