Three school bus crashes, including one fatal bus accident, in one week on or around Long Island have raised concerns among parents and neighbors in the region about the safety of children traveling by bus to school. According to a CBS New York news report, the most recent incident occurred in East Meadow, Long Island, the afternoon of May 1 after school ended. The bus, which was full of children, was exiting the school’s parking lot onto the roadway when a pickup truck crashed into it.
Three Separate School Bus Accidents
Twenty children were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck had to be extricated from the vehicle, but is expected to survive. This comes after an April 26 crash when police say an unlicensed 16-year-old lost control while rounding a curve in New Castle, Westchester County, slamming head on into a school bus and injured nine people.
The morning of May 4, Jacklyn Smoljan, 31, and her 1 year-old daughter, Joelaya Smoljan-Davenport, were killed after a school minibus struck their vehicle as it was making a left turn at the intersection of County Road 101 and Express Drive South, on the Long Island Expressway service road in Suffolk County, according to police. The school bus driver and a bus monitor were also injured. No children were on the bus. Both Smoljan and her daughter succumbed to their injuries. An investigation into that crash is also ongoing. We offer our deepest condolences to the family for their tragic loss.
Parents are calling for safety measures such as speed bumps or cameras to be installed around school zones. Parents have also been reaching out to local leaders to get flashing stop signs installed in the area. The investigation into the cause of the recent school bus accident involving the pickup truck is still ongoing.
Steps to Take After a Bus Accident
Injured victims and their parents/guardians should take a number of steps in these types of cases in order to protect their rights. First, it is important to obtain a copy of the police report. Your personal injury lawyer can help you secure a copy of this report, which contains important details such as time, place, location of the incident, the parties involved and often, who was at fault.
Victims would be well advised to get prompt medical attention, treatment and care for their injuries. This establishes a record of the type of injuries they sustained and the treatment they received for those injuries. It is also a good idea to collect as much evidence as possible from the scene of the crash including cell phone photos and videos and contact information for witnesses. Immediately contact an experienced New York City bus accident lawyer who will be able to remain on your side, fight for your rights and help you secure maximum compensation for your losses.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of bus accidents may seek compensation from the bus company and/or other responsible parties for damages including medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones can seek compensation for damages as well by filing a wrongful death claim. Bus accidents have the potential to cause severe or even catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, multiple broken bones, internal organ damage, facial and eye injuries, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 51 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/meadowbrook-school-bus-crash/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a