A 43-year-old mother and her 8-year-old son suffered serious injuries when a school bus crashed into a fence in Brooklyn the morning of April 9. According to a CBS New York report, the victims of the pedestrian accident were rushed to a local hospital, but are expected to survive. The crash occurred at Bedford Avenue and Farragut Road in Ditmas Park. No students were on the bus at the time of the accident and the 66-year-old bus driver remained at the scene.
A city official said the driver of the school bus hit the gas instead of the brakes while trying to avoid hitting another car before he crashed. Video from the scene showed the bus partially on the sidewalk with the front smashed through an iron fence and a cinderblock wall. One person who saw the crash said the bus lurched suddenly and hit the pedestrians. The boy, a third-grader at the school, suffered a broken arm while his mother suffered head and neck injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims and we wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Common Causes of School Bus Versus Pedestrian Accidents
School bus versus pedestrian accidents can have serious consequences and often involve young children. These incidents usually occur during loading or unloading times when students cross the road near the bus. One of the most common causes is driver inattention — either, on the part of the school bus driver or other motorists involved in the incident. Motorists who fail to obey stop-arm signals or speed limits in school zones contribute significantly to pedestrian risks.
Visibility issues also play a role, particularly when smaller children are not easily seen around large vehicles. Poor lighting, weather conditions, or obstructed views can make it harder for drivers to detect pedestrians. Bus driver error, such as improper mirror checks or failure to follow protocol, can lead to tragic mistakes.
Liability Issues
Liability in school bus versus pedestrian accidents depends on the circumstances and the parties involved. The school bus driver may be held liable if the accident resulted from negligence (carelessness), such as failing to yield, not following safety protocols or being distracted while driving. In such cases, the school district or private bus company employing the driver may also share liability.
If a third-party motorist is at fault — for example, by illegally passing a stopped school bus or speeding in a school zone — they can be held liable for injuries to the pedestrian. In some cases, liability may extend to other entities. For example, if poor road design, malfunctioning traffic signals or inadequate signage contributed to the accident, a city or municipality might share responsibility. Determining liability often requires a thorough investigation, including witness statements, video evidence and expert analysis to understand exactly how the accident occurred and who is legally at fault. An experienced New York pedestrian accident attorney can help with this process.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured pedestrian accident victims may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to medical expenses, lost income and benefits, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased pedestrian accident victims may also be able to seek compensation by filing a wrongful death claim against the at-fault parties.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or bicycle 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.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one-million-dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. We 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.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/school-bus-crashes-into-brooklyn-fence/