A Mustang broadsided the bus. The impact caused the bus to flip on to its side. Video obtained by NBC shows a white truck pulling into the busy intersection when the school bus pulls up alongside it. The video shows the bus crossing in front of the truck to make the turn. The Mustang’s driver said he never saw the bus.
Dangerous Intersection
Witnesses said the “Mustang sped right into the school bus.” Six children suffered non-life threatening injuries. The adult victim was transported to a hospital in serious but stable condition. Neighbors say the intersection where this accident occurred has become dangerous. Many community members have posted to the city’s Vision Zero website about this intersection.
This school bus accident is apparently the third one there in the last five weeks. They worry, justifiably so, that the next crash that occurs there may be fatal. Neighbors say people tend to speed on the roadway. Police are still reviewing surveillance video footage to look into what factors led to the crash. It is not clear if the bus driver will be cited for attempting to make the turn.
Common Causes of School Bus Accidents
While injury accidents involving school buses are infrequent in New York, they can cause devastating injuries to victims, just as other bus accidents. Here are some of the most common causes of school bus accidents:
• Driver distraction: School bus drivers are often transporting young passengers. Other motorists may also be distracted while driving. They may be talking on the cell phone, texting, eating, drinking or adjusting the radio when they are driving. Any action that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or attention away from driving is a distraction.
• Driver fatigue: Tired drivers are prone to making errors. School bus drivers should get sufficient sleep before getting on their shift. However, unlike commercial hours-of-service rules that apply to truck drivers, school bus drivers are not mandated to get a period of rest before driving children. Accidents can occur when a tired driver fails to check blind spots, makes a sharp turn, goes too fast or fails to observe the rules of the road.
• Mechanical errors: School buses must be routinely checked for safety. Defective buses or defective parts may trigger an accident and put children at risk of injury or even death.
• Recklessness: Careless behavior on the part of drivers, whether it is a school bus driver or another motorist, can also play a part in these types of crashes. Examples include speeding, running a red light or stop sign, failure to yield the right of way, etc.
Injuries and Compensation
School bus accidents can result in a number of serious injuries. Since most school buses do not have seatbelts, children are at risk of getting thrown around the bus and suffering blunt force trauma. In cases where a bus overturns, children may even get ejected from the bus and suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. Some of the most common injuries sustained in school bus accidents include facial injuries, head and neck injuries, back injuries, broken bones, internal organ damage, etc.
Injured victims of school bus accidents have legal rights. The victim and his or her family may seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, hospitalization, rehabilitation costs, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims can file a wrongful death seeking compensation for their significant losses as well. Some of the potentially liable parties in a school bus accident include the driver, his or her employer, the school district, the bus manufacturer or the maker of a defective part, the company that does maintenance work on the school bus, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a school bus accident, 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. For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a person 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 the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a woman who was hit by a truck.
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 cases in 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: NBC New York
