Was your child recently in an accident on a school bus? Were they injured while riding home from a game with one of their coaches in another school-supplied vehicle? If so, you might be able to collect financial compensation on your child's behalf if there was negligence involved in the accident. But proving negligence in a case like this is easier said than done. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.
Was the School Bus Driver or Other School Employee Driving Recklessly?
One of the first things you should do, after getting your child medical attention, of course, is to seek out the police report on the accident. If the accident occurred while a school bus was on active duty, there will also likely be an official report written up by the school. Get copies of these reports, which should be easy as both are public information. You can then use these reports to try to determine if a school employee was at fault. If a school bus driver was driving recklessly or carelessly, you may be able to go after either the driver or the school district that is employing that person.
Was the Driver of the Other Vehicle Involved in the Accident at Fault?
If your initial investigation reveals that the school bus driver was driving safely but the accident occurred because of the actions taken by another driver that ran into the school bus or otherwise caused the bus to crash, then you may be able to go after this person instead.
Were There Additional Injuries Due to an Equipment Malfunction or Failure to Follow Safety Practices?
Did your child's seatbelt fail during the accident? Did the emergency exit on the bus not work correctly after the accident happened and this led to additional problems? Are students telling you that the bus driver frequently lets students get up out of their seats instead of enforcing the school district's safety policy? These are all things that could be additional factors in any personal injury suit that you file.
Contact an Attorney
It's possible to sue a school district in a personal injury case but, as most school districts are considered government entities, you might have a higher bar to clear if you want your case to be successful. For the best results, you need to hire a personal injury attorney early on in the process. Contact a local attorney today for more information
