When Washington residents send their kids to school, they take it for granted that the big, yellow school bus will get their child safely from home to school and back. Indeed, the biggest worry probably is not vehicular safety, but rather the dangers posed by fellow students, whether in the form of bullying, drugs or something else. That trust in the safety of school buses is not always well placed.
Take, for example, a recent bus accident in which one school bus collided with another bus shortly after picking up students from an apartment complex. The collision sent kids flying around the cabin, causing a variety of injuries that required hospital treatment.
What caused the accident? According to the one driver, the students were responsible by distracting the driver. That is, the kids were being especially unruly, including standing in their seats and causing a commotion. The noise and movement, in turn, distracted the driver just as the bus in front of him began slowing down. And that moment of distraction prevented the bus driver from stopping.
But, while the bus driver blames the children’s behavior for the accident, the authorities drew a different conclusion, ultimately citing the driver for inattentive driving. Despite that citation, the driver remains employed as a bus driver at his school district.
Fortunately, this case did not involve any severe injuries. But, not all victims who are involved in bus accidents will be so lucky. When Washington students get hurt, they have options. One option is to file a lawsuit against the bus driver, the bus company and, potentially, the school district. Doing so can be a critical step towards not only holding the responsible parties accountable, but also obtaining compensation to help get through a difficult time.
Source: kgw.com, “Parents, students react to Washington school bus crash,” Natalie Swaby, July 7, 2016