If your child will ever ride a school bus, you should take the time to go over school bus safety. If your child suffered injuries on a bus ride, you should not wait to discuss your options with a San Francisco school bus attorney.
With the 2021-22 school year begins across the country and throughout California, it is time again for parents to review safety tips with any children who will ride a school bus. Even if your child does not ride the bus on a daily basis, they might ride one to field trips, if they go to a friend’s house after school or other occasions. Knowing how to stay safe can never hurt.
No matter how safe everyone might be, however, school bus crashes do happen, and people of all ages can suffer injuries, including young passengers. If you or your child suffered injuries because of a school bus, you should seek assistance from a San Francisco bus accident attorney as soon as possible.
The Risks of Crashes
According to the National Security Council (NSC), 109 people lost their lives in school bus accidents in 2019. These include accidents that happen when a child is boarding or exiting the school bus. The fatal injury victims included:
- 79 occupants of other motor vehicles
- 15 pedestrians
- Four school bus passengers
- Five school bus drivers
- Six cyclists
Injuries happened to about 13,000 people, 5,000 of whom were school bus passengers.
While people in other cars are at a much higher risk of suffering injuries when a bus hits their car, thousands of child passengers suffer injuries each year in certain types of school bus crashes, as well. This makes it important to speak with your child about how to stay safe.
Staying Safe at the Bus Stop
Parents should make sure their children leave in plenty of time to get to the bus stop, so they can prevent rushing into streets or near traffic to try to get there in time. If they walk alone, they should know the walking route and any potential dangers, such as having to cross the street.
Once at the bus stop, parents should supervise small children. For older children, they should always wait six feet from a curb or street while waiting, and they should never approach the school bus until it has completely stopped.
While Near the Bus
Teach your child to always cross in front of a bus, making clear eye contact with the bus driver before starting to cross. Children should cross ten feet in front of the bus. If your child drops something near a bus wheel or under the vehicle, teach them to tell the driver and never simply reach to pick it up.
Boarding and Exiting the Bus
Always wait until the bus has come to a complete stop and the driver opens the door before you approach the bus to board or stand up on the bus to exit. This can help to prevent injuries should the bus lurch or get hit during this process. Tell your children to use handrails and watch their steps to avoid slipping and falling.
Riding the Bus
Your child cannot control the actions of the bus driver or other drivers, but they can use seat belts whenever they are available and remain seated the entire time the bus is moving. All personal possessions should be kept out of aisles, and your child should never hang their head, arm, or other body part out of the bus window.
When bus passengers are seated and orderly, it helps to keep them safe in the event of a crash and also to prevent distractions to the bus driver. Safe riding helps keep everyone on or around the bus injury-free.
What Causes School Bus Crashes?
Despite being one of the safest ways for kids to get to school, school buses get into accidents just like any other vehicle. Some of the more common causes of school bus accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Driving while impaired
- Not adjusting for poor weather conditions
- Failure to yield
- Running stoplights or stop signs
Determining exactly what caused a school bus accident is critical to identifying the party that could be held liable for your or your child’s injuries. For example, if the accident was the result of negligence on the part of the bus driver, victims may be able to hold the driver’s employer or even a school district liable. On the other hand, if the crash was caused by another motorist’s inattention, victims may be able to seek compensation from the distracted motorist. An experienced lawyer familiar with bus accident litigation will be able to review the facts of your case and determine against whom you may file a claim.
Suing Public School Districts in California – Act Fast
If your bus accident involved a school bus operated by a public school district, it’s important to be aware of the fact that your claim might be subject to certain rules that most other claims are not.
Under a legal doctrine known as sovereign immunity, governments and government agencies (like school districts) are immune from lawsuits except to the extent to which they have consented to lawsuits. Fortunately for the people of California, the California Tort Claims Act allows for lawsuits against the government, but claimants must file a notice of claim within six months of the date of injury. For this reason, it is critical for anyone involved in a school bus accident to talk to an attorney as soon as possible. Failing to file a notice of claim within the six-month window may result in an ability to recover compensation at all.
Seek Help from a San Francisco Bus Accident Attorney Right Away
If you or your child were injured in an accident involving a school bus, it’s in your best interest to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as you can. It’s possible that you may be able to recover compensation for all of your accident-related expenses, including your medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost income. To schedule your free case evaluation with a bus accident lawyer in San Francisco, call The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. at (415) 851-6486 or contact us online.
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