Concerns about your children’s safety are probably the most important aspect of parenting. From day one, parents are figuring out how to prevent harm. The first step when leaving the hospital is ensuring that the correct car seat is installed properly. Eventually, they get older and you must trust others with their care and safety. When your kids start school, you hope their safety in the classroom and on the school bus is taken seriously. If you recently found out that your child was involved in a school bus accident, receiving key pieces of information is important. You may want to seek support from a Morris County Bus Accident Attorney who can provide you with the representation you need.
Who may be responsible for a school bus accident?
If your child was involved in a school bus accident, you may immediately seek to find out whether they are safe, whether there are any injuries, all the details of the accident, and who might have been at fault. School bus accidents are not common, but they can cause injuries to the driver or children. Fortunately, fatalities are also uncommon.
In many cases, the responsibility may be linked to the cause of the accident. If the police had been contacted at the time of the accident, they would’ve been able to conduct a thorough investigation to determine who is found to be at fault.
It is possible that the driver was unfit to drive the bus. The driver could be distracted, using a cell phone, disobeying traffic laws, or inexperienced. If the driver checks his or her text messages, causing the vehicle to swerve into a tree, then the driver may be responsible for the accident.
There may be other reasons why the driver was physically or psychologically unfit to safely transport the children on the bus.
The responsibility for the bus accident could be due to other factors. If there is poor road visibility due to weather conditions, the school district could be held liable for allowing the bus to operate during that time. The school district could also be held responsible if it is proven that there was improper maintenance of the bus, causing the accident.
A third party could be responsible. If another driver was disobeying traffic laws such as speeding, illegally passing a stopped school bus, or driving under the influence, causing a collision with the bus, they may be held accountable for the accident.
Sometimes the causes are not immediately obvious and you will want to talk to an experienced attorney to find out what options are available. If your child has been involved in a school bus accident, you may want to evaluate your legal options. Contact Lutz Injury Law when you need strong legal representation.