As children are returning to school with increasing frequency as the coronavirus pandemic appears to be becoming more contained, students are riding buses more regularly. This will taper off during the summer months but will accelerate in the fall when schools are expected to be open. The potential risks faced by students on buses were illustrated by a pair of dramatic school bus accidents.
School Bus Filled with Children Rolls into Ditch
One of a pair of school bus accidents that occurred in the past week involved children in the Winterset Community School District in Madison County, Iowa. 10 elementary students and a driver were involved in this rollover bus accident in the early morning while on the way to classes.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department has been somewhat tight-lipped thus far about the cause of the accident. The lack of crash cause confirmation very well could be due to the fact that an investigation into the business accident is only just beginning.
What is known is that the bus was rounding a curve in the road when the driver lost control of the vehicle for some reason. A rollover crash occurred with the bus ending up in a ditch.
As of this time, injuries fortunately do not appear to be serious. The driver and some students evidently were transported to a local hospital and other students were released to their parents. Little information has been provided regarding the extent of injuries or even how many students suffered injuries as a result of the rollover bus accident.
Despite the current lack of information about the underlying cause of this Iowa school bus accident, some assumptions fairly can be made about what may have been the cause of the crash. Possible causes of this type of business accident include:
- Excessive speed when heading into a curve
- Weather conditions
- Mechanical malfunction
- Inattentive driver
- Impaired driver
As of this time, there has been no evidence publicly presented that the driver caused or contributed to the rollover bus accident. The school district has gone out of its way to praise the driver in the aftermath of the frightening but fortunately not fatal incident. According to the school district superintendent, Justin Gross, the driver is “very cautious” and “very good.”
Gross contends that the likely cause of the accident was weather and road conditions. Of course, this does beg the question as to why the bus was on the roadway in question if weather and road conditions were known to be hazardous. A considerable amount of rain fell, which resulted in the ground at the accident site becoming particularly soft and hazardous, according to the superintendent.
Semi-Truck Crosses Yellow Line, Collides with School Bus
A second school bus accident occurred during the past week in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The students involved in this bus accident are particularly fortunate to not have sustained significant or even fatal injuries.
In this case, lawfully was stopped at an intersection waiting to make a turn. A semi-truck crossed a yellow line for some yet-to-be-identified reason and crashed head-on into the school bus containing 14 children along with their driver.
The bus and semi-drivers were both taken to the hospital. It appears that neither of them sustained significant injuries. Evidently, no children were injured in the bus-semi collision in Pennsylvania.
Legal Rights After a School Bus Accident
In many ways, these two dramatic bus accidents are the exception and not the rule. While alarming circumstances exist, these accidents truly are exceptions because no one appears to have been seriously injured let alone killed.
If you have a child injured in a school bus accident, the compassionate, experienced, tenacious legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. You can connect with a school bus accident lawyer from our firm any time of the day or night by calling (800) 349-0000.
A nationwide law firm, we can schedule an initial consultation with a school bus accident lawyer at any one of our offices located from coast to coast. We can also arrange an appointment at your home or online as well. There is never a charge for a case evaluation with a bus accident attorney.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise to you. We will never charge an attorney fee unless we win your case.