Every year millions of parents entrust their children to school bus drivers who are tasked with safely transporting children to and from school. Although most days pass without any incidents involving school buses, there are rare instances when cases grasp the headlines and leave parents wondering if their children are truly safe while in the care of these drivers.

1) Driver Stops Bus and Walks Off

In late April of 2014 there was a case involving a bus driver that simply tossed the keys to one of the children on the bus and walked off, leaving the children with no safe way to get home.

The bus driver claimed these actions were the result of noisy children that wouldn’t listen to her commands to calm down. The bus driver was not fired immediately and the school district she works for is investigating her actions.

2) Loss of Control

School bus accidents often get immediate media attention because of the real danger that is faced by the children riding the bus as well as everyone in the vehicle’s path.

A case that thankfully did not involve children took place in 2012 when a bus driver in Indiana lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a home. The driver later resigned due to the accident and was only cited for failing to wear a seat belt.

3) The Danger of Other Drivers

There are also cases where bus drivers are driving safely but an accident occurs because of the actions of other drivers on the road.

This exact thing happened in 2013 when a school bus driver was transporting children home and was involved in a head-on collision with a car. The other vehicle was reported to have swerved into the lane the bus was in and there was little time for the bus driver to react.

Two drivers and one student suffered non life-threatening injuries.

4) Runaway Bus

Negligence is often a major factor when school bus accidents occur, and this was the cause of one incident in 2014. When the driver decided to use the restroom he seems to have forgotten to place the vehicle in park and the bus began moving forward with no one at the wheel. The runaway bus traveled across the street from the school and came to rest after it went over a ditch, hitting one child in the process.

The injuries suffered by the child were non life-threatening and his doctor reported that he would fully recover.

Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

When you send your child to school, you don’t expect the school bus driver to be negligent. Unfortunately, it happens more often than you might expect. If your child has been injured by a school bus accident, then it’s essential that you consider hiring a personal injury attorney to get the justice you deserve. Just call 713.766.5400 to schedule your free case evaluation.

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