Riding a school bus is a part of childhood that is unavoidable for a number of kids. When parents allow their children to get on a school bus, the last thing they think about is that they might be involved in an accident. School bus accidents do occur regularly, and can be just as devastating as any other type of automobile accident when they do happen.

Negligent Hiring Practices

School systems have a duty to the families they serve to provide them with drivers who are capable of transporting children safely. This means that they must carefully screen candidates to ensure they have a safe driving record and can pass a physical exam. The truth is that school systems across the country often face significant shortages when it comes to bus drivers, and may overlook some of the criteria when hiring them in an effort to fill their shortages. When one of these drivers later has an accident, the school system could then be liable due to negligent hiring practices.

Faulty Equipment

The manufacturers of school buses can also find themselves in hot water whenever an accident is due to a faulty vehicle design. Some of the design issues that could create problems with the way a school bus operates include:

• steering
• body design
• tires
• braking system

When there are manufacturer defects, a school bus may be difficult to control or stop, or might even roll over when turning sharp corners or heading up an embankment. A poor interior design could also lead to uneven weight distribution within the bus, which would also make it difficult for the driver to control it.

Reacting to an Accident

School bus accidents tend to receive a great deal of publicity from the news media. There may also be several children who are injured in a particular accident, which means a school system may be inundated with claims and/or requests for information from the public. Their response to this is normally to “shut down” and refuse to make any statements in the hopes that the negative publicity they are receiving will somehow go away.

By attempting to avoid negative publicity, those responsible sometimes make it very difficult for parents of injured children to recover from their damages due to a lack of information. In these instances, there may be no other option than to file a lawsuit in order to obtain the relief they have coming to them.

School Bus Accident Attorney

The medical bills and emotional damage caused by school bus accidents can be too much for some parents. One way to make your life less stressful is to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to handle your case and recoup your medical expenses. Schedule a free case evaluation today by calling 713-222-1222.

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