As the new school year approaches, the usual apprehensions begin to set in–with students who wish that summer would never end and with parents who are concerned about their child’s safety. Of course, given recent events, many parents may worry about violence in schools–a valid fear, for sure. But there is also reason for concern for those parents putting their kids on the school bus every morning because school bus accidents occur with far too much regularity.
Recent School Bus Accidents
School bus trips aren’t exclusive to the school year. In fact, you’ve probably seen quite a few yellow buses making their way through the DMV during the summer, transporting kids to and from camp, field trips, and other destinations. And when more buses are on the road, there are more bus accidents. For example: In July, a school bus traveling on Route 125 in Epping, New Hampshire, collided with an SUV, forcing the bus to roll onto its side. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
Not as fortunate were the dozens of passengers aboard a bus in the Bronx, which overturned on the Hutchinson River Parkway when the driver took a turn too quickly. At least 36 of those passengers were injured in the crash–some serious and others minor. Not too far from New York City, a bus full of campers rear-ended another bus in the same caravan near Morris Township, New Jersey. Luckily, the police safely evacuated all the children from the bus.
Sobering School Bus Accident Statistics
According to the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts, 1,252 people died in school bus accidents between 2010 and 2020. That’s an average of 114 deaths per year during that span. Approximately 70% of those deaths in school bus-related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus, and 16% were pedestrians. Around 5% were school bus passengers, 5% were school bus drivers, and 3% were cyclists. The injury numbers from school bus-related accidents during the same period of time are mind-boggling: approximately 141,000 people were injured during those 11 years, with more than half of those injured being passengers of another vehicle and 33% being school bus passengers.
What to Do If Your Child Is in a School Bus Crash
While we hope this is never the case, if your child happens to be a passenger aboard a school bus that is involved in an accident, there are a few things you should do.
- Make sure your child receives immediate medical care. His or her health is clearly the top priority–if the child has received medical attention either at the scene of the accident or has been taken to the hospital, then he or she is getting the best, most urgent medical care possible. If your child doesn’t seem to have sustained a serious injury and hasn’t been examined by a medical professional, go straight to your pediatrician or an emergency room as soon as possible for a thorough check. We can’t simply rely on their word that they’re ok. Even adults who insist they feel fine after a minor accident are often diagnosed with an injury more serious than they would have imagined…so get your child checked out ASAP.
- Contact the school bus accident attorneys at The Lapidus Law Firm. We have decades of experience handling these types of incidents and will fight on your behalf.
Trust the Experienced School Bus Accident Attorneys in Metro DC
If your child was involved in a school bus-related accident, call The Lapidus Law Firm today at (202) 785-5111 or (301) 852-7500 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. If we feel that negligence contributed to the accident, we will work diligently to ensure all guilty parties are held accountable. After all, no parent should ever have to worry about whether their child arrives at school or home safely. And remember… we are committed to making justice work for you.
Written by Larry Lapidus