Russell & Hill, PLLC

Spokane school bus accident attorneys know that the only thing scarier than hearing that your child was involved in a school bus accident, is hearing that your child was injured in a school bus accident. Putting children on school buses for transportation to and from school and for other school events becomes routine for parents and they trust that the school district and bus driver will take all necessary precautions to keep their children safe from harm. School bus accidents are rare in Spokane and across the state of Washington, but they do sometimes happen and children are sometimes injured as a result.

School bus accidents

Those who suffer injuries in school bus accidents are sometimes passenger school children, but frequently those injured in school bus accidents are people outside of the school bus such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicle occupants. Due to the size and mass of school buses, their force and impact in an accident can be crushing and injuries are often devastating for those who are on the other end of a school bus collision.

When school children are injured in school bus accidents, they are sometimes injured as bus occupants in a collision, but often they are injured outside of the school bus. Children may be injured when a driver does not see them cross in front of or behind the school bus after exiting the bus. They are sometimes injured waiting for the bus and when getting on or off of the bus. School bus doors can be dangerous, especially when children’s backpacks or clothing gets stuck in the door and the driver fails to realize what has happened before leaving the bus stop.

Driver related factors

According to a recent United States Government Accountability Office report, when school bus accidents are caused by the driver, related factors may include the following:

  • Distractions inside of the bus
  • Special circumstances
  • Vision obscured
  • Avoiding, swerving, or sliding
  • Physical/mental conditions
  • Miscellaneous causes

Responsible parties

There are a number of parties that may be responsible for school bus accidents, including the bus driver, school district, bus contracting company, another motor vehicle driver who caused the school bus collision, person or entity responsible for dangerous road conditions, school bus manufacturer or seller of a bus with defects, or the person or entity responsible for maintaining the school bus. Bus accident liability can be complicated and if a government entity is a liable party, there may a shorter statute of limitations and applicable filing requirements. It is important to speak with an experienced school bus accident attorney immediately following an accident to be sure that plaintiffs preserve their cause of action against a government entity or any other responsible party.

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a bus accident, contact a Spokane school bus accident attorney at Russell & Hill, PLLC to discuss your claim. These claims can be complicated due to possible government entity involvement, the possibility of multiple insurance companies involved, and the severity of accident injuries. Our experienced bus accident team can help make sure that injury victims and their families are fairly and aggressively represented.

We Are Local

Everett Spokane Seattle
C
Date published: 2018-02-20
5 out of 5

Great people, they took care of my car accident case very competently, I was happy with the level of care they show for each client.

Click To Call