Landmark research into school bus accidents in New York City and around the country has uncovered some shocking statistics. While there were 2,551 injuries stemming from school bus accidents in 2018, only 1,700 of those injuries occurred during collisions. The remaining 800 accidents involved children either waiting for buses at stops or crossing the street to climb aboard while the bus is loading.
When a vehicle collides with a bus in New York, injuries are usually minor for students because buses are designed with integrated safety features (like high-backed seats, and steel frames) that are designed to minimize the amount of energy transferred to the interior of the bus. Indeed, the research mentioned above found that the vast majority of injuries suffered by children in school bus accidents involving automobile collisions were minor.
However, researchers did find that a disturbing amount of children-much higher than in previous years-were struck by vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses with their signals flashing. While proving liability (fault) in a typical school bus accident involving another motor vehicle or even a pedestrian child may be difficult, liability is cut-and-dry when a driver illegally passes a bus and strikes a child. In these cases, the driver can be arrested or at least charged with a crime.
Civil lawsuits where children are seriously injured and which arise out of school bus accidents in New York should be brought against the at-fault vehicle owner and driver. The award will compensate the injured child for pain and suffering, lost time from school and social activities and in cases where there is permanent physical or psychological impairment, sufficient compensation for extended treatment and rehabilitation. There is no excuse for a driver not to stop when they see a school bus loading or unloading children.
If your child has been injured while traveling to or from school, you need an expert school bus accident attorney in New York City to represent you. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 today.