When school buses are involved in car accidents in Houston, a whole community holds its collective breath. A recent accident led to nine schoolchildren being sent to Houston Northwest Medical Center, but fortunately all the injuries appeared to be minor.
According to reports, the accident took place when a pickup truck ran a red light and crashed into a school bus, which was on its route to drop 29 kids off from their day Intermediate School. The truck crashed into the driver’s side of the school bus, sending it skidding and damaging the side of the vehicle.
– Article By Richard Weaver
School bus drivers serve an important public function. They transport precious cargo on city and state roads where drivers may be intoxicated or otherwise distracted. The sheer number of miles that school buses drive every day and every year makes it remarkable that more children are not injured every year.
In any event, it would appear that the accident in this story was not the fault of the bus driver. In nearly all cases when a driver runs a red light, that driver is the one who would be considered to be at fault.
Now, the driver will not only face a claim from the school district that operates the bus system but possibly personal injury claims by the parents of the nine children who were hurt on behalf of their kids. Even if their injuries were considered to be minor, as children they should not have to be subjected to a traumatic event such as a traffic accident, and their parents might try to recover damages accordingly with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Source: KHOU-TV, “Aldine ISD bus involved in wreck with pickup truck, 9 injured,” March 7, 2013
