Contact a School Bus Accident Lawyer Des Moines IA Trusts Today For a Free Consultation. 515-495-6316 or via email.

Contact a School Bus Accident Lawyer Des Moines IA Trusts Today For a Free Consultation. 515-495-6316 or via email. Child injured while on a school bus? The school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA parents rely upon can help you! According to the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), approximately 26 million students per day are entrusted to one of approximately 480,000 bus drivers for transportation to and from school.  The number of bus passengers increases when you take into account students traveling to field trips and sporting events. With the sheer number of kids who ride a bus, accidents and injuries will happen. School Bus Accidents When school bus injuries occur, the school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA trusts will work tirelessly to ensure your child’s rights are protected and that they are fairly compensated for the full extent of their injuries. The school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA rely upon have successfully represented many families whose kids have suffered school bus injuries including: • J. Williams, a hemophiliac, was a passenger on a school bus which was involved in a rear-end crash with another bus. Upon impact, Mr. Williams suffered a serious bleed in his hip which required emergency medical care as well as ongoing treatment. • K. Schmitz was a ten year old child with severe learning disabilities. Due to the school bus driver’s negligence, Mr. Schmitz was able to pull open the side door of the bus and jump out at which time he landed on his head and suffered a brain injury. • T. McBride, then a second grade student, was injured when the bus on which he was riding was involved in a t-bone accident. His injuries required hospitalization and a lengthy stretch of physical therapy. The examples above are but a sampling of bus injuries. The types of injuries a child can sustain while on a bus are unlimited and can include brain injuries and wrongful death. Sexual Assault on School Bus Physical injuries stemming from bus crashes make up the majority of bus cases that we see. However, tragically, cases also arise in which children are sexually or physically assaulted by a bus driver, bus attendant, or another student.  If your child was injured, physically, emotionally, or mentally, while on a bus, contact us now for a free consultation. Legal Issues Involving Bus Injuries The legalities surrounding bus accidents and injuries share some similarities with car accidents and truck accidents but they do have their own unique issues. For example, in a bus case, it must be determined: • Who owns the bus? • Who was driving the bus? • Is there a contract between the bus company and the school district? • What does the contract say? • Is there any contract between any parties dealing with student bussing? • Are there “immunities” that might protect the bus company or the school? • What type of safety inspections are performed on the bus? • Are there current background checks on an offending bus driver? • What type of training did the bus driver receive? As can be imagined, this list can go on and on. Thus, it is important that the lawyer you choose is experienced in bus injury cases, like the school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA parents trust with their children's rights. School Bus Safety Fortunately, school busses are typically quite safe. In fact, studies have shown that school busses are, statistically, the safest mode of ground transportation. Evidence of this fact can be found in our recent blog posting about 32 students involved in a bus accident yet, apparently, there were virtually no injuries. The reasons school busses tend to be safe include their large size relative to other cars, the bright yellow color improves visibility and thus helps reduce accidents, school busses tend to be driven at slower speeds than a typical car, driver’s sit higher than most traffic which provides the driver with a good visibility, and driver training. That all said, accidents and injuries can, and will, happen. Why Don’t School Busses Have Seat belts? Federal law dictates that busses under ten-thousand pounds must have seat belts. However, that law does not apply to the more commonly seen large busses. School busses use “passive restraint” (as opposed to seat belts) in which, they contend, all a passenger has to do to be protected is sit in the seat. It is believed by some that this passive restraint system is an effective means to be safe due to the high seat backs and thick padding found on the backs and bottom of the seats. Further, school busses are built to be safe with some estimates indicating they are approximately forty times safer than a standard passenger car. Additionally, given that people from one to one hundred might be riding the same bus, arguments are made that the addition of seat belts would be extremely difficult as proper fitting seat belts vary from person to person depending on size. Finally, in addition to the above reasons, school busses don’t have seat belts due, in large part, to money. That is, the cost of installing seat belts on every bus in the country would be cost prohibitive. Therefore, using a cost / benefit analysis, it has been decided by some that seat belts just aren’t “worth it”. A position that our Iowa personal injury attorneys strongly disagree with. Contact the School Bus Accident Lawyer Des Moines IA Residents Have Trusted for Years If you or a loved one was injured, in any way, while on a bus, contact us today for a free consultation. We can be reached at 515-495-6316 or via email. In addition to bus injuries, we handle a wide variety of other child injuries. Client Review "Brad is one of the most open and compassionate attorneys I have ever met. He is not only thorough and detail-oriented, but is a good listener and approaches everything with integrity." Hannah R. Child injured while on a school bus? The school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA parents rely upon can help you!

According to the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), approximately 26 million students per day are entrusted to one of approximately 480,000 bus drivers for transportation to and from school.  The number of bus passengers increases when you take into account students traveling to field trips and sporting events. With the sheer number of kids who ride a bus, accidents and injuries will happen.

School Bus Accidents

When school bus injuries occur, the school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA trusts will work tirelessly to ensure your child’s rights are protected and that they are fairly compensated for the full extent of their injuries.

The school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA rely upon have successfully represented many families whose kids have suffered school bus injuries including:

• J. Williams, a hemophiliac, was a passenger on a school bus which was involved in a rear-end crash with another bus. Upon impact, Mr. Williams suffered a serious bleed in his hip which required emergency medical care as well as ongoing treatment.

• K. Schmitz was a ten year old child with severe learning disabilities. Due to the school bus driver’s negligence, Mr. Schmitz was able to pull open the side door of the bus and jump out at which time he landed on his head and suffered a brain injury.

• T. McBride, then a second grade student, was injured when the bus on which he was riding was involved in a t-bone accident. His injuries required hospitalization and a lengthy stretch of physical therapy.

The examples above are but a sampling of bus injuries. The types of injuries a child can sustain while on a bus are unlimited and can include brain injuries and wrongful death.
Sexual Assault on School Bus

Physical injuries stemming from bus crashes make up the majority of bus cases that we see. However, tragically, cases also arise in which children are sexually or physically assaulted by a bus driver, bus attendant, or another student.  If your child was injured, physically, emotionally, or mentally, while on a bus, contact us now for a free consultation.

Legal Issues Involving Bus Injuries

The legalities surrounding bus accidents and injuries share some similarities with car accidents and truck accidents but they do have their own unique issues. For example, in a bus case, it must be determined:

• Who owns the bus?

• Who was driving the bus?

• Is there a contract between the bus company and the school district?

• What does the contract say?

• Is there any contract between any parties dealing with student bussing?

• Are there “immunities” that might protect the bus company or the school?

• What type of safety inspections are performed on the bus?

• Are there current background checks on an offending bus driver?

• What type of training did the bus driver receive?

As can be imagined, this list can go on and on. Thus, it is important that the lawyer you choose is experienced in bus injury cases, like the school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA parents trust with their children’s rights.

School Bus Safety

Fortunately, school busses are typically quite safe. In fact, studies have shown that school busses are, statistically, the safest mode of ground transportation. Evidence of this fact can be found in our recent blog posting about 32 students involved in a bus accident yet, apparently, there were virtually no injuries.

The reasons school busses tend to be safe include their large size relative to other cars, the bright yellow color improves visibility and thus helps reduce accidents, school busses tend to be driven at slower speeds than a typical car, driver’s sit higher than most traffic which provides the driver with a good visibility, and driver training.

That all said, accidents and injuries can, and will, happen.

Why Don’t School Busses Have Seat belts?

Federal law dictates that busses under ten-thousand pounds must have seat belts. However, that law does not apply to the more commonly seen large busses. School busses use “passive restraint” (as opposed to seat belts) in which, they contend, all a passenger has to do to be protected is sit in the seat.

It is believed by some that this passive restraint system is an effective means to be safe due to the high seat backs and thick padding found on the backs and bottom of the seats. Further, school busses are built to be safe with some estimates indicating they are approximately forty times safer than a standard passenger car.

Additionally, given that people from one to one hundred might be riding the same bus, arguments are made that the addition of seat belts would be extremely difficult as proper fitting seat belts vary from person to person depending on size.

Finally, in addition to the above reasons, school busses don’t have seat belts due, in large part, to money. That is, the cost of installing seat belts on every bus in the country would be cost prohibitive. Therefore, using a cost / benefit analysis, it has been decided by some that seat belts just aren’t “worth it”. A position that our Iowa personal injury attorneys strongly disagree with.

Contact the School Bus Accident Lawyer Des Moines IA Residents Have Trusted for Years

If you or a loved one was injured, in any way, while on a bus, contact us today for a free consultation. We can be reached at 515-495-6316 or via email.

In addition to bus injuries, we handle a wide variety of other child injuries.

School Bus Accident Lawyer Des Moines IAIf your child was injured in a school bus accident, you may want to speak to a school bus accident lawyer Des Moines, Iowa residents trust. At Law Group of Iowa, we have helped individuals just like yourself get justice. Our lawyers fight hard to get our clients the compensation they deserve.

Who Is Held Responsible for School Bus Accidents?

In most school bus accident cases a school bus accident lawyer in Des Moines IA deals with, it is the driver who is held responsible. However, sometimes other entities are found liable, such as:

  • School district;
  • Private school;
  • Driver of another vehicle;
  • Bus manufacturer;
  • Parts manufacturer; and
  • Third party contracted to repair school bus.

Common Causes of School Bus Accidents

School bus accidents are pretty rare, but they still happen from time to time, as a school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA locals respect can attest. Let’s take a look at some of the common causes of school bus accidents:

  • Driver Distraction: School bus drivers are driving with many children, which can be a distraction. These children may talk loudly or run around, causing a school bus driver to lose focus of the road ahead. If a school bus driver isn’t completely focused on the road, he or she can cause an accident.
  • Mechanical Errors: A school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA residents rely on has also seen school bus accidents that result from mechanical errors. If a school bus isn’t properly maintained, something can go wrong on the road and lead to an accident.
  • Driver Fatigue: If a school bus driver has not gotten enough rest the night before, he or she may have trouble focusing on the road. This can put the children on the bus and everyone else on the road in danger. It is important for school bus drivers to get eight hours of sleep every night so that they are ready to drive the school bus the next day.
  • Other Drivers: Even if a school bus driver does everything right, accidents can still happen. There are many other drivers on the road and some of them might not be as careful. Other drivers may speed, talk on their cell phones, or even drive drunk.

Getting Compensation in a School Bus Accident Case

If your child was in a school bus accident and got hurt, you probably feel overwhelmed. You hate to see your child in pain and are angry that this accident happened. This can be an extremely trying time, and it’s often helpful to face these things with the help of professionals. If you file a lawsuit with the help of a Des Moines school bus accident lawyer, you may be able to get compensated for your child’s medical bills.

A school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA locals depend on may help you gather important evidence, identify witnesses and negotiate with insurance companies. You don’t have to go through this alone.

If you are looking for a school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA offers, contact Law Group of Iowa today.

School Bus Accident Data

Fortunately, fatal school bus accidents remain rare across the nation. Between 2005 and 2014, 106 people riding in or driving school buses were killed nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a database of all traffic fatalities.

On average, about 134 people die in school-vehicle-related crashes each year. Of those, 8% are riding in the buses. Pedestrians, bicyclists and others outside the bus account for 21% of fatalities. By far the most fatalities — nearly three-fourths — are people in other vehicles.

A school bus accident lawyer in Des Moines IA understands that for many people, driving behind a school bus is every late commuter’s dread. And although most drivers take extra care to come to a complete stop, watch for children, and use caution, accidents are still all too common.

Each year, an average of 137 people are killed in school transportation-related crashes, and hundreds more are injured. When it comes to school bus safety, the safest place to be is actually on the bus. Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists, make up 93% of the fatalities in these types of accidents each year.

A school-transportation-related crash is a crash that involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle, or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities. Each Des Moines IA school bus accident attorney from our firm has extensive experience handling these cases. 

School Bus Accident Attorney

An experienced Des Moines IA school bus accident attorney is well prepared to take on your case and offers a reasonable chance of a positive outcome with damages for compensation.

The Need is Obvious

From 2007 to 2016 there were 320,874 fatal motor vehicle crashes. Of those crashes, 1,147 (0.4%) were classified as school-transportation-related.

Between 2007 and 2016, there have been 1,282 people killed in school-transportation-related crashes—an average of 128 fatalities per year. Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 9 percent of the fatalities, and nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 20 percent of the fatalities. Most (70%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved.

From 2007 to 2016, 98 school-age pedestrians (18 and younger) have died in school-transportation- related crashes. Sixty percent were struck by school buses, 2 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 38 percent by other vehicles (passenger cars, light trucks and vans, large trucks, and motorcycles, etc.) involved in the crashes.

The school bus is the safest vehicle on the road — your child is much safer taking a bus to and from school than traveling by car. Although four to six school-age children die each year on school transportation vehicles, that’s less than one percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide. NHTSA believes school buses should be as safe as possible. That’s why our safety standards for school buses are above and beyond those for regular buses.

Has Your Child Been Injured?

Although these vehicles are considered the safest vehicles on the road, accidents still happen. If your child has been injured, call Law Group of Iowa to schedule a free consultation with a school bus accident lawyer Des Moines IA families trust. 

Client Review

“Brad is one of the most open and compassionate attorneys I have ever met. He is not only thorough and detail-oriented, but is a good listener and approaches everything with integrity.”
Hannah R.
5 stars