Charlotte, NC Personal Injury Lawyer
Fifteen North Carolina school children were injured recently when their school bus swerved and overturned. There were 45 students on the bus at the time of the accident. Troopers with the North Carolina Highway Patrol believed that a compartment above the driver’s head opened shortly before the accident, causing the driver to become distracted. It is thought that as the driver attempted to close the open compartment door, the driver lost control of the bus. Fortunately, none of the children appeared to be seriously injured.
Statistically speaking, injuries resulting from school bus crashes are relatively rare. This does not mean, however, that children riding a school bus are necessarily safe in an accident. Many school buses do not have any sort of restraints or seat belts, increasing the odds that a child might suffer a head or spine injury during a crash (in fact, in this particular bus crash, at least one of the injured children reported hurting his head in the roll over).
What Can You Do After a School Bus Accident?
Many parents might feel helpless after a school bus crash. However, there are certain steps you can take to not only protect your child but also increase the chances of being able to recover compensation for any medical bills or other losses your child sustained. For example, you should:
(1) Seek medical attention for your child. Obviously, if your child is noticeably injured, you should take the child to the hospital or doctor’s office right away. But even if your child does not appear to be injured, you should still take your child to a medical center to be evaluated. There may be internal injuries that are not immediately apparent; the sooner that such an injury is diagnosed, the easier it is to connect the injury to the bus accident.
(2) Ask your child to describe the accident, and take notes. Even if your child can not describe what caused the accident, allow your child to explain what he or she remembers before the crash. What was the bus driver doing? Who else was on the bus? What sights and sounds does your child remember before and after the crash? The details your child may remember can be important in recovering compensation in a later lawsuit.
(3) Contact a personal injury attorney. There can be a number of people or entities at fault in the crash, including the driver, the school district, the bus manufacturer, and the person or business responsible for maintaining the bus. A personal injury attorney can help you identify and bring suit against all responsible parties. Not only this, but a personal injury attorney can help you comply with any special requirements if, for example, any of the defendants is a public entity such as a school district.
If your child has been injured in a school bus crash or other similar accident, contact the dedicated team at Bice Law, LLC today at 877-BICE-877.
