School District Bus Rear-Ended in North Side Crash
Recently, a school bus from the North East Independent School District (NEISD) was rear-ended by a car trying to go around it, injuring the bus driver and the auto driver. Approximately 30 children were on board, en route to Stone Oak Elementary, but none were reported injured; they were transferred to another bus and send on their way. However, school bus accidents can often end far worse for those involved, especially very young children. If your child or children is injured in a school bus crash, consulting a lawyer is a crucial step to determine how to proceed.
Rear-End Collisions Are Common
In general, rear-end collisions between vehicles (that is, collisions where one vehicle’s front end strikes another’s rear end) are some of the most common in the U.S., as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that they make up around 30 percent of all two-vehicle accidents. While these types of crashes are common, they are also allegedly the most avoidable – studies indicate that a majority of rear-end crashes occur simply because one or both drivers are not paying attention.
In the Stone Oak accident, the driver of the automobile had grown impatient and tried to cut around the bus, but miscalculated the distance and struck the back of the vehicle. This kind of driving is another common cause of rear-end crashes; trying to cut corners or pass another vehicle without appropriately checking the distances (in other words, driving in a manner that might be classified as negligent) can be the cornerstone for a personal injury lawsuit if negligence can be established.
Who Is Liable?
Depending on the specific facts of a school bus accident, it can be hard to determine who might be liable for any injuries sustained in the crash. In some cases, the driver that strikes or incapacitates a school bus may clearly be liable, as appears to be the case with the Stone Oak accident; all currently available accounts state that the automobile driver struck the bus as she impatiently tried to dart around the larger vehicle.
If you believe that the school bus driver or someone affiliated with the school was at fault, you should be aware that it is very difficult to bring suit against a public school, at least in Texas – the state’s sovereign immunity law, which prevents governmental entities from being sued – applies to public schools. However, there are loopholes that an experienced attorney may be able to utilize on your behalf – and of course, if you went to, say, a private school, then Texas law on that score would not necessarily apply.
Call a New Braunfels Bus Accident Lawyer
While currently, no further information is available on the state of the injured bus driver and sedan driver, it is a good idea to try and take the lessons from them should you be unfortunate enough to experience this type of crash. A skilled New Braunfels bus crash lawyer is happy to try and help you. Call the Bettersworth Law Firm today at 888-392-0039 for a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2019/11/18/major-crash-involving-bus-reported-on-far-north-side/
