School bus accidents are traumatic for all the parties involved. However, this is especially true for students and their families, as they rely on school buses to safely take their children to school and back. School bus accidents cause physical and emotional harm to not only the child but to their parents as well. If your child was hurt in a school bus accident, you seek financial compensation to cover your financial and non-financial losses. Your attorney can assist you in filing a claim, walking you through every step, and proving liability in a school bus accident case.
However, you must be aware of who you are supposed to sue. Following are the different parties you can sue for a school bus accident.
The School District
One of the first parties that you need to consider while filing a lawsuit is the school district. It is the responsibility and duty of the school district to ensure the safety of its students, including providing a safe mode of transportation to and from school. You can sue the school districts if their carelessness contributed to the accident. For instance, if they did not ensure proper road maintenance or signage, which resulted in an accident, you can sue them.
The Bus Driver
You might be able to directly sue the bus driver if their negligence resulted in the accident. Bus drivers must drive their vehicles in a safe manner, which includes adhering to the rules of the road and being cautious around children. It is the bus driver’s responsibility to ensure the protection of students. You could file a lawsuit against the bus driver for any injuries a child sustained if their carelessness led to the accident.
The School Bus Company
A private bus firm may be hired by the school district in some circumstances to provide transportation services. You might be able to sue the bus company for damages if their negligence, such as poor vehicle maintenance, contributed to the mishap. School buses are not exempt from vehicle defects and maintenance issues. However, bus manufacturers are required to promptly notify customers and the public of any defects and recall any affected components.
Other Drivers
You might also be able to file a lawsuit for damages against the individual or entity that caused the accident. You might be able to hold another driver responsible for the injuries, for instance, if they caused the accident by violating the traffic rules. Moreover, the law demands that a fair distance between school buses and other vehicles is maintained. However, in some scenarios, other drivers fail to recognize this law provision and cause an accident.
The Distributors of Bus Components
You might be able to file a lawsuit against the distributor if the defect in one of its components contributed to the accident. You might be able to hold the maker liable for your injuries, for instance, if the brakes malfunctioned due to a manufacturing flaw or if there was some kind of problem with the tires.
School bus accidents are rarely the product of deliberate wrongdoing. Instead, the most frequent claims in these incidents center on negligence. You must hire a skilled attorney to prove negligence in such cases to cover the accident’s financial impact and better care for your child.