Update:
Another school bus accident in Windsor-Essex on Wednesday, June 21, led to one “very minor” injury, according to local officials.
Tecumseh Fire reported that a pickup truck collided with the bus near County Road 8 and 10th Concession Road around 2:30 p.m. The bus came to a stop in a ditch.
Original Post:
A school bus and SUV were damaged in a two-vehicle collision in Amherstburg Tuesday morning.
According to reports, the crash happened at the intersection of Sandwich Street and Alma Street just before 8:20 a.m. The bus was heading east on Alma Street when it was hit on its front right. The impact caused the SUV to flip on its side, coming to a rest in front of the Villa Shoppe parking lot.
There were no students on the bus at the time of the accident, but the 18-year-old SUV driver and two passengers in the vehicle were treated for minor injuries at the scene of the crash.
This is the third school bus crash in the Windsor area in the last week and the fourth to occur in Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) Western Region in the past three weeks.
Contact our Windsor car accident lawyers if your child was injured in an accident. We can help you determine your legal options.
String of Recent Crashes
Just one day earlier, on June 19, a teen driver rear-ended a school bus in Lakeshore that was heading to St. Anne High School. The two students on the bus at the time of the collision were not injured, and the 18-year-old driver was charged with careless driving.
On June 13, two students suffered minor injuries after a tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a school bus in Techumseh. The accident happened on Walker road between Essex County Road 8 and South Talbot Road.
The two students were transported to an area hospital, and the driver and other four children on the bus were not injured. The driver of the tractor-trailer was later charged with careless driving.
On June 8, six children were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after their school bus was involved in a three-vehicle crash outside of London.
Police reported that the school bus was struck by a dump truck as the bus turned at an intersection. It then collided with an SUV that was stopped at the intersection.
Middlesex County OPP have since charged the driver of the school bus.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a School Bus Crash?
As parents, we rely on school buses to transport our most precious cargo: our kids. And if someone’s negligence causes an accident that causes them harm, you may have a legal right to seek justice and compensation through a personal injury claim.
However, because school bus crashes can have many causes, there are several parties that could potentially be held liable for any injures your child suffers.
Depending on the circumstances of your child’s accident, the following parties could be liable:
School Board
The school board is responsible for ensuring the safety of kids from the minute they board a school bus to head to school through to when they step off the bus at the end of the day.
Because of this, they can be held liable for injuries students suffer while at school or being transported by a school bus.
If the school board hires an outside company to provide the school buses and drivers, it may still be held liable for the negligent actions of the company because it has authority over that company and responsibility for the children.
School Bus Company
School boards often hire bus companies to provide transportation for students. In these situations, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure that it is following the laws and regulations regarding school bus standards, hiring properly trained drivers, and maintaining the vehicles appropriately.
School buses, like commercial vehicles, must abide by the laws and regulations in the:
- Highway Traffic Act
- Motor Vehicle Transport Act
- Public Vehicles Act
- Dangerous Goods Transportation Act
- Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
- Environmental Protection Act
Bus Driver
Often, school bus drivers are to blame for an accident. If a driver acted negligently and caused an accident by texting and driving, speeding, drinking and driving, or engaging in any other reckless behavior, he or she, as well as his or her employer, could be held liable for any resulting injuries.
Third-Party Driver
If an accident was caused by the negligent actions of another driver on the highway, such as a bus being rear-ended by another car, that driver could be held liable for any injuries that result.
School Bus Manufacturer
If a defective part on the school bus caused the accident, the manufacturer of the bus or that defective part could potentially be held liable for any resulting injuries. This is because manufacturers have a legal obligation to produce products that do not harm consumers.
Contact a School Bus Accident Lawyer to Find Out if You Have a Legal Claim
If your child was injured in a school bus crash, you likely have many questions. Greg Monforton & Partners has decades of experience handling complex cases like school bus accidents. We will answer all of your questions and help you determine if you have a case.
If you have a case, we will investigate the accident to determine who should be held liable and work to build a strong case in your favor.
Do not wait to contact our team of accomplished lawyers today to learn more. We work on a contingency fee and will not charge any fees or other costs unless we recover compensation for you.
Call (866) 320-4770 for a free consultation.