4 Things to Do if Your Child Is Involved in a School Bus Accident
Receiving the call that your child was involved in a school bus accident is something that many parents worry about. Unfortunately, these types of accidents occur more often than you might think. Therefore, it is important to be prepared with what you and your child should do so everyone is able to properly handle the situation if it occurs. Here are 4 things to do if your child is involved in a school bus accident:
1. Urge Your Child to Speak Up
When a young child is involved in a crash, they are understandably emotionally shaken up most of the time and often don’t like to talk or think about it. That is why it is important for you to talk to your child about speaking up after these accidents. If your child has any sort of injuries from the crash, they should report those immediately to the bus driver, law enforcement, and any other chaperones who were aboard the bus. Your child will be more comfortable talking to you, so be sure to ask about any injuries they feel once you arrive at the scene. If your child gets injured due to the negligence of a bus driver or another vehicle, you and your child have a more valid claim.
2. Be Sure to Get Listed on the Police Report
Once the police arrive, they will inspect the damage and start taking statements from the passengers. This can be a longer process than your normal car accident because of the number of defendants that were on the bus. However, it is extremely important to make sure that they put your name on their report. In a bus accident, many people are involved and if your name is not listed on the police report it can be harder to file a claim. While you are waiting to speak with the officers, take the time to document the photos of the bus and any other vehicles that were involved. If you do end up having to file a claim, it is better to have too much evidence than not enough.
3. Know the Process
Unfortunately, the process for filing a claim in any bus accident can be a headache because of the government entities that are involved and the high number of insurance companies. If your child is injured during the crash, there are specific issues that normally arise when bringing a claim against the county or city, which will leave you very upset and frustrated. However, if you as a parent carry uninsured motorist coverage, then we may be able to recover damages from your own insurance company as well, even if the child wasn’t riding in your vehicle.
4. Contact an Attorney
Bus accidents can be very complicated, and as a result, are very difficult for people to handle on their own. You will find there are a ton of roadblocks when trying to file a claim against a county-operated school bus, and the driver has a multitude of protections. Luckily, our law office has the expertise you need and we always have your best interest at heart. Be sure to contact our office before speaking to any insurance companies and never agree to a settlement before you speak to one of our skilled personal injury lawyers.
Has your child been involved in a tragic school bus accident? Contact our office today and we will set you up with a free case review and start the process of getting you the compensation you deserve.
