When you put your children on the school bus every morning, you expect them to get to school safely and to return home safely on the bus. Unfortunately, though, accidents happen in which children get hurt. If your child is hurt in a school bus accident in Florida, you’ll be faced with unexpected bills for doctors, hospitals, physical therapy and more. While taking care of your injured child, you are likely to miss work, leading to lost wages. An experienced bus accident injury attorney from Goldman Daszkal can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
If your child is injured in a school bus accident or crash, it is important to know who is responsible and who can be held liable. Here are some options:
- School District. If the bus is owned, operated or leased by a public school district, the school district can be held liable, but only if it can be proven that the bus driver was negligent or there was negligence involved with the maintenance of the bus.
- Private School Bus Company. If the school district contracts from a private school bus company, the private school bus company may be liable if there was negligent driving or negligent maintenance that was a contributing cause of the crash.
- School Bus Insurance. Many public school districts are self-insured, but many are insured through an insurance fund or company. That insurance company can be a funding source for medical bills, personal injuries, and related damages.
- At-Fault Driver (Other Than School Bus Driver). If the crash is caused by the negligence of another driver, your attorney can file a claim against the at-fault driver.
- At-Fault Owner (Other Than School Bus). If the collision was caused by the negligent driving of a vehicle owned by another person, then the owner of the vehicle can be held liable or responsible for injuries and damages.
- Insurance Company for the At-Fault Driver. Again, an insurance company is not necessary a party or responsible entity except for the payment of medical bills, personal injuries and related damages.
- Insurance Company for the At-Fault Owner. If the at-fault driver and the at-fault owner have different insurance policies, this could be a source for compensation.
As you can see, it can be very difficult to determine liability and from whom to seek compensation. If someone else’s negligence led to your child’s injuries in a school bus accident, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Goldman Daszkal today.