When parents send their kids to camp, school or extracurricular activities on a school bus, the expectation is that they will get from point A to point B safely. Tragically, this doesn’t always happen.
Recently, for instance, 14 students were injured when the bus in which they were riding flipped over. The bus was hit by a vehicle escorting a tractor-trailer, which had been hit by another vehicle. Thankfully, no one was killed in the accident, but it will likely take quite some time for the injured victims and their families to get answers.
This includes the question of liability. Who is to blame for the accident? The driver of the first car that caused the chain reaction — and fled the scene — will almost certainly shoulder the blame, but it is possible that the truckers, the escort vehicle drivers or even the bus driver were also somehow to blame for the accident. Thorough investigation will need to be completed to determine this.
The question of what types of damages have been suffered can also take some time to answer. Most of the damages appear to be minor. However, there are injuries that, while minor, may never fully heal. And there is also the likelihood of emotional damages that the victims may not recognize just yet. This includes depression, anxiety and the pain and suffering that is not uncommon after a motor vehicle crash.
Getting answers may not be the top priority for the families of the injured victims so soon after the crash, but eventually it will be a very real concern. Figuring out who is to blame, what the extent of the injuries are and how the various costs of the accident will be covered are all critical issues that need to be resolved after any serious accidents involving commercial vehicles.
Should you be hurt or lose a loved one in this type of crash, it is important that you get the answers and the resolution you deserve, even if it is more challenging than you expect. To make things easier, you can work through the process with the support and guidance of an attorney.
