While the following bus accident didn’t occur here in Phoenix (or even the state of Arizona), the circumstances of the wreck could happen anywhere and everyone should know what to do in the wake of a bus accident if they are unfortunately involved.
The bus crash in question happened way up the West Coast in northern Washington. A school bus was carrying two students on their way to school when an SUV suddenly swerved into the path of the bus. There are photos of the head-on collision in the source article. The two people inside of the SUV were hospitalized with serious injuries, while the bus driver and the students aboard only suffered minor injuries.
The police are investigating the crash, and there is the possibility that the driver of the SUV was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Though the drunk driving aspect of this story is enough on its own to warrant a blog post, let’s focus primarily on the involvement of the bus, which appears to be the victimized vehicle in the wreck. This isn’t always the case with buses, though. Sometimes the drivers of commercial bus carriers or city buses (and, yes, sometimes even school buses) operate their vehicles negligently. This can cause innocent people in other vehicles and the passengers they are carrying to suffer horrible injuries.
In the wake of a bus accident, you need to legally protect yourself and your rights. The bus carrier will likely do everything it can to mitigate its liability, and they may try to get you to agree to some sort of deal before you even consult an attorney. Don’t agree to anything — instead, get in touch with a personal injury attorney and review your case.
KIRO-TV, “2 students, 3 adults hurt in school bus crash,” Feb. 18, 2014