What to Do When Your Child Gets Hurt on a School Bus

According to Ballotpedia, 751,660 students attend schools in South Carolina. For Charleston County School District, school buses serve about 19,000 students at 78 schools.

Statistically speaking, traveling by school bus is a lot safer than traveling in a car driven by a teenager or adult. During the 2021-2022 school year, 492 school bus crashes occurred in a fleet of 5,600 buses. Most school bus crashes caused only minor injuries or property damage. In 2020, only one school bus crash resulted in a death. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), students are 70 times more likely to arrive at school safely on a bus than in a family vehicle. The lights and signals required on school buses, along with their distinctive color, make them easier to spot. Also, school bus drivers receive training both before they receive their license and for each year they drive a bus. These factors improve safety on school buses in South Carolina and throughout the U.S.

How Do Children Get Injured on School Buses?

Although school bus accidents are rare, they are not nonexistent. Injuries may occur when children get on, get off, or ride a school bus. Apart from tragic crashes, there are other hazards involved when students travel by bus.

Children can incur injuries when getting on and off the bus, especially when they walk in the “danger zone,” 10 feet in front, behind, and on either side of the bus. That area near a bus includes blind spots where a driver cannot see someone.

Most school buses don’t have seat belts, so children can get hurt from any forceful stop or similar motion that propels their body to come into impact with a part of the bus, such as a seat, a window, the floor, or another passenger.

When walking down the aisle to find somewhere to sit, children can trip and fall due to a slippery bus floor or an object lying on the ground.

What To Do If Your Child is Injured On a Bus 

If your child was injured on a school bus, you should take the following steps:

• Get medical attention for your child immediately, even if it seems like the injuries are minor or there are no observable injuries.
• Take detailed notes of the injuries and capture images with a smartphone camera.
• Ask your child and other witnesses what happened and record their accounts of the bus incident.
• Check whether there were security cameras on the bus or in the area to review the bus incident.
• Keep copies of medical reports, police reports, and any other records to later provide to your attorney. 
• Reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Whether a school bus accident was the fault of the bus driver, the bus company, the school district, or someone else, they can be found liable for the injuries and trauma your child experienced. The compassionate lawyers at Steinberg Law Firm can discuss your case with you and ensure your family gets the justice and compensation they deserve. For a free consultation, contact Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800.