Columbia School Bus Accident Lawyer
Parents rely on a school bus to get their children to school safely and return them home at the end of the day. Unfortunately, many parents receive a phone call that their child was injured in an accident While riding the bus. What can parents do?
The Stanley Law Group is an established personal injury firm helping accident victims like you. We have decades of combined experience bringing claims for compensation when children are hurt in motor vehicle accidents. Please call us today to speak with a member of our team. In a consultation, a Columbia school bus accident lawyer can discuss what information you know about the accident and how we build claims for compensation.
Why School Bus Cases Are Complicated
Accidents involving school buses are different from other bus accidents. For one thing, the government probably employs the driver and owns the bus. This means the government could be the defendant in your case.
Many accidents are caused by a negligent bus driver who engages in:
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Failure to observe safety rules
- Tailgating
- Taking a turn too fast
However, other parties could be to blame:
- Another motorist. A different driver could have cut your bus off or slammed into it, causing the accident. In that case, you would sue the other motorist for negligent driving.
- Bus manufacturer. A bus could have a defect which makes it unsafe. The defect could be a design or manufacturing defect.
- The mechanic who works on the bus could have been negligent. They might have failed to fix the brakes, for example, which ends up causing a crash.
If a private party is at fault, then parents can sue them directly for their child’s injury. But cases involving government defendants are different.
Can You Sue the School District?
For most bus accidents, the school district will be the defendant. If so, the South Carolina Tort Claims Act comes into play. This law applies whenever you sue a school district for an accident, including a bus accident.
The Tort Claims Act gives you two years to start a case, or three years if you submit a verified claim. The law also limits the compensation you can receive to $300,000, or $600,000 if two or more people are injured. These limitations only apply when the government is a defendant.
In a bus crash, dozens of school children could be hurt. The total number will reduce the compensation available for your child. You’ll need a legal team which knows how to maximize the pot of money available.
Parents also need a lawyer who knows how to negotiate a settlement for an injured child. No one under 18 can form a legal contract, which means they can’t sign a settlement agreement themselves. The Stanley Law Group understands the process of settling a child’s injury case.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
School bus accidents are inexcusable. Let us hold the right people accountable for this accident and your child’s injuries. Contact us to speak with a Columbia school bus accident lawyer.
