It’s easy to assume that riding on public transportation — such as commuter trains, city buses and taxi cabs — is safe and free of any significant dangers; but that notion couldn’t be farther from reality. The fact is when boarding any public or private motor vehicle, the danger of a highway collision or roadway accident is ever-present. Now, when it comes to school buses carting their precious cargo around every morning and afternoon, the caveats go double for these conveyances.
As Maryland personal injury attorneys serving the residents of Baltimore, Rockville, Frederick and Washington, D.C., we know all too well how a traffic wreck can affect the lives of numerous individuals riding on a bus. Unfortunately, living in densely packed urban areas, many people must rely on public transportation; just as our children must also rely on school buses to transport them safely from home to school and back again.
As commuters on city buses and commuter railways, we acknowledge that the operators of these modes of transport are for the most part trained professionals who are dedicated to their jobs, with one of their primary goals being the safety and well being of their passengers.
For parents of elementary school children, it’s understandable that the daily routine of sending one’s kids off to school can lull one into a sense of security and trust in the safety of these large yellow boxes, however accidents can and do happen; and they don’t discriminate as to who will become the next victim.
It doesn’t take much to become critically injured in a bus accident, especially considering that most buses — even school buses — do not have safety belts for the riders. Injuries from busing crashes can include injuries from simple as cuts and bruises to broken bones, internal injuries or closed-head trauma. Because of this, the potential for a school bus accident is very concerning for many parents.
Naturally, we all choose to believe that every child riding on a school bus is safe from harm, the fact remains that the opportunity for injury — sometimes even death — is always there. With that in mind, we mention a news brief that recently came to our attention explaining that a school bus was involved in a three-vehicle traffic collision in the southern part of Maryland.
According to news reports, almost two dozen people including a number of students from Great Mills High School were sent to the hospital following a roadway collision apparently caused by a truck driver who may have had too much to drink. Based on police reports, the accident occurred on a Tuesday evening near Chaptico, MD. The crash took place as the school bus was transporting the kids back from an out-of-state sporting competition.
Based on reports, occupants of the bus — namely the bus driver, a second adult, plus 15 students — were all transported by ambulance to the hospital. In addition to the dozen-plus students, a 13-year-old girl, who was riding in the only passenger car that was also involved in the crash. The 45-year-old truck driver, who was treated for minor injuries, was reportedly arrested by local police and charged with drunken driving.
Several students treated at hospital after bus crashes in Md.; truck driver charged with DUI, WashingtonPost.com, November 23, 2011