South Florida Injury Attorneys Blog
Putting your child on a school bus may be the safest way to get your child to school. School buses are designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries. However, despite the heavy regulations placed on school buses, South Florida school bus accidents still happen.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2006 to 2015, there were 1,313 fatalities in school transportation-related crashes, or around 131 fatalities per year. A school transportation-related crash was defined as a crash that involved a school bus, or a non-school bus functioning as a bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities. There were 301 school-age children killed in school transportation-related crashes, 54 of whom were occupants of school transportation vehicles. In addition, of the school-age fatalities in school transportation-related crashes, most occurred between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. or from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) reported there were 134,790 children involved in crashes in Florida in 2016. It also noted there was a 32 percent increase in fatalities from 2014. The DHSMV cautioned drivers to properly stop for school buses. As of July 1, 2017, a new Florida law took effect, the Cameron Mathew Act, which increases the minimum penalty for drivers who illegally pass a school bus, resulting in injuries or death.
School Bus Slams into Florida Home
According to a local news report, on a recent Monday morning, a school bus packed with children slammed into a home in Hialeah, Florida. One child was brought to Palmetto General Hospital, and at least 10 others had minor injuries from the crash, according to one news source. The children were on their way to Palm Springs Middle School when the crash occurred just before 9:00 a.m.
A seventh-grader told reporters that the bus went out of control and then crashed into the house. Photos of the crash show the front of the bus in contact with the front of a house, which left a hole in the house’s living room.
The bus driver was “too upset” to speak to the news outlet, but the driver’s son said, “it was an accident.” The homeowner’s father said that there were numerous accidents at the intersection and that there had been one “every month.” A neighbor stated that the same house had been hit before by another vehicle. The school bus company did not provide any comment, and authorities continue to investigate the crash.
Contact a Florida Injury Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. The Florida auto accident attorneys at Cecere Santana are committed to providing dedicated representation to residents of Fort Lauderdale and throughout the region. Our attorneys represent individuals in personal injury cases, homeowner and property claims, workers’ compensation claims, and immigration matters. We work tirelessly for our clients to pursue maximum recovery in their cases, and we will do the same for you. To set up a meeting with an attorney, call (800) 753-5529 or fill out our contact form.
More Blog Posts:
Plaintiff’s Slip-and-Fall Accident in Doctor’s Examination Room Deemed Not To Be “Medical Malpractice” Lawsuit, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published November 28, 2017.
Florida Crash Highlights Lack of Enforcement of Agricultural Transportation Laws, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published December 11, 2017.