Five Children Injured in the Third Georgia School Bus Accident This Month

Traffic experts will tell you that school buses may be the safest form of transportation. Statistics tend to support this view, as almost 500,000 school buses provide transportation for over 24 million school children each day. There have been 407,000 fatal motor vehicle accidents since 1990, but school bus accidents account for only one-third of one percent of these deaths. One would never know this based on the sudden epidemic of school bus accidents in Georgia this month.

Three Barrow County school children suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital after a driver rear ended their bus yesterday afternoon. At the time of the collision, the school bus had its stop lights blinking and was in the process of unloading the Statham school children. The driver of the car that plowed into the school bus suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital. The driver of the bus was treated for minor injuries at the scene. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we represent those seriously injured in school bus accidents in the Atlanta area and in all areas throughout the State of Georgia.

This school bus accident is the third Georgia school bus accident this month, including a school bus accident that resulted in the tragic death of a 17 year old Carroll County student when the bus ran off the road and rolled over. Records indicate that there were warning signs that the school bus driver in the fatal Carroll County crash had past problems with accidents and an inability to keep the school bus from veering out of its lane. The fatal Carroll County busing collision was followed by a second school bus wreck in Carroll County this month; charges are pending against the school bus driver in that accident. Three school bus accidents, including one fatality accident, in the period of a month has motivated Georgia legislators to consider making seat belts mandatory in school buses.

A school bus accident can result from a number of causes. In the Carroll County accidents it appears from available information that the bus drivers may have been at fault. One driver had a past history of problems while the other driver is under investigation with charges pending. If either bus driver is found to have contributed to the accident, the bus driver and school district may be liable for the injuries to the school children. It is not clear whether the driver in the Barrow County school bus accident was in any way at fault for the accident, but the bus driver and school district could be liable if they are found to have been at fault. The other driver who plowed into the school bus while it was stopped and had its warning lights on will almost certainly have liability for the accident. The police have already indicated that the driver will receive a traffic citation for following too close.

A bus accident of this kind can involve multiple responsible parties, including by way of example the following:

• Bus Driver: The bus driver may fail to drive safely or obey traffic laws.
• Other Driver: A driver may be distracted, fail to obey traffic laws.
• School District: The district may be negligent in hiring, training or supervising the driver, or in maintaining the bus.
• Public Entity: The design or construction of the roadway itself may cause an accident.

Fortunately, no children were killed in this school bus accident, unlike the Carroll County school bus crash. The parents of the injured children do have the right to seek compensation for any injuries suffered resulting from negligence of anyone who may have contributed to the Barrow County school bus collision. The attorneys of Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, have been representing those seriously injured in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including school bus accidents, throughout the State of Georgia for over 39 years.

If you or someone you love is injured in a motor vehicle accident, call Montlick & Associates today to see how our Georgia school bus accident attorneys can help. We are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com. No matter where you are in Georgia, we are just a phone call away and we will even come to you.