St. Louis school bus accident highlights risks faced by passengers and students
St. Louis Today is reporting that a child has been hospitalized after being struck by a school bus on Tuesday at the intersection of South Grand Boulevard and Alberta Street.
As the school year gets underway, students are at high risk of injury from school bus accidents. Other common forms of injury on school grounds can include fall injuries, sport’s related injuries, assault, negligent security and abuse by teachers, faculty or other students. In July, we reported on our St. Louis Premise Liability Lawyer Blog about a hazing incident in which several students were injured. And, of course we won’t soon forget the horrific Missouri school bus accident that killed two students and injured 50 others who were on a field trip to an amusement park.
School districts have an obligation to keep students safe once they accept responsibility for them, whether that occurs at a bus stop or when a student is dropped off at the front door.
An average of 19 students are killed each year in school bus accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hundreds more are injured. Many of these accidents are classified as pedestrian accidents as they occur as a student is getting on or off the bus.
The NHTSA reports students are most likely to be hit because:
-They are hurrying to catch the bus.
-They have little experience with traffic and act before they think.
-They assume motorists will see them and don’t wait to cross.
-They don’t remain within the bus driver’s sight.
-They drop something under and into the path of the bus and attempt to pick it up.
Teach your child bus safety:
-Wait for the driver’s signal and board the bus one at a time.
-Make sure no cars are passing on the shoulder before exiting the bus.
-Take five giant steps in front of the bus before crossing the street. Wait until the driver can see you and gives you the signal to cross.
-Look left-right-left before crossing the street. Look left first and last because that is the direction of oncoming traffic.
If your child has been injured in a busing accident or while on school property, contact St. Louis Injury Attorney Ryan R. Cox for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 636-946-6886.
Ryan R. Cox & Associates, LLC
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