Driver inattention and following too closely may have caused a Missouri school bus crash on August 5 that killed one student, a pickup truck driver, and injured 55 people – two seriously – most of whom were students. According to www.stltoday.com, the Missouri Highway Patrol investigation of the multi-vehicle accident near Gray Summit is likely to take several weeks and the National Highway Safety Board’s examination of the crash may take over a year.
Two school buses transporting high school band members to Six Flags were involved in the accident along with a pickup truck and a truck tractor operating without a trailer. The truck tractor apparently had stopped in traffic due to an upcoming construction zone. The pickup truck then rear-ended the tractor. The first school bus struck the rear end of the pickup truck, pushing it on top of the tractor. The second school bus, which crashed into the first bus, pushing it on top of the other two vehicles, was said to have been following the first bus too closely.
The Highway Patrol report noted the driver of the school bus that struck the pickup truck to be “inattentive.” Pending investigations may reveal additional or other causes.
While school bus accidents account for very few traffic accident fatalities and injuries, when they do occur, passengers are at risk of enduring serious injury or death to a lack of safety restraints and air bags. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records reveal that an average of 19 school-age children die each year in accidents involving school buses or vehicles transporting children for school-related events.
Bus accident victims who are injured due to negligent driving, improper driver training, defective bus parts, or other forms of negligence, deserve to be compensated for the expenses associated with their injuries as well as for their pain and suffering.
The bus crash attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP understand the complexities surrounding bus accident litigation and have obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for bus accident victims and family members of wrongful death victims. To find out more about how we can help you obtain full and just compensation, please call 877-800-1700.
