An accident involving a school bus carrying elementary kids is every parent’s nightmare, but this is what happened recently in Salmon, Idaho. Four children were injured and an 11-year-old boy was killed when their school bus smashed into a dump truck at a rural intersection. None of the children were wearing seat belts.

School buses are only one type of bus. There are intercity, local bus services and private bus companies who are hired by private parties. Regardless of the type of bus, the consequences of an accident can be extremely costly.

Who is to blame for bus accidents?

If you or a loved one was injured in a California bus crash, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages. There are many different persons who may be legally responsible for causing your injuries, including:

• Bus company — Every bus company has a duty to be provide a safe bus that operates properly with an adequately trained driver
• Bus driver — California requires bus drivers to exercise a high standard of care and diligence when transporting passengers
• Bus maintenance company — An independent maintenance company that is contracted to repair the fleet of buses may liable for a defective bus that causes harm.
• Manufacturers — The company that made the bus or the parts manufacturers may be responsible for product defects that cause harm
• Governments — If a negligent city bus driver caused your injury, the city government may be liable
• Bus operator — When a tour company hires a bus and negligent actions by the bus driver caused injury, the tour company may be liable for the damages

Recovery

Depending on the unique circumstances of each bus accident, the injured parties may collect past and future medical expenses, loss of current wages and for future earning capacity. In some cases, an injured party can collect for pain and suffering and loss of consortium.

Bus accidents can be complex and proving negligence may be difficult. One of the most important keys to successfully recovering damages is hiring an experienced San Diego bus accident attorney.