The process of filing a lawsuit in case of a school bus accident can be very complicated. Most school bus accident cases may require thorough investigations to determine who can be held liable for the incident and damages, as there might be multiple victims involved in the accident. There are a lot of considerable factors when it comes to a school bus accident. This includes checking and making sure whether the school bus had seatbelts, or whether a poorly designed bus stop or place which was responsible for the accident occurred. A lawsuit that involves a vast set of rules and regulations would have to be filed against the government body if the school bus is owned and operated by a public school district.
There can be many parties who can be held responsible for your school bus accident injury like the school bus driver, school district, organizations that owns the bus, school bus manufacturer, a driver of another vehicle, a third party who is contracted to repair and maintain the bus etc. You will have to prove the fault or negligence of the party that you have deemed responsible regardless of which party is responsible for the accident. The school bus owners and drivers are expected to keep a level of safety to the passengers and when it is neglected, a lawsuit can be filed against them. To prove a fault is incredibly difficult and will demand a detailed examination of the crash scene, testimony from the eyewitnesses, and investigations of the GPS systems, video cameras of the bus etc.
It is important to ask yourself these questions before moving forward with legal actions for damages.
Who is responsible: The context of an entire lawsuit can be changed by determining the fault of the accident. It can help directly determine the amount of compensation that you could receive.
Was the bus driver the school’s agent: It is important to identify whether the driver is been an employee of the school to file a lawsuit against school in case of the school bus accident. It can be helpful if you employ the assistance of a bus accident attorney as in some cases the answer for this is not so clear.
Are you following the proper procedures: Each lawsuit is been filed under certain guidelines and limitations and when these guidelines and limitations are neglected, there are chances that your case can be rejected by the court. The best way to determine the guidelines is to employ the assistance of an attorney.