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School buses are designed to be as safe as possible, but accidents can still happen. Whether your child was in a crash on the way to or from school or you were involved in a collision with a school bus, these accidents in Chicago can be scary and cause significant injuries.
Fortunately, depending on the circumstances, you can file a lawsuit and receive compensation to cover your medical bills and other expenses. Talking to a knowledgeable and highly skilled bus collision attorney is the best way to determine whether this is a good option. Call McCready Law today to get started with your claim.
Like any other type of traffic accident, bus crashes can have various causes and factors that affect who is responsible. These can include the following:
If a maintenance issue, such as poorly maintained brakes, caused a system failure, the individual or company responsible for maintaining and repairing the bus could be liable. Similarly, if another driver caused the collision, they would be legally responsible.
Liability can become more complicated if the bus driver is at fault. In most cases, when an employee is negligent and harms someone else in the course of their work, their employer is liable for those resulting injuries.
This means someone injured in a school bus accident caused by the bus driver would need to sue the school district. However, there can be some exceptions. If the driver caused the wreck while taking a break or violating a district policy, they could be personally accountable for the incident.
To file a personal injury lawsuit, an individual must prove that someone else caused their injuries through negligence. To be negligent, a person must have a duty to behave a certain way and fail to do so. For example, drivers have a duty to obey traffic laws, so someone who causes an accident by failing to stop at a red light would be considered negligent.
The timeline for a school bus collision lawsuit will depend on both who was injured and who was responsible. In most personal injury cases, the injured person needs to file a lawsuit within two years of the accident. This time limit would apply if another driver not associated with the school district caused the crash. Those suing a government entity like a school district in Illinois have one year to start the process.
If the injured person is a minor, the two-year timeline starts when they turn 18. They can choose to wait until they are adults to file a claim, or their parents can sue on their behalf right away. Waiting too long to file can make collecting the evidence required for a successful claim more difficult. Contact a Chicago lawyer at McCready Law today for more information on how to properly file a school bus wreck claim.
While school bus accidents in Chicago can be complex, filing a lawsuit can allow you to receive the compensation you need to cover your medical bills and other expenses while focusing on your or your child’s health.
McCready Law Injury Attorneys is here to support and walk you through the intricate legal process. Schedule your free case evaluation with a hardworking and determined lawyer today.