Several Students Injured in Wheaton School Bus Crash

According to a recent news article, students traveling to Wheaton North High School were injured when the bus they were riding in was involved in an accident with another car. The accident occurred on Geneva Road near Purnell Street at approximately 7:35 in the morning.

According to police, the driver of the car first hit a compressor being pulled by a van on Geneva Road. The car then spun into the path of the bus, which struck the car on the passenger side. Fortunately, the passenger seat was empty at the time of the accident.

The bus was carrying 50 students when the accident occurred. Along with the bus driver, 12 students were taken to Central Dupage Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, ranging from head pain to wrist soreness. The driver of the car was also transported to the hospital for minor injuries. Both the car and the school bus had to be towed from the accident site.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash. However, a lieutenant from the Wheaton Police Department said that the driver of the car did not see the van before it turned onto Geneva Road and struck the compressor trailing behind it.

Drivers Must Use Reasonable Care When Operating a Motor Vehicle

Every weekday morning during the school year, countless yellow school buses shuttle children of all ages off to school. At each bus stop, red lights flash, cars pause, and children board the bus. The buses do not have seat belts for the children, which at least partly explains why school buses have so many fatal accidents each year in the United States.

On the same weekday mornings, many neighborhood roads are also teeming with rush hour commuters. Some drivers are distracted by thoughts of the upcoming day, and still others are running late for work and simply not as cautious as they should be. Either way, these hurried drivers share the roads with the very buses that shuttle kindergarteners and high schoolers alike to school for the morning bell.

But being late for work is no excuse for driving without reasonable care. Whether it is excessive speeding to be on time for a meeting, texting a colleague to ask for a client’s phone number, or cutting out onto a busy street without looking carefully in both directions, if a driver causes an accident to another car or, even worse, a bus full of young children, he may be liable for damages. In Illinois, a driver’s failure to drive as a reasonable person would drive under the same or similar circumstances is called negligence.

If an injured driver is partly to blame for an accident on the roads, it is still possible to recover for damages. As long as the plaintiff is less than 51% at fault in an accident, he or she may be able to recover damages for injuries suffered as a result of another driver’s negligence, although the damages will be reduced by the amount of the plaintiff’s fault. This is called modified comparative negligence.

Have You Been Injured In a Car Accident?

If you have been injured in an auto accident, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. Whether you were a driver or passenger, or even partially at fault in the accident, it is possible that you can recover for out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost wages, and a reduction in future income. You may also be able to recover for pain and suffering and emotional distress, if your injuries continue to plague you in other, less tangible ways. There is always a time limit for how long you can file a lawsuit in automobile accident cases, but the deadline is not always as straightforward as most injured parties think. In fact, time periods for filing a lawsuit may be shorter for accidents involving buses. If you have been injured in a car or bus accident, call Moll Law Group to find out if you still have a right to sue for your injuries. We understand your rights, and we care about all aspects of your recovery. For a free consultation, call (312) 462-1700.

See More Posts:

Medical Device Manufacturer Recalls Hip Replacement Part, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, November 14, 2015.

Naperville Residents Warned of Risk of Addiction to Prescription Drugs, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, November 21, 2015.

One Person Killed, Eight Injured In Accident on Interstate 57, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, November 17, 2015.