Who’s Liable for a Tennessee School Bus Accident?

By Gilreath & Associates

News about school bus accidents is a parent’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, that nightmare became a reality this past October in Meigs County, Tennessee.

The bus accident, which involved a head-on collision with a utility truck, happened while the bus driver was taking students home from school.

According to reports, the school bus was traveling south on State Highway 58 in Meigs County when a utility service truck appeared to lose control and swerve into the path of the bus, causing a head-on collision.

Tragically, the school bus driver and a 7-year-old girl were killed in the accident.

The driver of the utility truck sustained minor injuries. Seven of the children on the bus were hospitalized due to their injuries, and 1 of those students was critically injured.

The investigation continues into the crash to determine if charges will be filed against the driver of the utility service truck.

When accidents like this happen, getting to the bottom of who’s at fault may not be as easy as it seems.

Who is liable for a school bus accident?

In most school bus accidents, there are generally multiple parties involved—from the bus manufacturer to the bus driver to the school and school district. And in some cases, drivers of other vehicles may be to blame as well. Due to the number of potentially liable parties, it can be challenging to investigate who may be at fault in a school bus accident.

This is where an experienced personal injury attorney can help get to the bottom of liability by finding answers to several questions.

One of the first steps will be to determine if the accident was caused intentionally or due to negligence. Proving negligence, which is the case for most school bus accidents, involves showing that the individual who was responsible for the collision breached their duty to drive safely.

Other questions that your personal injury attorney will seek to answer are:

• Was the accident due to negligence, or was it intentionally caused?
• Was the driver abiding by the laws?
• Was the driver distracted?
• Did a mechanical problem cause the accident?
• Did the school bus driver have all the necessary qualifications?

What damages are available for school bus accident victims?

For those injured in a school bus accident, and for families of those killed in such accidents, compensation for their losses can be sought in the form of “damages.”

The harm caused by school bus accidents can bring tremendous financial stress, as well as physical and emotional distress, as those injured are left with mounting medical bills.

To cover these, damages sought by victims and families can include the following:

• Counseling
• Loss of quality of life
• Medical bills

• Funeral expenses
• Lost wages
• Lifelong disability care

Finding the liable party for a school bus accident is no small feat when there are multiple parties involved. Having an expert, knowledgeable Tennessee accident attorney on your side will help you get to the bottom of it and bring you the compensation that you deserve.

Contact Gilreath & Associates today for your free consultation.

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