School Bus Accidents in Dallas

No parent wants to imagine that the bus drivers taking their kids to and from school might be anything but responsible and law-abiding on the road. While most school bus drivers meet this standard, the few that do not—and the school districts that employ them—can end up causing serious harm to multiple children at once with a single careless act.

School bus accidents in Dallas can lead to emotionally charged and legally complex civil cases, making it difficult to achieve a positive case result alone. That said, retaining and working closely with a capable and compassionate bus accident lawyer could dramatically improve your chances of recovering the compensation your family deserves.

Who is At Fault for a School Bus Crash?

Like commercial and public transit drivers, school bus drivers—as common carriers—have a higher “duty of care” than those driving personal vehicles. Put simply, bus drivers are expected not only to follow traffic laws and use caution while driving but also to do whatever possible to minimize the risk of any passengers on board getting hurt.

Because of this, bus drivers can be considered “negligent” when they cause injury to a passenger by turning too sharply or braking suddenly, just as they could be if they caused injuries to a passenger by getting into a traffic accident. Likewise, the employer—or in the case of school bus accidents, the Dallas Independent School District—of the driver could be vicariously liable for the misconduct of their employee.

While most bus accidents stem entirely from the driver’s reckless or careless actions, it is not unheard of for incidents like this to stem mainly from the negligence of a third party—for example, the manufacturer that produced a faulty bus component or even another driver on the road whose carelessness caused the crash. Help from a capable attorney in Dallas can be vital to establishing who is responsible for the school bus crash and taking effective legal action against each of them.

Recovering Fairly Inside Filing Deadlines

The Texas Tort Claims Act imposes significant limitations on the rights of parents and guardians of children injured in Dallas school bus accidents to file suit and demand civil recovery for the harm their children sustained. Most notably, the maximum compensation a “unit of local government” can be forced to pay in a lawsuit is $100,000 per injured person and $300,000 per accident.

On top of that, the filing deadlines for claims against local government bodies are much shorter than those in other personal injury claims. For example, rather than having up to two years after a school bus collision to begin the civil litigation process, prospective plaintiffs filing suit against the local government in Dallas must submit written notice of their intent to pursue a claim within six months of the accident.

An Attorney in Dallas Could Help Pursue a School Bus Accident Claim

Thankfully, traffic accidents involving school buses are rare in the Lone Star State, but that does not mean they never happen or cannot cause serious harm to children. When you find yourself dealing with a situation like this, acting promptly to enforce your child’s legal rights is vital to protecting their best interests as well as your own.

School bus accidents in Dallas are much easier to handle with support from seasoned legal representation. Call today to learn more.