During a six-month period last school year, 12 children were killed and 47 were injured through the country while getting on and off school buses. According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, 133 pedestrians were killed in Maryland car accidents and 214 students were injured as they were walking during school arrival and dismissal times. The Maryland State Department of Education reported 3,812 incidents involving vehicles passing a stopped school bus with their lights activated during a one-day survey of bus drivers.
Section 21-706 of the Maryland Transportation Code states that if a school vehicle is stopped and is flashing red lights, a driver must stop for the school vehicle at least 20 feet from the front or the rear of the vehicle, depending on the direction of the driver. A driver must remain stopped and cannot proceed until the school vehicle resumes driving or deactivates the flashing red lights. A bus will normally flash yellow lights to indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children, and motorists are supposed to slow down and be prepared to stop. Last year, Maryland imposed a new $500 maximum penalty for drivers caught on school bus stop-arm cameras for failing to stop when required.
If a child is injured in a car accident while getting on or off the school bus, or on the way to school, the driver of the car that struck them may be held responsible for any resulting injuries. A personal injury claim against a driver would allow an injured victim to recover damages such as medical bills, as well as compensation for their pain and suffering damages. As the following article shows, such accidents occur all too frequently. In that case, a student was hit and seriously injured as a driver passed a school bus as the student was boarding the bus.
Teen Hit by Car While Boarding School Bus
A teen was hit by a car while boarding a school bus on a recent morning in Bethesda, Maryland, according to one news source. The school bus was stopped near a crosswalk when a Jeep hit the teen as the driver was trying to pass the school bus. Emergency services were called to the scene and the 17-year-old student was transported to a nearby hospital for life-threatening injuries. The student was a senior in high school. The previous day a 9-year-old elementary school student was hit and killed by a school bus in the same town.
Contact a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Maryland car crash, contact the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen, Personal Injury Lawyers. At Lebowitz & Mzhen, our dedicated injury attorneys will fight for your rights and seek to get you the compensation you deserve. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience representing accident victims in personal injury cases throughout the region. We represent injury victims across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia and take pride in advocating for the rights of victims. Call us today toll-free at 1-800-654-1949 or fill out our online form arrange a free initial consultation.