School Bus Safety

Our children’s safety and welfare are our primary consideration. One way of showing it is by hiring a school bus.

School buses bring our children from home to school and vice versa without any fuss. That is what we think.

But don’t you know that children are not always safe in school buses? Just we thought that there are accident happens.

Case in point is a Wisconsin school bus where nine students were seriously injured. None was reported to have died. Sources said that the bus ditch off a dirt road and tilted on its side.

School bus accidents are becoming rampant. It is more dangerous as it involves children who cannot take care of themselves and who are oblivious to dangers.

School administrators must make extra steps to ensure that their bus drivers have undergone extensive training. I suggest hiring school bus drivers who have clean records and no incidents of any negligent driving.

I also recommend letting these drivers undergo seminars on road management and safety.

The bus itself must also be equipped with seatbelts to prevent the students from standing or moving around while it is in motion.

It could spell addition expenses but at least the safety of our children is assured. No amount of money can compensate our peace of mind regarding their safety.

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Accident – A Far Reaching Effect of the Worsening Economy

Some say that the US continuing economic downtrend produced one unlikely result – accident. Hard to believe but not far fetch.

At the second quarter of this year, fuel prices skyrocketed. Because of this, people seek ways to lessen transportation expenses by saving on gas spending. Some resorts to bicycle and motorcycle rides. The consequence: rise in bicycle and motorcycle accidents.

According to study, older drivers are more likely to figure in an accident because of reflexes impairment, not to mention that 40 year old people may no longer have the same alertness as their young counterpart, which is essential in driving motorcycles.

But that do not hold true anymore. On one morning of last week, a 24-year old motorcyclist died on Sabre Springs Parkway. Witnesses said that the young man was traveling at high speed when he lost control, rode up to the center median and bumped on a tree. Police report said that the “impact disintegrates the motorcycle and the motorcyclist was thrown onto the pavement.”

A couple of years back, around 3,000 deaths were reported to have been caused by motorcycle accidents alone in the United States. More frequently, this accident tends to be a little more serious than other vehicular accidents.

Because of the vehicle’s make-up, i. e. open and with only two wheels to support it, the driver will most probably suffer more injuries than his counterpart on a car, truck, or buses.

Studies show that one of the things, which caused motorcycle accidents, is poor maintenance of the vehicle. Another is bad roads and weather conditions. Also, motorcycle accident may occur due to the conduct of the other driver in cars, for instance, as they tend to undermine motorcycles or altogether neglect them in roads.

In the State of California, the number of motorcycle licenses has reportedly increased – from 908,000 in 2002, the figure reached a staggering more than a million this year.

As they say, everything has a price. Due to increasing use of motorcycles and bicycles, the accidents in the streets involving them has exponentially increased as well.

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Recovery for Injuries from Rollover Accidents

Among different types and classes of motor vehicles, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are particularly prone to rollover crashes. This may be attributed to the vehicle’s high center of gravity, a design that makes maneuvering difficult and increases its vulnerability to rollover accidents.

Because of this, establishing fault in a rollover accident is often difficult and tedious. Unlike in common vehicle accidents where fault may be due to another person’s negligence, liability in a rollover crash may be caused by other factors such manufacturing or design defects.

The rising incidence in rollover crashes, as mentioned in the article “An SUV Rollover Accident is a Traumatic Accident that Numerous Individuals are Faced With”, posted on October 14, 2008, has become a growing concern for both the government agencies and the motorists.

The article discussed possible serious injuries that a victim may suffer in a rollover accident. These include either traumatic injuries, such as head and brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. In addition to this, the victim has to undergo pain and suffering caused by his injuries.

Serious and traumatic injuries from vehicle accidents such as rollover crashes can be pursued with the help of an attorney. To increase one’s chances of success in obtaining full recovery from such injuries, a victim must consult with someone who has the skills and experience in similar cases.

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SUV and Vehicle Safety Issues

Rollover crashes involving sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are often fatal and without the necessary mechanisms to ensure the safety of occupants in an SUV, accidents are most likely to result in serious injury or death.

This is what happened to the driver and five passengers of an SUV as mentioned in the article, “None of six in San Jose SUV Rollover Had Seat Belts”, posted on October 14, 2008. According to the article, the serious injuries suffered by the victims were caused by the absence of safety mechanism in the car such as seat belts and child seats.

However, in some cases, accidents are caused not only by driver’s negligence but also by factors beyond his control such as vehicle manufacturing defects.

As several studies have shown, sports utility vehicles are prone to crashes and rollover due to its unstable built. Based on crash tests conducted, most SUV’s have uneven center of gravity, which make it roll over to one side or lose control when it turns sharply on a curve.

Considering this, car manufacturers can be held liable for injuries caused by defects in vehicle design and safety mechanism issues. Under product liability, a car manufacturer is answerable for the harm and damages a vehicle may inflict on its user or driver, including the passengers.

Statistics show that over 12,000 people died last year in rollovers, with SUVs averaging the highest rate at nearly 62 percent while the remaining percentage involved other cars and vehicles. In addition, the rate of serious injury in passenger vehicle rollover crashes is 36 percent higher than in other vehicle crashes where there is no rollover.

Because safety issues are no laughing matter, these can be properly addressed by an expert or someone who has the experience and skills to deal with it, preferably a personal injury lawyer. Thus, victims of accidents due to defective mechanisms and parts or manufacturing defects must seek legal help to obtain their rightful claim for their injuries.

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Liability in Dog Bites and Animal Attack Incidents

Besides being attacked by animals or dogs, the worse one could experience is having bitten and injured by dogs. No one knows exactly how one feels when being injured in such incidents except the victim himself.

Hence, in most cases, claiming damages for injury in a dog bite incident is only the practicable resource of a victim.

Take the case of the issue in the article, ”Jennifer Lopez’ Husband Marc Anthony to be Joined in Dog Bite Lawsuit”, posted on September 5, 2008. According to this article, the incident occurred while the victim was on board a private jet together with the celebrity couples, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and their pet dog.

Reports said the dog tried to bite the victim on the leg which caused him to fall and hurt his back. As a result, the victim filed a claim for injuries against the couple.

In most animal and dog bite incidents, the owners can be held responsible for animal bites. However, other parties may also be held at fault in some instances:

• Animal Keepers - The owner or keeper can be held responsible for an animal bite if an animal escapes a cage or zoo and causes injury.
• Property Owners - A property owner can be liable for injuries caused by an animal that the property owner allowed onto his or her property.

• Parents of Minors – for a person under 18 years of age who owns the animal, an injured person can bring a legal claim against the minor's parents, even if the parents had no direct involvement with the animal

• Landlords – when an apartment landlord knew that a tenant owned a dangerous animal, the landlord may also be liable for animal bite injuries.

In California, liability in dog bite incidents is governed by strict liability, meaning the owner of an animal is strictly held liable for its behavior. Thus, the owners are often held responsible for the injuries they caused to their victims.

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