12-Year-Old Bicyclist Injured In Mount Prospect School Bus Accident by Lowden Lane and Wolf Road
Bus Accident - March 6, 2023
12-Year-Old Child Riding Bicycle Injured In Mount Prospect School Bus Accident By The Intersection of Lowden Lane and Wolf Road
MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS (March 6, 2023) – A 12-year-old child riding a bicycle was injured in a Mount Prospect school bus accident by the intersection of Lowden Lane and Wolf Road.
Whiteside County officials are saying that the accident took place around 4:16 p.m. on Wednesday. A child was riding a bicycle when they were hit by a school bus in a suburban area.
Paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help the victim. The child was taken to the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital with a leg injury.
Police cited the driver of the bus for failure to yield. A full investigation into the collision remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Mount Prospect School Bus Accidents
School buses tend to be incredibly safe for bus passengers. But they can also be incredibly dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. According to the NHTSA, “Over the past 11 years, school buses annually have averaged about 26,000 crashes resulting in 10 deaths – 25 percent were drivers; 75 percent were passengers. Frontal crashes account for about two passenger deaths each year.” There are a number of steps that school bus drivers should take to avoid collisions.
- School bus drivers should check their blind spots before making turns.
- School bus drivers should continuously scan the road ahead of them for pedestrians and cyclists.
- School bus drivers should be well rested before heading out onto the road.
School buses are considered common carriers under the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/). They must operate with the highest degree of care and the vigilance of a very cautious person. School buses have very large blind spots that can easily obscure pedestrians and bicyclists in the roadway. Bus drivers are supposed to compensate for this by continuously moving around to check those blind spots. When a school bus driver fails to check their blind spots and hits a bicyclist, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1, every driver shall exercise due care to avoid hitting any pedestrian or bicyclist in the roadway. Drivers must use extra care when approaching any child or obviously confused or intoxicated person. They must also use their horn when necessary to alert others of their presence. If a school bus driver fails to exercise due care and hits a pedestrian, the company or school district that they worked for could also be held at fault. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any school bus accident.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Surveillance footage should be taken.
- A thorough investigation should be conducted.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any school bus accident. To make matters worse, school bus companies will often fight hard to deny liability for any accident. It is important for accident victims to know that they do have rights. Any person that is injured due to the negligent actions of a school bus driver may have legal recourse through a civil claim. It is extremely important that all evidence is preserved after any collision.
Investigating An Illinois School Bus Accident
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the child injured in this collision. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the collision.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Mount Prospect school bus accident? Our team of bicycle safety advocates are here for you. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support after a collision we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
