16 Students Injured In Warsaw School Bus Accident U.S. 30
Bus Accident - November 14, 2022
16 Saint Ignatius College Prep High School Students Injured In Warsaw, Indiana School Bus Accident With Semi-Truck On U.S. 30
WARSAW, INDIANA (November 13, 2022) – Sixteen students from a Chicago high school hockey team were injured in a Warsaw school bus accident with a semi-truck on U.S. 30.
Kosciusko County officials are saying that the accident took place around 8:06 p.m. on Saturday. A junior varsity hockey team from Chicago’s Saint Ignatius College Prep High School was heading back home in a school bus.
The students had just played a game in Warsaw, Indiana. A semi-truck driver was driving at excessive speeds and swerving in and out of traffic before rear-ending the school bus carrying the Saint Ignatius College Prep High School hockey team.
The force of the impact caused the school bus to overturn onto its side. Officials say that the semi-truck continued a short distance before coming to rest in a ditch.
Paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help all of the victims. One student was ejected from the school bus.
In all, there were 23 students on the bus and 16 were injured. Three of the students were reportedly in critical condition. The semi-truck driver failed field sobriety tests and had a blood sample taken at a local hospital.
They have since been charged with DUI and causing serious bodily injury. A full investigation into the crash remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Warsaw School Bus Accidents
Driver intoxication remains one of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States. According to the NHTSA, “Every day, about 32 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 45 minutes. In 2020, 11,654 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths — a 14% increase from 2019.” It has been estimated that around 500 commercial truck accidents every year are due to alcohol intoxication. What many drivers do not realize is that there are a number of substances that could potentially intoxicate them.
- Prescriptions
- Over-the-counter drugs
- Benzodiazepines
- Methamphetamines
- Sleep aides
All semi-truck drivers will need to get a commercial driver’s license and must do everything in their power to avoid collisions. They must also abide by all rules and regulations set forth in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Commercial drivers are held to a much more strict standard when it comes to what is considered intoxicated. Generally speaking, it is illegal for non-commercial drivers to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. Commercial truck drivers must not have a BAC of 0.04% or higher.
Commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs and must travel at a slower rate than other drivers to avoid causing a crash. Pursuant to Indiana Vehicle Code 9-21-5-1 Sec. 1, a person may not drive on a highway at a speed greater than what is reasonable or safe given the prevailing conditions and hazards on the roadway. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of any truck driver that rear-ends another vehicle in their own lane of traffic.
If a truck driver was working at the time of a collision, the company that they were working for could be held at fault. Generally speaking, companies are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. A company that hired a truck driver could also be liable for a collision if the truck driver was not properly licensed and then involved in a crash. Victims of bus accidents tend to suffer very serious and costly injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
- Organ damage
Even after the physical injuries of a semi-truck accident have healed, many survivors report suffering from long-term psychological injuries. It can be very difficult to know what to do after any collision with a semi-truck. But it is important for accident victims to remember that they do have rights. They have the ability to file a civil claim for damages if that is what they choose.
Investigating An Indiana Semi-Truck Accident
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our thoughts and prayers to all of the Saint Ignatius College Prep High School students injured in this crash. It is our sincere hope that all of the victims will be able to make a full recovery. This was a preventable tragedy that should not have taken place. There needs to be some accountability and measures taken to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about a Warsaw semi-truck accident? Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need in order to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any collision, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
