17 People Injured In Chicago School Bus Accident By 31st Street and Kedzie Avenue
Bus Accident - May 8, 2023
Seventeen People Injured In School Bus Accident In Chicago’s Little Village Neighborhood By 31st Street and Kedzie Avenue
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (May 7, 2023) – At least 17 people were injured in a Chicago school bus accident near the intersection of 31st Street and Kedzie Avenue.
Cook County police officials are saying that the accident took place on Tuesday morning. A yellow school bus was carrying students with special needs when it was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle.
Photos of the accident showed both vehicles with major damage. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help all of the victims.
Both drivers were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital with critical injuries. A total of nine students were injured and taken to Stroger Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital.
A full investigation into the crash on 31st Street remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Chicago School Bus Accidents
Despite the fact that buses are typically very safe, many bus passengers are seriously injured in accidents every year. According to the Journalist’s Resource, “About 50 passengers (including the driver) are killed, on average, in a given year. Inter-city buses are 1.9 [times] more likely to become involved in an accident, and charter operations have “significantly higher odds of driver error.” There are many steps that bus drivers should take in order to avoid accidents.
- Bus drivers should slow down during periods of inclement weather.
- Bus drivers should check their blind spots before making turns.
- Bus drivers should be well rested before heading out onto the road.
Buses are considered “common carriers” and are held to strict safety standards set forth in the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/). Many school bus accidents are due to one or more drivers that are speeding. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-601), all drivers must not operate their vehicle at a speed greater than what would be reasonable or safe given the prevailing conditions of the roadway.
Depending on the facts of any case, a bus company could be liable for a bus accident. In general, employers are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a bus driver may have been transporting children when they crashed. Victims of school bus accidents tend to suffer very serious injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
It can be hard to know where to begin after any school bus accident. Victims often may not realize the full extent of their injuries for several weeks or months after any collision. Any person that is injured in a school bus accident may have legal recourse through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover many of the expenses that come with a serious accident.
Investigating A Chicago School Bus Accident
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people injured in this Chicago school bus accident on 31st Street. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other accidents like this.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a school bus accident on 31 Street? Our team of school bus accident attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. 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 any type of support after a collision we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
