Girl Injured In Skokie School Bus Accident By Dempster Street and Karlov Avenue
Bus Accident - March 22, 2023
Girl Injured In Skokie Pedestrian Accident With School Bus By The Intersection of Dempster Street and Karlov Avenue
SKOKIE, ILLINOIS (March 21, 2023) – A girl was injured in a Skokie school bus accident near the intersection of Dempster Street and Karlov Avenue.
Skokie police officials are saying that the collision took place on Monday afternoon. A small school bus from a local school hit the girl under uncertain conditions.
Paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help the victim. The school bus had visible damage and the girl was on the ground when paramedics were helping her.
She has since been transferred to the hospital in order to receive treatment. A full investigation into the collision remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Skokie School Bus Accidents
Buses tent to be very safe forms of transportation for children. But they can be particularly dangerous for pedestrians. According to The Journalist’s Resource, “about 63,000 buses [of all kinds] are involved in an accident each year; about 14,000 result in an injured person, and 325 result in a fatal injury. About 50 passengers (including the driver) are killed, on average, in a given year.” There are a number of factors that make school buses uniquely dangerous for pedestrians.
- School buses have large blind spots that can easily obscure the presence of pedestrians.
- School buses typically operate in the early morning hours when pedestrians are less visible.
- School buses can weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles. Even low impact collisions can leave pedestrians with catastrophic injuries.
School buses are considered “common carriers” under the Common Carrier Liability Act (740 ILCS 25/) and their drivers are held to a high standard in terms of safety. School bus drivers must do everything that human vigilance and care can do to avoid hitting pedestrians. According to Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1), all drivers must exercise the proper precaution to avoid hitting “any child or any obviously confused, incapacitated or intoxicated person.” If a school bus driver fails to slow down to avoid hitting a child, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
When a school bus driver is negligent, their employer could be held at fault. Generally speaking, employers are liable for the negligent actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a school bus driver may have been transporting children when they crashed. There are many steps that should be taken after any school bus accident.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- Photos of the accident site should be taken.
- A thorough investigation should be conducted.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any bus accident. Many accident victims may not fully recover for weeks or months after a crash. A large number of people injured in bus accidents are left with permanent life-altering injuries. Any person that is injured in a school bus accident may have legal recourse through a civil claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover many of the expenses that come with a serious injury.
Investigating An Illinois School Bus Accident
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the girl injured in this Skokie school bus accident and her family. It is our sincere hope that she is able to make a full recovery. The school district involved in this crash should do the right thing and accept responsibility for what happened.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Skokie school bus crash? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of bus accident attorneys are here for you. 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.
