Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog

After the fatal bus accident in St. Lucie County back at the end of March, officials with the St. Lucie County School District are stepping in and trying to offer insurance advice to parents of the victims.

According to the TC Palm, a letter was sent home to parents offering them advice regarding the policies and the coverage that's available to help to cover the injuries and the medical expenses for the victims. County officials call this accident "probably the worst accident in the history of the School District." In the late-March accident, a fourth grader was killed and 15 additional students were injured when the bus slammed into a semi at the intersection of Midway and Okeechobee roads.

"We just want to let them know how they should approach their claims and offer them assistance," said Susan Carver, risk management coordinator with the district.

Our St. Lucie County personal injury attorneys urge parents to contact an experienced attorney if their child has been involved in a school bus-related accident. It's important to make sure you've got legal representation to help you secure the compensation that you and your child deserve. Parents should avoid talking to school officials and with insurance companies before talking to an attorney. Information you provide to these individuals may cause you to forfeit what you rightfully deserve following such an accident.

In the state, the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault law requires each driver to have at least $10,000 of PIP, which holds the driver's insurance company responsible for medical costs regardless of who is at fault in the accident. This type of coverage also covers children who are injured while riding on a school bus.

According to the Carver, parents are urged to submit their child's medical bills that exceed the PIP coverage to their health insurance provider. She adds that for kids without health insurance and those who have bills that fall over their insurance caps the district carries an accident policy that has a limit of $1 million per claim for medical expenses. Within this policy, there is a $25,000 deductible.

Parents are usually the ones who are responsible for paying co-insurance and deductibles. If they want though, they're able to file a claim with district's liability coverage asking for reimbursement.

If parents have to come out of pocket with any of the expenses, they're also welcome to file a claim with the district. The district has claims adjusters who administer that liability coverage. This isn't an automatic reimbursement. Again, you need to contact an experienced attorney to make sure you're not getting shortchanged because according to Carver, the district's liability insurance will more than likely run out!

Continue reading "St. Lucie County School Bus Accident Causing Insurance Debacle" »

We generally think of the big yellow bus as one of the safest ways to transport our kids to school. But fall session has only just begun and already we have a bus accident to report in Pasco County.

Our Fort Lauderdale school bus accident lawyers realize that school bus accidents in Palm Beach or Miami may not be an everyday occurrence like motor vehicle accidents. But when they do occur they can cause some serious injury to children or occupants of other vehicles. We put our faith in school systems to hire safe drivers and get our kids to and from school safely. So when an accident occurs, it takes us by surprise. Contact an experienced school bus accident attorney to help you sort through all the legal details.

WTSP 10 News reports a bus driver failed to stop at a stop sign before colliding at an intersection with another vehicle causing the bus to roll over after impact. The details of the crash are still under investigation but witness say the school bus ran through the sign without stopping and hit a woman driving a Buick who did not have a stop sign in her direction. The speed limit is 30 mph on Monteverde Drive where the accident occurred but no one knows exactly how fast the bus driver was traveling. The victim driving the car was rushed by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center with serious injuries. The bus driver and two of the passengers aboard the bus sustained minor injuries. The bus driver was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device.

A 2004 report by the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles indicates that in 2002, there were just shy of 1 million children riding to school on 19,453 buses statewide. From 1998-2002, there were 6 deaths and 56 injuries caused by a school bus-related accident. During this period there were over 4,800 accidents involving school buses and bus drivers were cited for being at fault in 31 percent of the crashes.

Prior to transporting any children in Florida, school boards and charter schools must ensure that the bus driver meets the following requirements:

-A minimum of 5 years licensed driving experience.

-Drivers must pass a written exam testing knowledge of rules and laws, as well as a skills test taken in a bus. Upon passing each test, the driver can obtain a Class A or B commercial driver license with a Passenger endorsement.

-Any driver hired after July 31, 1986 must complete 40 hours of pre-service training which includes 20 hours of classroom instruction following the Florida Basic School Bus Driver Curriculum, 8 hours of instruction behind the wheel and 12 hours at the school district's discretion. All training must be documented on a certification form instituted by the Commissioner of Education.

-8 hours of in-service training annually.

-Submit fingerprints for a background check.

-A pre-employment drug-screen must be completed and passed.

-The school district must provide documentation for a substance abuse background check if the newly hired bus driver has worked or volunteered in the previous two years in a position requiring a CDL.

-Bus drivers can be randomly checked at any time for alcohol or substance abuse. Drivers must test negative or meet the minimum standard of .02 blood alcohol concentration or be considered under the influence which is prohibited by law.

-Pass a physical exam annually prescribed by the U.S. Department of Transportation standards.

-Maintain a clean driving record as reported by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. This will be done a minimum of three times per year via the Automated School Bus Drivers' License Record Check System.

-Know how to check vehicle systems, administer medical attention to children if needed, and assist children with special needs.

Bus drivers should be reliable, dependable and act responsibly in emergency situations in order to keep children safe and avoid a collision or bus-related accident.

Continue reading "Minimum Driver Requirements Needed to Reduce Injuries in School Bus-Related Accidents in Fort Pierce, Fort Lauderdale" »

The bus driver blamed for a Palm Beach school bus accident has twice been disciplined and has received three speeding tickets in his three years as a bus driver for the school district, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

The 54-year-old driver struck a 17-year-old as he was crossing Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The youth was listed in fair condition at S. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach on Thursday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than half of all fatal accidents involving school buses are pedestrian accidents or accidents that occur while a passenger is getting on or off the bus. It is incumbent upon school districts and busing companies to be proactive in protecting the safety and welfare of passengers and the public, and that includes properly monitoring the driving records of bus drivers.

Our Palm Beach injury lawyers note it is the second bus accident in Palm Beach this week. On Wednesday, a school bus was involved in an accident with a car at Boynton Beach Boulevard and Jog Road.

Continue reading "Pair of Palm Beach school bus accidents a reminder of dangers faced by motorists and passengers" »