Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer Blog

Trial began recently in the case of a Cumberland Valley School District bus that hit a tree in Middlesex Township after an eight-year-old passenger put his hands over the bus driver's eyes according to The Patriot-News. The plaintiffs are the parents of a child injured in the crash. The defendants include the school district, the bus company Rohrer Inc. of Duncannon, and the driver, Chad Kovach.

In April 2006, the school bus involved in the accident was carrying the plaintiffs' three children and seven others when one of the children put his hands over the bus driver's eyes. The bus crashed into a tree, and the plaintiffs' youngest son, then in kindergarten, suffered a broken collarbone and cuts to his head. Police determined that the bus driver was not at fault for the crash.

In December 2009, a Cumberland County court ruled that the school district could not invoke governmental immunity to protect itself from the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs seek damages of $100,000. They claim that the bus should have had seat belts, that better discipline should have been maintained, and that a barrier should have separated the driver from the students. They say that they told the school district about their previous concerns about discipline on the bus and the long bus route, but were ignored.

In this case, the plaintiffs state that the bus company, the school district, and the bus driver all played a role in the events that caused their son's injuries. In bus accidents, the negligence of multiple parties may combine to create injuries that would never have occurred had all parties been exercising reasonable care. If you've been injured in an accident and you suspect multiple parties are at fault, please don't hesitate to contact the experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys at Anapol Schwartz. Our attorneys will carefully review your case and seek to hold every responsible party accountable for its actions. Call Anapol Schwartz at (866) 735-2792 for a free and confidential consultation.

When we walk our children to the bus stop before school, we take for granted that sound judgment has been made in regard to the bus driver selection process. As a recent Los Angeles Times article explains, a driver's history is often a good indication of future action, and paying attention to that history, at least in this case, could have prevented both injury and the senseless loss of life.

Reportedly, a school bus was involved in a fatal accident after its driver turned in front of and collided with a Honda Civic. The accident resulted in serious injury to the driver and took the life of the vehicle's passenger. What makes this incident even more problematic is that the driver was previously involved in a cell phone related accident in 1999 in which he ran a stop sign, consequently taking the life of a 2-year old girl.

According to the article, the bus company that employs the man, Student Transportation of America, reasoned that while they knew of a traffic infraction in the driver's past, they did not investigate it because the statute of limitations for investigations of such driving infractions is only five years. The driver had an otherwise clean driving record, came highly referred from his previous employer, and even completed safe-driver training prior to employment. However, regardless of whether or not such statutes had expired and such an exemplary driving record after the fact existed, one could argue that transporting children is a job that requires a more thorough background check, and that a complete driving record should have been fully taken into consideration.

Continue reading "Reckless Driving Leads to Fatal, Allentown School Bus Accident" »

Inclement weather conditions contribute towards a large number of traffic accidents each and every year. According to a philly.com article, multiple accidents have been occurring in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as a result of icy road conditions. Reportedly, a Blue Route accident involving a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus and two other vehicles took place when the bus crashed into the two vehicles that had already been involved in a crash with each other. According to the article, a total of 10 bus passengers were injured. There was no mention of injuries sustained by the motorists of the two other vehicles involved.

Inclement weather conditions are certainly not the fault of motorists, but driving recklessly in such conditions is. Reckless driving practices result in far too many Pennsylvania auto accidents each year. In the event that a motorist chooses to drive in a reckless manner, that motorist can be held liable for injuries and other damages that take place as a result of said reckless driving practice.

Continue reading "Icy Road Conditions in Pennsylvania Contribute to SEPTA Crash that Injured 10" »

A recent story from philly.com reported an auto accident in Pennsylvania caused by a SEPTA bus. The bus driver was reportedly experienced at maneuvering the bus, but on this particular day, the driver happened to choke on a throat lozenge, causing him to lose control of the vehicle while heading west on Ford Road near Balwynne Park Road. A SEPTA spokesperson said that the bus driver and six passengers were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and then released.

The bus had crashed into the residence of Tania James, 36, who was fortunately not home during the Pennsylvania bus accident. Witnesses say that on one side of the road, the bus hit five parked cars and struck a utility pole over. Luckily, no pedestrians or any other drivers were injured. According to reports, the bus also destroyed a metal awning at a house owned by Claudia Conway, 58, and then crashed into the brick front of a home owned by Wanda Kee Taliaferro, 49. There were no reported injuries in any of the buildings the bus crashed into.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Bus Crash Injures Six Passengers and Driver" »