Legal Analysis of Berryville, AR High School Bus Crash in Springfield, MO

Post Date: October 15th, 2010

As a Missouri Bus Crash Lawyer, I was relieved that nobody was killed in the Berryville High School bus crash that occurred early morning October 1, 2010 in Springfield, Missouri. However, all 12 occupants of the bus suffered injuries of some kind.  Supervised by two female teachers, the nine students were on their way to take part in a challenging competition, Future Business Leaders of America. Presumably, they and their parents were anticipating an engaging and motivating experience was ahead of them, but that came to an abrupt and frightening end.

Thankfully, serious injuries among the students were rare, but there was one report of a broken jaw. However, others suffered minor physical injury, and the extent of the trauma the accident has caused will be still unknown.

The teachers did not do so well with one suffering a fractured vertebra which is keeping her hospitalized. Perhaps they were at more risk being in the front area of the bus, especially as it is not clear whether or not seatbelts were available. This information could be significant in an injury claim should one be mounted by the passengers.

While it is not yet known how the accident happened, the details of the crash site were recorded by students using the cameras on their mobile phones after those that were mobile had extricated themselves from the bus. Many of the students also communicated with their parents immediately after the crash. This type of evidence would be collated by us as Missouri semi-truck accident attorneys and could prove to be crucial in establishing a case should one of the eleven passengers sue for damages.

Uncovering exactly what happened will take time, but it is expected that charges will be filed against the driver according to state police. Little is known about the driver apart from his length of service. An Missouri Personal Injury Attorney experienced in truck and bus accident procedures knows that this has to be investigated fully looking at training and licensing as well as previous accident record.

At this point in time, it appears that the bus was relatively new and in good condition. However, when a bus goes out of control somehow or another and careens down a bank into a tree, there is a possibility that something has gone very wrong with the vehicle or the driver.

From a legal standpoint, what makes these cases unique and different than a “standard” car accident is that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations govern the conduct of bus drivers.  In this manner, school bus crashes are generally investigated in the same manner as a semi-truck crash because the federal safety regulations govern both.  We are not aware of the details, but several things here need to be investigated to determine the cause:

• What is the school bus driver’s background – and should the school district have known better than to hire this driver
• Was the driver properly trained in operation of the school bus
• Was the driver physically qualified to operate the school bus
• Was there any evidence that should have caused the school district to dismiss the school bus driver before this crash occurred.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations govern nearly every aspect in the way a commercial driver is to behave and operate his vehicle.  Invariable, what we often find in these cases is that one or more of these safety regulations were violated.  This often means that the crash itself was not just an “accident, but rather the culmination of numerous safety violations.  It is by aggressively investigating these cases and showing these safety violations that our firm has been able to achieve the results it has.

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, the firm specializes in catastrophic car, bus, and truck accidents throughout all of Missouri and Illinois.  If you have been injured and would like to speak with a Missouri School Bus Crash Lawyer, feel free to call Josh Myers toll-free at 888-956-2487.  It’s always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we collect on your behalf.

Tags: accident, ar, arkansas, berryville, bus, collision, crash, high, missouri, mo, school, springfield, wreck
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