Child Injury Lawyer Blog
In Georgia and other states, there is a daily weekday routine that all drivers should be well aware of – children crossing the street prior to loading a school bus OR after unloading from a school bus. Most buses are a bright yellow color with stop signal arms and flashing lights. Despite the obvious visual presence of a school bus, school bus zones, street signage, and traffic signals, there are still pedestrian accidents and school bus accidents that cause serious injuries to children. Tragically, some children die as a result of these incidents.
A recent accident in Georgia demonstrates the unfortunate reality of these tragedies. News reports indicate that one child died and another child sustained serious injuries when a car hit them as they crossed a road to board their school bus. It was reported that the car hit the two brothers because the driver attempted to pass their idling school bus even though the school bus had its stop signs out. It was reported that the driver had a suspended license.
Unfortunately, incidents of this nature occur all too frequently. According to statistics released by Stanford Children’s Hospital, twenty-four percent of all school bus injuries occur when students enter or exit a school bus. Additionally, the ten-foot radius around a school bus constitutes a “danger zone.” In the danger zone, children are two times more likely to die than they are likely to die in a traffic accident on the school bus. Thus, it is more dangerous for a child to be near a school bus than it is for them to ride a school bus. See Stanford Children’s Hospital – How Safe Is School Bus Travel.
One of the best experience for a child enrolled in a day care center, school, or summer camp is the field trip. It certainly can be an adventure for the day to get out to a different location and have fun with friends. Common destinations for field trips include: swimming pools, beaches, amusement parks, theme parks, movie theaters, historic sites, and other locations. Typically, a field trip is a great experience for a child.
In Maryland and other States, acts of bullying have been caught or recorded on videotape, iPhones, Droids, videocameras, and surveillance video. Some bullies know that there brutal acts are being recorded and some do not. Some bullies even post their exploits to Facebook, You Tube, and other Websites for the whole world to see. It is unfortunate that bullying is still common in schools, day care centers, camps, sports teams, and elsewhere. Over the past few years, there appears to be more of an awareness of bullying and the passage of policies, procedures, regulations, and laws against bullying; however, bullying persists and comes in many forms including those that cause serious physical injuries and / or serious emotional harm. When a parent obtains videotape proof of bullying or a confirmed Incident Report of bullying, the parent is then faced with the issue of whether or not to puruse a claim or case seeking compensation for the harm caused by the acts of bullying. This is not an easy decision especially if the child victim is still enrolled in the school, day care center, camp, or other facility / location where the bullying acts took place. Furthermore, it is also complicated if the bully and the child victim continue to attend the same school or facility.
In many homes, day care centers, schools, and other locations, there is a danger present for children. Simply enough, the danger presents itself in the form of an open window or a window that can be opened by a child. Whether the child crawls out a first story window or higher window, the danger is present. A child can suffer fractures, lacerations, and head injuries from a fall out of a window. Because of the risks and dangers of windows, it is vital that all child care providers including babysitters, relatives, parents, neighbors, coaches, day care centers, and schools properly secure windows accessible to children. A safety check should be performed and recommendations should be made as to all windows and doors in the building, facility, or home.
In homes, schools, and day care centers, children are at risk for serious personal injuries from an object present in every building – the door or door way. The National Safety Council estimates that there are 300,000 finger injuries from doors every year. Of these incidents, there are 26,000 finger amputations or fractures. Many of these injury victims are children. A serious finger injury can be permanent in nature and affect the injured person for a lifetime.
In California and other States, school yard fights are still waged out there. The participants coul be from any grade and include boys and / or girls. It is interesting that some fights or brawls in o near schools are well known to many children during the day and prior to the fight. Unfortunately, in many instances, nobody steps forward to report the planned fight to school officials. Furtheremore, when the fight starts, many students prevent others from breaking up and / or ending the fight. A tragic death was recently reported in Long Beach, California. It was reported that a 10 year old girl – Joanna Ramos – died from a head injury that she sustained in a fight with a classmate who was 11 years old. Joanna suffered a blood clot as a result of the fight which in turn caused her death. It is most unfortunate that the death occured and that medical care was not provided in a timely manner. See 
In North Carolina and other states, school boards of policies and procedures are often times available on the school Board’s website. Is it important to have these procedures in place? The answer is “Yes”. Is it important to follow these policies and procedures? The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes”. Emergency policies and procedures are an important part of every school Board’s procedure manual. For each and every school district, bus drivers and assistants should be aware of these policies and procedures. Training is vital for those who driver and / or supervise children being transported to and from school and / or field trip activities. At times, a school employee fails to follow a procedure or policy regarding transportation and supervision. In these instances, injuries can take place.
In Texas and other States, drivers should exercise the utmost of caution when driving in or near an area of school bus stops. School buses are typically large, yellow vehicles that are easily seen. When a school bus stops, it should be obvious to all drivers in the area. Unfortunately, some drivers ignore the obvious presence of a school bus and put children in danger by reckless and careless driving. As a result thereof, children suffer serious personal injuries when they are hit by a vehicle in or near a school bus stop zone. See