Bus Accident Law Firm in Puyallup, Washington.
As citizens, we trust that the government and our schools will do their best to keep us and our children safe. You also want to believe that other drivers on the road are keeping the safety of others in mind and not behaving recklessly. However, humans are prone to error. There are so many things that can go wrong in an instant. There could be mechanical failure, a crash because of distracted driving, or dangerous conditions from unmaintained roadways. Even if you are being as safe as possible, there’s always a chance that you or a loved one could be injured in an accident.
In the afternoon on Wednesday, the fifth of July in 2023, a bus accident happened in Burlington, Washington. It involved a YMCA summer camp school bus transporting nearly fifty people. Around 45 of those individuals were children, who the Skagit Valley Family YMCA confirmed were summer day campers. The bus also contained multiple adults, including the driver.
The Washington State Patrol responded to the scene just before four in the afternoon. The bus was traveling southbound on Interstate 5. While it was taking the exit to State Route 11, the bus driver didn’t make the turn onto the Chuckanut Drive off-ramp. According to statements from the Burlington Police Department and the WSP, when the driver failed to make the turn, the bus rolled over onto its side. It came to a stop in the brush on the side of the road, and thankfully no other drivers crashed into the vehicle.
WSP Trooper Kelsey Harding stated that several state routes would be blocked. While the WSP investigated the collision, the road was closed for an extended amount of time. For hours on July 5th, the bus accident partially blocked the ramp leading from southbound I-5 to State route 11. Drivers were encouraged to take alternate routes.
Thankfully, only minor injuries were reported from the bus rollover accident. At least three individuals were injured. Two people were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, one of which was a 61-year-old woman from Sedro-Woolley. It’s lucky that nobody was hurt more severely. When compared to car accidents, bus accidents are often more serious and are more likely to cause death. Passengers of buses don’t wear seatbelts or have much protection. In an accident, passengers can be crushed or thrown across the bus.
After the accident, the uninjured children were taken to Burlington-Edison High School. Students were reunited with their parents there. It was a little difficult to identify all of the kids properly since minors usually don’t carry identification cards or driver’s licenses. However, although the scene was chaotic with the number of people involved in the accident, the reunification process went seamlessly. Not only was reuniting the students with their parents important, but steps also had to be taken to make the kids feel safe after the collision.
The Washington State Patrol is still investigating what exactly caused the bus to roll over onto its side. Because of the severity of the accident, the WSP had its commercial vehicle enforcement officers come to the scene. They were able to perform checks on the bus to make sure that everything was in line with regulations. Determining if something was wrong with the bus before the collision is important to figuring out who is to blame for what happened. Collision technicians and detectives can do math and check schematics to figure out how this accident occurred. It’s possible that the bus driver could get charged in this case.
Bus accident cases can have lots of parties involved. A personal injury attorney can take care of your claim and navigate its complications. Sears Injury Law fights to represent the best interests of our clients. We gather evidence and determine who is liable for the various damages that happened. This includes pain and suffering, property damage, medical expenses, reduced earning capacity, wage loss, and more. You can also seek out compensation if you had to pay someone to carry out tasks around the house while you were healing. Parties that could be held responsible include the bus company, a manufacturer or mechanic, the bus driver, a government agency, or someone else.
Bus Accident Lawyers
Some types of injuries that people get from bus accidents include fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, soft tissue injuries, lacerations, paralysis, nerve damage, internal organ damage, and psychological trauma. Medical treatment after being injured in any kind of accident can quickly rack up bills. Victims have expenses from the initial hospitalization, as well as surgery, tests, and future treatment. Medical expenses can also include a variety of things, such as physical therapy, counseling, ongoing care, emergency room treatment, prescriptions, and more. You shouldn’t have to suffer under the financial burden of paying off medical debt from an injury that was somebody else’s fault.
The job of an auto accident attorney is to fight to get fair compensation for personal injury victims. We make sure that settlements include compensation for all of your damages, so that you will be able to live life to the fullest. If you are filing a wrongful death claim for a loved one, we can help you cover funeral expenses, loss of consortium damages, loss of income, and more. Our team understands that this is a very difficult time in your life, and we will help you through the process with empathy and professionalism.
Sears Injury Law knows how to use the evidence to build a strong case. Insurance companies will try to offer amounts to victims that are much lower than what they are really entitled to, hoping that they will just accept it. Don’t agree to anything until you speak with the experts. If you sign anything, it might impact your ability to recover full compensation. Sears Injury Law makes sure that our clients are on the same page as us, and we frequently communicate with clients to update them on how their case is going.
Get in touch with our Puyallup bus accident lawyers so that we can give you a free case value analysis. We will answer your questions and listen to your story. If your injuries make traveling difficult we will meet you where you’re at.
