With school back in session this week, local news is warning drivers to be safe out on the road. According to one Raleigh mother, when the buses put out their stop arms, many drivers don’t adhere to the warning. Instead, she claims that they just go. Elena Hernadez knows this first-hand. Her daughter was 6-years-old when she was killed in a bus accident.
A driver simply zoomed around the stopped bus, killing her first-grader on the spot. The devastating incident has caused Elena and others like her to champion for school bus safety. According to traffic laws, when bus stops on the side of the road and puts out its stop arm, the cars behind are supposed to wait. It is not legal to pass the bus, even if you are in a lane several feet from the bus. Opposing traffic can drive, especially if there is a median in place for protection.
In North Carolina, more than 3,000 drivers ignore stop arms each year, and the results can be horrific. If your child was hit at a bus stop because a driver failed to ignore the stop arm, then you have the right to seek damages. You can contact a personal injury attorney today to discuss your case. You may be able to get a wrongful death settlement from the negligent driver, or receive compensation for medical bills and your time off work to care for an injured child. If the driver bypassed a stopped bus, then he or she is also guilty of failing to adhere to traffic laws and can end up in a serious legal trouble.
Get in contact with a personal injury attorney at the Lanier Law Group, P.A. today to discuss your wrongful death or personal injury case regarding a pedestrian, school crossing accident.