Two disabled students were injured in a San Francisco car accident after the school bus they were in was struck by a car. According to a news report in the San Francisco Examiner, the Sunset District bus was in the slow lane of Lincoln Avenue and was headed to Lowell High School the morning of September 14, 2009 when it was hit by a car that was making a right turn from Seventh Avenue on to Lincoln Avenue. The impact of the crash pushed the bus into another car traveling in the fast lane. California Highway Patrol officials said two boys, ages 15 and 16, were transported to the hospital. The students were not visibly injured, but had trouble communicating whether they were in pain.

I'm relieved that this bus accident did not result in serious injuries to anyone involved. I hope the two students who were taken to the hospital are doing well and wish them the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

School Bus Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 51 fatalities and 3,632 injuries were reported in San Francisco as a result of car accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 1996 and 2006, 96 crashes occurred in which at least one occupant of a school bus died. More than 50 percent of those crashes involved another vehicle. In the 41 single-vehicle crashes, 46 occupants, 14 drivers and 32 passengers died. In 53 percent of all crashes involving fatalities to occupants of school bus, the principal point of impact was the front of the vehicle.

Seatbelts in School Buses

Thankfully, school bus accidents are a rare occurrence in California and the rest of the country. However, when they do occur the potential for serious personal injury and fatalities is strong. As a California personal injury lawyer representing injured clients including young children, I believe that students would be much safer in school buses if they had seat restraints. According to bus manufacturers, including seatbelts and the attendant structural reinforcement at the time of manufacture adds between $1,500 and $1,200 to the cost of a new 66- to 78-passenger school bus. Maintaining, repairing and replacing damaged belts can add $100 to $500 per bus in annual maintenance costs.

The two students in this San Francisco bus crash may have been uninjured had they been properly restrained to their seats. I believe that seatbelts should be mandated by law in school buses for the safety of our children. It's about time federal officials updated their laws and required seatbelts on all school buses. The cost of installing and maintaining seat restraint systems in school buses would be absolutely worth it if we could save these young lives.

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our source for the facts is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, please contact us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. Most of the best law firms will provide accident victims a free consultation.

We cannot fully inform any party or family member about their rights, options or the economic viability of any claim for compensation without a full investigation and consultation. We will not be conducting an investigation into this matter unless we are retained by a party. We will provide a free, confidential consultation to any, not at fault, person named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

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