Ohio Bus Accident News: Ohio Country Board of Education Sued Over Negligence After Child Is Injured In School Bus Accident
On September 20, 2013, an Ohio Country woman filed a lawsuit against the Ohio County Board of Education, citing negligence after the school bus she was a passenger on was involved in an auto accident.
On October 5, 2011, Ms. McCord’s daughter was riding in a school bus when Ohio County Board of Education employee, driver David D. Stiles hit a telephone poll. The young girl suffered injuries to her head, face, and other parts of her body. She was hospitalized, and suffered psychological as well as physical injuries, according to the complaint. McCord’s basis for the bus accident lawsuit states that the Board of Education should take responsibility for their actions and decisions regarding the driver in their employ, David D. Stiles. Ms. McCord is suing the Board of Education for negligence and relief, which includes damages for medical expenses. The amount requested by the plaintiff is unspecified. Representing McCord is attorney Jeremy M. McGraw of Bordas & Bordas. The bus accident lawsuit claims that injuries suffered by the plaintiff’s daughter, Cassidy Lee McCord, were the responsibility of the school board due to the negligence of the bus driver and the school board itself.
School Bus Crash Statistics in Ohio
Ohio sees several bus crashes each year. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, most school bus crashes are caused by factors such as weather, driver fatigue, driver negligence, defective vehicles, driver distractions, and unsafe roads (New York Times, June, 2012 https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/nyregion/fatal-bronx-bus-crash-caused-by-driver-fatigue-board-says.html) Overloaded busses, a common problem with school busses, can also be a factor. However, there is no data suggesting that overloading was a problem in the McCord case.
The frequency of bus accidents in the United States
The United States sees thousands of bus crashes each year. The Department of Transportation reported 11,000 bus crashes in 2008. (Federal Highway Administration, January 2009 Federal Highway Administration, October, 2013 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/ltbcf2008/tbl21.htm) 2010 saw 249 bus crash fatalities and approximately 27,000 injuries, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration. (Federal Highway Administration, August 2012 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/LTCC_Report_LargeTruckandBusCrashFacts2010.pdf) Although there are still thousands of bus crashes each year, the trend of accidents per year has fallen drastically since 1983, according to data from The Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration, January 2009 Federal Highway Administration, October, 2013 https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/ltbcf2008/tbl21.htm
School bus crashes have decreased in Ohio every year since 2006. In 2010, the Ohio Department of Public Safety reported 1,579 school bus crashes. In 2011, there were 1,447 school bus crashes. There were only 4 and 6 fatalities related to school bus crashes in 2010 and 2011 respectively. There were 252 injuries in 2010 and 238 injuries in 2011. Part of this is due to the increased safety measures of busses on the road, including the law requiring passing vehicles to stop for children loading and unloading, and the inclusion of red safety lights on all school busses. Persons failing to comply with the bus safety laws can be fined up to $500. (LAWriter, October, 2009 https://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.75
About The Cochran Firm – Ohio
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