Category: Bus Accidents

When a loved one passes away in a tragic accident, the last thing on many family’s minds is bringing a lawsuit. However, when the situation could have been avoided—like accidents due to intoxicated drivers or defective machinery—it is often in the best interest of the loved ones to initiate a lawsuit to financially and emotionally recuperate during such a traumatic time. In Arizona, loved ones can sue the responsible party when the death was caused by a wrongful act or neglect. There are specific requirements in order to bring an Arizona wrongful death lawsuit, along with how plaintiffs can financially recuperate.

For example, according to a recent news source, a person died and others were seriously injured after a tour bus crashed on its way to the Grand Canyon. The tour bus—carrying 48 people, including the driver—rolled and landed on its side, killing one person on the bus. Two others were in critical condition, and seven others were taken to the hospital with less serious injuries.

After such a traumatic accident, the deceased passenger’s loved ones may think about bringing a lawsuit. Depending on the facts surrounding the accident—like if the driver was intoxicated or there was a mechanical issue with the bus—the deceased’s loved ones may be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. In Arizona, in order to hold an individual or company liable for a person’s death, the death must be caused by the wrongful act. Additionally, if death had not ensued from the accident, the individual would have been able to file a lawsuit for the injuries he sustained.

Because the individual harmed by the accident is no longer around to bring the lawsuit themselves, a wrongful death lawsuit must be brought by the surviving spouse, child, parent, or personal representative of the deceased person. The personal representative may also be the individual’s estate, if there is no loved one to bring the suit. Any money recovered through the lawsuit is then distributed to the victim’s family. When determining compensation, the jury is told to award damages as they deem fair and just when considering: the facts surrounding the death, the individuals who would recover the damages, and any mitigating and aggravating circumstances surrounding the act. Because this is an extremely broad set of instructions—as indicated under A.R.S. section 12-613—damages widely vary in the state. The amount recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit is not subject to the deceased’s debts or liabilities, unless the lawsuit is brought on behalf of the individual’s estate.

Because wrongful death lawsuits can often bring up sad feelings during what already is a sorrowful time, individuals thinking about bringing a wrongful death lawsuit should contact an experienced wrongful death attorney.

Contact an Arizona Personal Injury Attorney

If you have lost a loved one in a tragic accident and want to hold the responsible party accountable, contact the Arizona motor vehicle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. With years of experience handling personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, our attorneys will handle the case so you can focus on recovering. To schedule a free consultation and to talk to one of our attorneys, call us today at 855-749-5299.

Phoenix, Arizona, is home thirty school districts, which includes 325 public schools and over 200 charter and private schools. This means every morning and every afternoon countless children make their way to and from school. Thus, it is important for all residents to be aware of transportation dangers to ensure everyone on the road stays safe.

Continue reading “Phoenix Children are at Risk for Accidents when Traveling to School”

Countless parents across Maricopa County count on and rely upon school buses and their drivers to get their children to and from school every day. And those same parents should be able to rest assured, knowing that their kids’ safety is important and that the need for safe transit is both recognized and appreciate by individual school districts who operate the busing systems.

Yet unfortunately, that is not always the case. School bus accidents happen every single year in Phoenix and often result in injuries to those young children on board. The worst part is that the kids who are hurt are innocent victims in these crashes – nothing that they did or failed to do contributed to the crash, and they often had no choice but to trust their safety to an operator of a bus.

Continue reading “School Bus Driver Arrested on Charges of DUI”

Children are some of the most vulnerable members of our society and parents do their best to protect their kids. But unfortunately, parents cannot be around every minute of every day and must enlist some outside help. Many parents in Phoenix trust school buses to take their kids to and from school every weekday without a second thought.

Most of these trips occur without incident and the kids on board make it to school and home without a problem. But for some parents, a bus trip turns into a nightmare when a school bus accident takes place. Hundreds of these collisions happen every year and many of them result in injuries to the children on board as well as any adults or drivers who may be riding the bus. Injuries to a child can be difficult to determine because some injuries can last mere days while others may affect the child for a lifetime. To enable these victims to obtain relief, Arizona law and the laws in Phoenix entitle these victims and their family members to bring a civil claim for their losses. Relief can be sought to cover any damages from medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses that may occur. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Phoenix area may help you understand your rights if your child has been hurt in a school bus accident or if a collision has affected your life.

Wednesday afternoon turned scary for nearly 40 children on board a school bus in Gilbert. At approximately 1:50 p.m., a school bus and a private bus designed to carry kids crashed near the intersection of Recker Road and Guadalupe. The front end of the school bus, carrying a driver and approximately 40 children, struck the front and passenger side of a second bus carrying only an adult driver.

Police responded to the scene and limited traffic in the area. There were no reports of serious injuries among the children and neither driver was believed to be hurt, either. Investigators have not disclosed the suspected cause of the impact but have confirmed that they are reviewing all facts at this time.
Continue reading “Two Buses Collide in Gilbert”

Planned expansion of the light rail in Phoenix has many residents thinking about the benefits of public transportation these days in all forms. While the light rail is used by many, it is far from the only option to those wishing to travel around the Valley but without the use of a private car. While some choose to walk and others ride a bicycle, taking a public bus is an option exercised by many as they go about their daily activities.

Most often, bus transit can be safe and reasonable, but in some cases, a bus accident may occur. These claims can be complicated and can involve multiple potential at-fault drivers and others who may be held legally liable. In some instances, multiple buses collide and may injure the passengers on board. In other cases, a bus may collide with a private vehicle like a car, truck or van and may injure those on the bus and/or those in the private vehicle. These injuries often are devastating and may cause damages that last a lifetime.

When a bus accident occurs in Phoenix, the victims are left to pick up the pieces and try to obtain the relief they need. But that does not mean that victims have to suffer in silence. The laws of Arizona provide those who have been hurt by the actions of others with certain legal rights, including the right to seek relief for damages incurred in a bus collision. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims may help you understand whether you have a valid claim, and if so, who may be liable for your losses.

A Monday morning accident involving a car took place near 40th Street in Phoenix and left the car stopped on the side of the road. According to police in the area, a bus approached the scene and collided with the stopped vehicle, causing a serious impact that sent the car spinning and caused it to burst into flames. The bus and the firey car both came to a rest and emergency crews responded to assess the victims.

No one was inside the car at the time of the impact with the bus but several passengers were on board the bus. At least one woman was hurt and needed medical treatment though the nature of her injuries has not been confirmed.

At this time, authorities have not speculated as to why the bus driver struck the stopped car nor have they released any information on whether the driver will face charges.
Continue reading “Phoenix Bus Hits Car Involved in Earlier Crash”

Thousands of parents in Tempe place their children on school buses every morning and go about the rest of their day, never questioning the safety of their child because they trust that a bus driver and the bus company will always put safety first. Despite this significant trust placed by parents, numerous school bus accidents occur every year in the greater Phoenix area, including in Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler, and Mesa. Some of these collisions are minor and fortunately do not injure children but others are severe and leave those involved hurt and in need of medical care.

When a school bus accident leaves your child hurt, it may be difficult to understand what steps you need to take to ensure your child’s rights and your family’s rights are protected. Do you have a valid claim? Who was at fault in the collision? Do the outcome of any traffic-related charges impact your child’s right to a recovery? When facing these difficult questions, it is a good idea to speak with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer so that you can get the answers you deserve.

A collision between a vehicle and a school bus took place yesterday in Tempe and police are still investigating at this time. According to officials, a vehicle in the area of Rural and Guadalupe approached a school bus with at least 17 students on board. For reasons that are not yet clear, the vehicle did not stop and struck the back of the bus in a rear-end collision.

Police responded to the scene and spoke to the individuals involved. It appeared that none of the students on the bus were injured nor was the driver; the condition of the driver of the other vehicle is not clear at this time. Authorities have not revealed whether anyone involved will be issued a traffic citation due to the collision or whether any other charges may be forthcoming.
Continue reading “Driver Rear-Ends School Bus in Tempe”

Many children who live in the Valley travel to and from school by school bus every day. Parents rely on bus transportation to pick up their kids and transport them safely, without incident, so that the kids can further their learning. Most of the time, children are kept safe and sound while on a school bus.

But unfortunately, school bus accidents do occur in Phoenix on a regular basis. Some are due to the negligence of one of the drivers involved while others may be caused by unsafe bus procedures, poorly designed vehicles, or even a defect in a tire, as examples. Regardless of what caused preceded a bus collision, if negligence or recklessness played a role, those who are injured in the accident may be entitled to relief for their losses. This relief can be sought through the use of a civil claim and can enable a minor to recover for things like pain and suffering and permanency of injuries as well as actual expenses like medical and surgical bills. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who handles claims on behalf of children and minors may help you understand your child’s rights and your rights if your child has been hurt in a bus accident.

An incident on Tuesday morning occurred that left a school bus damaged and at least one person hurt. Police were called to the scene of a collision in San Tan Valley between a school bus and a passenger car in an attempt to determine what occurred. Officials were able to determine that a car rear-ended a school bus in the morning and that the collision left the driver of the car in serious condition. Emergency crews attended to the driver, an 85-year-old woman, and transported her by air ambulance to Scottsdale Healthcare-Osborn for treatment. She is expected to survive.

Two children and a driver were on board the school bus at the time of the collision but none appeared to be injured in the collision. Police have not yet determined what caused the driver of the car to strike the bus and whether anyone involved in the crash acted in a negligent manner.
Continue reading “School Bus Accident in San Tan Valley Leaves One Injured”