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A Detroit bus accident has resulted in injuries for 15 people. The bus accident occurred on February 16, 2009, when a Detroit Department of Transportation bus collided with a van at the intersection of Rosa Parks Blvd. and Longfellow Street. Police believe the accident happened because the driver of the van ran a stop sign and hit the bus, sending it into a utility pole. Apparently, several windows on the bus were broken and 15 passengers had to be transported to Ford and Sinai-Grace hospitals with minor injuries.
I am very sorry this accident occurred. Many times, bus accidents are worse than similar car accidents because buses lack safety features like seatbelts which are standard in cars. I hope that everyone is able to experience a full and speedy recovery.
The passengers of the bus should submit claims for Michigan No Fault benefits. At the very least, No Fault benefits will cover their hospital bills, and they will also cover medical expenses for follow-up medical treatment. If anyone has to miss work because of their injuries from this accident, No Fault insurance will pay wage loss benefits. Other benefits may also be available if someone is seriously injured.
Although the article said everyone's injuries were minor, the people injured should still contact a lawyer to discuss their injuries and the possibility of filing a lawsuit. Michigan law only permits people with very severe injuries to sue the driver responsible for the accident, but whether the injuries are severe enough will depend on all the circumstances of the accident and the details of the injuries. A lawyer can help you determine if you can file a lawsuit.
A Fowlerville school bus accident resulted in four children being injured on January 20, 2009. The accident occurred on Fowlerville Road when a 17-year old girl from Fowlerville failed to stop for a school bus as it was dropping off children and rear-ended it. Four of the 20 students on the bus were injured, and two of these were taken to St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital for treatment while the other two sought medical treatment on their own. The 17-year old was taken by ambulance to UM Hospital with non-life-treatening injuries.
This is a very unfortunate accident, and I am very sorry it occurred. The article does not indicate how serious any of the injuries are, but I want to express my hope that everyone is able to recover fully.
Many people do not realize it, but in an accident like this, the parents' car insurance will cover the children's injuries. The reason for this is that the bus and the truck that hit it are consider motor vehilces under the Michigan No Fault act so as long as the children live with a parent who has car insurance, their injuries will be covered by their parent's insurance.
No Fault insurance will pay for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses and may provide other benefits depending on how seriously the children were injured. In addition, if the children were very seriously injured, they might also be able to sue the driver of the pickup truck for causing their injuries. If their injuries are severe enough to sue, they would have a very strong case because Michigan law creates a presumption that a person who rear-ends another vehicle was negligent.
The driver of the pickup truck can also file for No Fault benefits even though the law presumes she was at fault for the accident. No Fault benefits are available regardless of fault.
A Pennfield Township school bus accident was caused by a hit and run driver. A school bus carrying about 20 students from Pennfield Middle School and Pennfield High School was involved in an accident on December 5, 2008 at the intersection of West Sunset Blvd. and North Garden Avenue when a driver ran a stop sign. The driver then fled the scene of the accident, however, police apprehended him a short time later. One student was transported to Battle Creek Health Systems because of neck pain.
I am very sorry this accident occurred. I hope the injured student is able to recover fully from his injuries.
In an accident like this, the hit and run driver will face a criminal charge of leaving the scene of an accident and possibly other charges. Taking care of the child's injuries, though, is a completely separate issue. The child's family should submit a claim for Michigan No Fault insurance benefits, which will pay for the child's hospital bills and any follow-up treatment that is required to treat his or her injuries. Other benefits are available for severe injuries, and I would encourage the family to speak to an attorney to determine the full extent of the benefits they can claim.
If the child's injuries are very severe, the family might be able to sue the hit and run driver, who was clearly negligent in running the stop sign. Even though the hit and run driver was clearly at fault, Michigan law only allows those who have been very seriously injured to sue negligent drivers so the family should speak with a lawyer to determine if the child's injuries are severe enough to give them the right to sue.
A Monroe school bus accident resulted in injuries for the bus driver, Bonnie Warner, and an assistant, Gloria Herrera, but thankfully no children were hurt. The accident occurred on December 3, 2008 when the bus driver apparently failed to stop for a red light at the intersection of Albain and S. Telegraph Roads. The bus collided with a truck that was hauling over 90,000 pounds of steel. It is not clear how severe the injuries were, but the impact of this collision must have been substantial. Both women were reportedly taken to Mercy Memorial Hospital.
I am very sorry this accident occurred. I hope both Bonnie Warner and Gloria Herrera are able to fully recover. As bad as this accident was, the reports indicated it occurred very shortly after the bus had dropped off ten children. I do not even want to think about what could have happened if the accident took place just a short time earlier.
In an accident like this, both Bonnie Warner and Gloria Herrera should speak to a lawyer as soon as they are able. The reason they should do this is because there is a risk that different insurance companies will claim the other insurance company is supposed to pay for the damages. For example, normally when there is a car accident, the No Fault insurance company pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and other benefits. And normally when an accident happens at work, Workers' Compensation pays these benefits.
However, there have been cases in the past in which the No Fault insurance company says the Workers' Compensation insurance company should pay and vice versa. By retaining a lawyer, these women can have someone on their side to explain the law to them and to press their claims with the insurance companies and, if necessary, a court of law.
I recently read about several people who were injured in Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) bus accidents. Four people have been injured this year due to improper safety belts and harnesses which were either not attached to their wheelchairs or other devices or which were not attached at all. These injuries particularly affected senior citizens and people with disabilities. According to the report, BATA officials are responding by inspecting safety equipment and offering additional training to their employees. Since the injuries that have happened so far this year have been very severe, such as a fractured skull, bruises, and other head injuries, bus passengers should be sure to request all safety measures be used for themselves or people in wheelchairs.
If you or someone you know is injured in an accident like this, they are able to file a claim for Michigan No Fault insurance benefits. Depending on the severity of their injuries, they may also be able to file a lawsuit seeking additional damages for injuries not compensated by the No Fault Act.
A Flint bus accident has resulted in the death of a student. A pickup truck was exiting the parking lot of Powers Catholic High School on Tuesday when it was struck by a Mass Transit Authority bus. The pickup truck driver, his passenger, and the bus driver were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The passenger later died from her injuries. It is unclear how serious the injuries to the drivers were, but the jaws of life were used to remove the driver and passenger from the pickup truck. The accident remains under investigation.
This is a very tragic accident. Anytime someone so young loses their life in a car accident, the entire community is affected. My thoughts are with this girl's family. I also hope both drivers can completely recover.
My law firm represents people who have been injured in car accidents. If I were asked to advise the people involved in this accident, I would recommend that they make claims for No Fault insurance benefits as soon as possible. Their No Fault benefits will pay their medical expenses and a portion of the funeral costs, and possibly other benefits as well. Depending on the severity of the injuries, the driver who was free of fault may have legal claims against the driver who was at fault. The passenger's family definitely has a claim for wrongful death against the at-fault driver. The best way to determine whether a claim exists would be to consult with an experienced car accident lawyer.
I read a story about the new seatbelt rules for small buses that were announced by the Bush administration last week. Under the new Department of Transportation regulations, smaller buses, which usually transport young children with special needs, will be required to feature lap and shoulder harness seat belts or booster seats combined with seatbelts. The rules also provide larger buses be equipped with higher-backed seats, to prevent a child from being pushed forward in the event of an accident. The move comes at a time when buses have already begun adding more padding to avoid injuries during an accident.
This is a good move because when accidents occur on school buses, they are often more severe than corresponding accidents in personal vehicles like cars. The reason is that buses are often not equipped with seatbelts and other safety features like padding. Hopefully these rules will result in fewer children injured in car accidents. If a child is injured in an accident, it is important to know that Michigan No Fault benefits are available and the child's family may be able to pursue a lawsuit against the negligent driver or the bus company or both. The best way to determine what options are available to someone who has been injured in a car accident or a bus accident would be to consult with an experienced Michigan bus accident attorney.
A Detroit School bus accident has resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The accident occurred on Conant Street near Gaylord when a 41-year old man was walking across the street. According to reports, the accident occurred in the early morning while it was still dark, street lights in the area were not working, and the man was wearing dark clothing. No children were on the bus at the time. The bus is owned by Safeway Transportation.
This is very tragic, especially since it is so senseless. Even if it was dark, the bus should not have been traveling so fast that it could not stop in time to avoid hitting a person. I want to express my condolences to the family of this man. At least there were no children on the bus, since bus accidents are often much worse than car accidents due to the lack of seatbelts and other safety features on buses.
Although the family probably does not want to think about this right now, they should submit a claim for Michigan No Fault insurance. Submitting a claim now will give them immediate support through a survivor loss claim, which will pay a portion of the funeral expenses. No Fault benefits will also cover the cost of any medical expenses incurred by the man because of the accident and may provide a portion of his wages if he was working or seeking work when the accident occurred. In addition, the family can sue the bus driver and Safeway Transportation for wrongful death. There are several legal theories they can sue under, which is why they should consult an experienced Michigan car accident lawyer for help in evaluating their options.
