Legal Tips and Resources
One of the biggest nightmares a parent has is getting a call from their child’s school about any type of accident that involved their child. When you receive a call stating that a school bus accident injured your child, you may be unsure of what to do following this accident. Who should be held responsible? How will you pay for your child’s medical bills? In this situation, you need an attorney you can trust who understands your family’s need after this kind of accident and who will work hard to get your family the compensation you deserve. When stressful and complicated times like this arise, call an attorney to help you decide the best course of action for your child’s situation.
Talk With Your Child
Unfortunately, things can become complicated quickly when you were not there to witness the circumstances of the accident. If your child can, sit down and talk with them about what happened before, during, and after the accident. They might be able to remember important names, times, and locations leading up to the accident, or they might have seen what caused it. It can also be helpful to know which seat your child was sitting in during the accident. We can help you with a list of questions that might prompt your child to remember more details.
Record Your Child’s Injuries
While having images of your child’s injuries can be heartbreaking, they can also be the crux of your child’s personal injury case. Make sure that you document each injury you see, photograph their progress as they heal (or don’t heal properly), and get any medical records necessary from your child’s doctor. Additionally, record how these injuries interrupted your child’s daily life. Could they bathe, eat, and drink properly? Could they perform their same day-to-day activities?
Speak With Your Car Insurance Company
In many cases, you can file a claim with your own car insurance company if your child sustained an injury through a school bus accident, even if the accident did not involve your automobile. There are many insurance companies that have no-fault benefits for circumstances like these, and parents should always check with their insurance to see if that is an option.
Determine Who Is Responsible
You and your attorney can work together to determine who is responsible for this school bus accident. Give your attorney any information you might not on who owns and operates the school buses and your child’s school bus schedule. We may be able to find witnesses to the accident, street cameras, and even consider the bus driver’s record.
Starting the Next Steps
Your child’s healing is paramount, and we want to do everything in our power to help your family and bring justice to this situation. When you call a personal injury lawyer Des Moines, IA offers, you get an advocate who will fight for your child’s rights and be compassionate to the injuries they sustained. Thank you to our friends at Johnston Martineau, LLP for their insight into personal injury claims and brain injuries.