Florida School Bus Accidents -- More Common than You Might Think
While lightning may have struck twice in the case of Matthew Magness, bus accidents, themselves, are not uncommon in Florida.

January 10, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Florida School Bus Accidents -- More Common than You Might Think

Article provided by Law Offices of Corey Leifer, P.A.
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The first time Matthew Magness was hit by a bus, he was the passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a school bus driver who failed to yield the right of way. In the accident, Matthew sustained injuries to his right leg, shoulders, neck and back.

113 days later, Magness was driving on U.S. 19 near Clearwater and Largo when a Pinellas County school bus struck him. Again, the bus driver was at fault, having ignored the right of way in making a left turn across traffic.

With the injuries from his last encounter with a school bus still fresh, and now reaggravated, Magness decided that enough was enough. On November 12, he filed a complaint in Circuit Court, seeking at least $15,000 in damages.

While lightning may have struck twice in the case of Matthew Magness, bus accidents, themselves, are not uncommon in Florida. In December 2009, a Citrus County bus driver rear-ended the car driven by a Lecanto man. The force of the bus drove his car off the road and he was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The previous November, a police officer and 11-year-old student were injured when a Hardee County school bus turned left in front of them, causing them to collide with the side of the bus and spinning their car around.

In fact, over the course of the 2008-09 school year, there were a total of 158 accidents involving county buses in Florida. In all of these cases the bus driver was at fault. 28 of the accidents involved injuries.

It's easy to see why accidents involving buses often result in injury and, in most cases, are very one-sided.

On average, school buses weigh in around 22,000 to 28,000 pounds -- without passengers. A normal 84 passenger school bus, filled with students, can easily weigh in at around 40,000 pounds, while most cars weigh well below 5,000 pounds.

Even a much larger vehicle, such as a Hummer, only weighs in at around 6,600 pounds. While heavy for a personal vehicle, this massive SUV has nothing on most school buses.

Even though many Florida bus accidents are the result of an error on the bus driver's side, you can better protect yourself by remaining constantly alert and aware behind the wheel. This doesn't excuse bus drivers who make the poor decisions that cause accidents, but it does give you a better chance of escaping those dangerous situation unharmed.

Accidents do happen though. If you are involved in an accident involving a bus -- especially if you suffer injuries -- reach out immediately to a Florida personal injury attorney who is experienced handling cases involving bus accidents or accidents involving other government-owned vehicles.

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