School Bus Accidents
School Bus Accident Attorneys in Michigan
When a school bus is involved in an accident, the stakes are different. These vehicles carry children — your children — and the injuries can be severe because school buses don't have seat belts for passenger seats (Michigan doesn't require them). A rear-end collision, a rollover, a driver who runs a red light and T-bones the bus, or even a bus driver who causes the crash through negligence can produce dozens of injured children in a single incident.
Koussan Law represents families of children injured in school bus accidents throughout Michigan. We pursue the responsible parties — whether that's another driver, the bus driver, the school district, or the bus manufacturer — to get the compensation your child needs for their recovery.
Who's Liable in a School Bus Crash
Liability depends on what caused the crash. If another driver hit the bus, that driver's liability insurance and your child's PIP coverage under MCL § 500.3107 apply. If the bus driver caused the crash — through distraction, speeding, running a stop sign, or driving impaired — the school district or private bus company is vicariously liable for the driver's negligence.
Here's where it gets complicated: many Michigan school districts contract with private bus companies rather than operating their own fleets. When the bus company is a private contractor, governmental immunity (MCL § 691.1407) doesn't apply, and we can pursue the company directly. When the school district operates its own buses, governmental immunity creates additional hurdles, but the motor vehicle exception under MCL § 691.1405 allows claims against government entities for injuries caused by the negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
Injuries Without Seatbelts
Federal regulations do not require seatbelts on large school buses (over 10,000 pounds), based on the theory that "compartmentalization" — closely spaced, high-backed, padded seats — provides adequate crash protection. In practice, children are still thrown from their seats in crashes, strike their heads on seat backs and windows, and suffer fractures, TBIs, and spinal injuries. In rollover or side-impact crashes, compartmentalization provides almost no protection.
School Bus Stop Accidents
Some of the worst school bus accidents don't involve the bus crashing at all — they happen at bus stops. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus with its lights flashing violate MCL § 257.682, and when they strike a child crossing the road, the injuries are catastrophic. These are negligence per se cases — the statute violation establishes fault as a matter of law.
Statute of Limitations
Michigan tolls the statute of limitations for minors under MCL § 600.5851, but parents' claims for medical expenses have the standard three-year deadline under MCL § 600.5805. Claims against government entities require additional notice within specific timelines. Don't wait to get an attorney involved.
If your child was injured in a school bus accident in Michigan, call (313) 800-0000 for a free consultation. We'll determine who's liable and pursue every available source of compensation.
Use our free case calculator for a preliminary estimate of your claim value.
