Five people suffered injuries in a recent school bus crash in Charles County, Maryland. According to the local sheriff department’s Traffic Operations Unit, the crash occurred just before 3:30 p.m. on Bryantown Road in the city of Waldorf. The bus reportedly collided with a passenger car, spinning out and landing on its side. There were only three people inside the school bus at the time, including the driver, a school bus attendant and a child, who was wearing a seatbelt. Two people were inside the other vehicle. All five individuals suffered minor injuries, although the 13-year-old child and 65-year-old person in the car went to a local hospital as a precaution. The cause of the crash was still under investigation, and police officers made no mention as to who or what was at fault.

School bus accident-related injury claims

When an accident involving public transportation occurs, the victims often must proceed a little differently than they would after the typical motor vehicle crash. For example, if the driver of the passenger vehicle was responsible for the accident, the bus driver and any passengers on the bus could seek damages from that individual. However, if the bus driver was at fault, any of the passengers on the bus or in the passenger vehicle could seek file a claim against the bus company or the agency in charge of the bus. An exception to the rule would be if the bus driver was acting negligently and/or was under the influence of drugs or alcohol leading up to the accident. In this situation, the victims may be able to seek compensation from the bus driver directly. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a public transit or bus accident, reach out to a trusted La Plata personal injury lawyer at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.