Posted: November 17, 2015
Seven injuries, including four involving students, have been reported in connection with a Bridgewater school bus accident that took place on Wednesday, November 11. The crash took place on Route 22 East at about 3:19 pm, as the students were heading home from school. It involved a compact school bus, driven by Kevin White of Somerset, and a Mazda MZ6 driven by Bhavesh Chauhan of Piscataway.
All four students on board the bus were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville to be treated for minor injuries. Chauhan, along with two passengers in the Mazda, were transported to the same hospital, also with minor injuries.
The school bus is registered to Transportation Inc. from Monmouth Junction and was transporting the students home from Midland School in Branchburg. The accident tied up the left lane of US 22 for several hours while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Second Bridgewater school bus accident this year
The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Bridgewater Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Bureau. Anyone with information concerning the accident should contact Bridgewater Police Traffic Safety Bureau, Officer Jason Daunton, according to local authorities.
This is not the first school bus accident to occur in Bridgewater, NJ this year. In March, 8 students from Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School were taken to the hospital for minor injuries after the bus they were riding in hit a tree. Mechanical failure appears to be the culprit in this bus crash; the bus was owned and operated by First Student, Inc. The company promised an investigation into the crash, which also involved a leg injury for the driver.
Liability issues and school bus accidents
If parents are interested in taking legal action following a school bus accident and injury, they may find that questions of liability can be quite complicated. A driver may be at fault if he or she drove recklessly or did not follow procedure regarding the transportation of children in the bus. However, the driver may also be acting as an agent for the school district and the process for suing a public entity of this nature can involve more complicated or specific deadlines and red tape. In addition, if mechanical failure of the bus itself was a factor, the bus company may be liable. Finally, other third parties may be involved, such as the driver of the Mazda in this case.
If investigations determine that vehicle malfunction, unsafe roadways or driver negligence played a role in a school bus accident, victims may be entitled to compensation for hospital and medical expenses, emotional trauma and other related losses.
NJ personal injury lawyers at Eisbrouch Marsh continue to follow the investigations of this recent collision closely and offer seasoned legal advice to those who have been involved in commercial and private vehicle accidents throughout the state. To schedule a free case review, please call our offices at 201-342-5545.
Resources
- ABCNY.com, Multiple Injuries Reported in Crash Involving School Bus in Bridgewater http://abc7ny.com/traffic/multiple-injuries-reported-in-crash-involving-school-bus-in-bridgewater-nj/1079547/
- NJ.Com, 4 Students Suffer Minor Injuries in Bridgewater School Bus Crash http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2015/11/bus_crash_in_bridgewater.html
- NJ.Com, 8 middle school students sent to hospital after Bridgewater Bus Crash http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2015/03/8_students_sent_to_hospital_after_bridgewater_bus.html
