Our money is in the bank. We keep our valuables in safes and we pay good money to put a security system in our homes. Yet, every day, we trust countless other people with our most precious resource – our children. They are teachers, daycare workers, babysitters, and even after school program directors. Those are highly trained professionals and they are held to a high standard of care.
The saying “it takes a whole village to raise a child” is truly accurate. Our school bus drivers are some of the most important guardians our children have. They are in charge of the safety and welfare of our kids during the most dangerous part of the day. Not only must school bus drivers keep an eye on the behavior of the children, ensure everyone is picked up and dropped off in exactly the right spot, and drive safely, but the bus driver also has to maneuver a large bus through rush hour traffic. Driving something that big is more difficult than it appears.
What Qualifications Does a School Bus Driver Have?
In order to become a school bus driver in Miami, you must:
Have a clean driving record;
Pass a criminal background check;
Go to school bus training and receive the certification;
Pass the written school bus driving test; and
Pass the practical school bus driving test in the type of school bus you want to drive.
Even though such extreme care is taken to only accept the best to become school bus drivers, school bus accidents still happen. Sometimes an accident may be the result of negligent hiring. This means that the school bus driver was not as qualified as he should have been and the hiring body should have known if it had performed the necessary investigation of the driver. Unfortunately, a complicated legal doctrine known as “sovereign immunity” applies to public school bus accidents. As a result, it can be more difficult to hold public school bus drivers and their employers liable for accidents, even when they are responsible. It is important that you contact a competent and experienced attorney in order to have the best chance of holding those responsible liable for your injuries caused in a Miami school bus accident.
Sometimes, however, public school bus accidents in Miami are not the fault of the bus driver. For example, back in April of 2012, a driver with a suspended license ran a stop sign while driving his SUV. As a result of trying to avoid this reckless driver, the bus driver lost control and the school bus crashed into a Miami home. Luckily, no one in the home was hurt. The two adults and two children on the school bus did have to be treated for injuries.
Contact Us Today to Learn More
Determining who should be held liable for injuries in a public school bus accident in Miami is not always clear-cut. It is important that you hire an attorney who has experience in dealing with public school bus accidents here in Miami, Florida. Please contact the attorneys at the Perez-Gurri Law Firm today for a free consultation.