9 Kids Hurt in Bus Crash, and Other Injury Lawyer News

Personal Injury - May 23, 2014

In general, school buses are the safest vehicles for children to ride in to class, because of both their size and safety features. In fact, most of the people who die in school-bus crashes are drivers and passengers in other vehicles. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 19 children die in these accidents every year.
Many more suffer injuries. CBS Chicago reports that a public school-bus driver accidentally struck a metal beam while making a turn. The accident quickly became bizarre when the driver neglected to stop the bus or even call for emergency assistance.

Instead, he continued along his route and dropped the children off at school. School staff quickly identified that some of the children were injured and called for paramedics who took nine students to local hospitals.
Parents were understandably upset by the episode, expressing concern that the driver didn’t act more responsibly. Police haven’t cited the driver yet but are looking into the matter. Fortunately, not one of the children was severely injured in the car accident.

New Information About Officer Killed by Fatigued Driver

In March 2013, Officer James Sauter had just finished helping a stranded driver on the interstate when a moving truck rear-ended his squad car. Both cars immediately caught fire.
By the time paramedics arrived, Sauter was already dead. The driver of the truck, Andrew Bokelman, 25, suffered minor injuries in the truck accident.
Police determined that Bokelman violated federal guidelines when he failed to take a break while driving. Apparently, Bokelman worked a 12 hour shift loading the truck before he even began driving.
He was so fatigued that he fell asleep at the wheel, causing the car accident. Police arrested Bokelman and charged him with driving while fatigued, which is a felony and carries a three year-prison sentence.
If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident with a negligent driver, you’ll need an injury lawyer on your side to help you seek the justice you deserve. At Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, we have more than 100 years of combined personal-injury experience.
To learn more about our services or to arrange a consultation with a Chicago injury lawyer, call us today at 1-800-594-7433.

Widow Settles Car Accident Lawsuit Over Her Husband’s Death

Sauter’s widow, Elizabeth Sauter, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Bokelman, as well as the companies that employed him. Since the accident, the federal government fined Bokelman and United Van Lines, but Elizabeth Sauter did not feel that justice was served.
Now, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that she reached a $10.9 million settlement with the companies. Her attorneys applauded the settlement, saying that the money would give her and her family the chance to feel closure and rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident with a fatigued, drunk or reckless driver, we can help you seek the compensation you deserve. A truck accident lawyer from Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates can review your case and structure a strategy to support your claim.
To learn more about our services, call us today at (800)-985-1819.