Careless driving is the charge for a school bus driver who crashed into the back of a semi-truck in Bradenton yesterday.  The bus carried dozens of students from Braden River Middle School. News reports say that the driver’s leg was pinned so he couldn’t bring the bus to a complete stop immediately after the crash. Students were reported jumping from the emergency exits while the bus slowly rolled down the street until a witness jumped on board to help the driver engage the brakes.

More than 20 children were injured or hurt and taken to local hospitals.  According to interviews given to WTSP-TV, emergency responders were overwhelmed by the number of students who needed medical attention:

"We had a lot of kids and not enough ambulances," said Deputy Chief Lee Whitehurst of East Manatee Fire Rescue. "We had ambulances that were going to the hospital dropping off their patients and coming back."

The Florida Highway Patrol reports the bus driver didn’t stop in time and slammed into the back of a Wal-mart semi-trailer truck.  FHP says the driver will be charged with careless driving.  The bus crash happened on SR 64 near I-75 in Manatee County near Wal-mart.  

According to Florida law, bus companies are required to give their passengers a higher standard of care.  That means the negligence standard involved in bus accidents is different that in a typical car crash.  However, because this accident involves a Manatee county school bus, owned and operated by the Manatee County school system, the laws are different.  In situations like this, a victim’s rights to compensation for their injuries could be at risk.  That’s why it’s important to talk with an accident attorney experienced with school bus crashes right away.

For more information on what to do if you or your child is injured or hurt in a school bus accident, please contact Buckman and Buckman, P.A. for a case evaluation or call us at (941) 923-7700.