Four people were hospitalized with injuries in a Menifee school bus accident after a school bus carrying students from Paloma Valley High School collided with a car. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the injury collision occurred at the intersection of Holland and Evans roads in Menifee. Officials say a black Nissan Sentra was traveling east on Holland Road when it collided with the bus as it made a left turn from Evans Road. Police are looking into the car’s rate of speed at the time of the incident.
Injuries Reported
One passenger in the school bus, which was carrying 19 students, complained of dizziness and was treated and released from a local hospital. In the car, one person sustained serious injuries, one suffered moderate injuries and the other had relatively minor injuries. One person who was in the car fled from the scene and has not been located.
The driver and the other students on the school bus were not injured. Fire officials initially reported that 22 people were injured and set up a triage operation to evaluate victims for what they called a mass casualty event. However, it turned out that the situation was not as serious as they had expected. Neighbors said the location where this accident occurred is a dangerous stretch of Holland Road, which often attracts speeders and tailgaters.
Potential Violations
Based on this news report, it appears that officials are looking into whether the driver of the Nissan was speeding. California Vehicle Code Section 22350 (Basic Speed Law) states: “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic and on surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.”
In such cases, the at-fault parties can be held liable for injuries, damages and losses caused. Injured victims can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. It would also be in the best interest of the all children in the school bus to be checked out by the doctors for any injuries they may have sustained.
Some injuries such as whiplash often do not surface until days or even weeks after the incident. It is important that prompt medical attention is sought and received in these cases. Injured victims or their families would also be well advised to contact an experienced California bus accident lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing their legal rights.