School bus drivers are an important link in the community as they ferry school children to and fro from school every school day. Their main role is to get the students to their various schools safely. They are required to pick up students at bus stops and drop them off at designated points outside a school. It’s a job which does have risks because the drivers have to deal with all sorts of other road users, such as trucks, cars, motorbikes and bicycles. They also have to go out on the road, rain or shine. Common Workplace Injuries For a School Bus Driver School bus drivers are as vulnerable as any other vehicle driver to accidents and as a result all sorts of injuries could occur at any time. If another vehicle fails to yield at an intersection and a crash occurs with a school bus the driver could suffer serious injuries. These injuries include whiplash, head and chest injuries, facial lacerations from broken glass and severe psychological trauma, especially if any children on his or her bus are injured as well. Next Steps After a School Bus Driver’s Workplace Injury If you were involved in a school bus accident as a driver there are all sorts of things you will need to do. You may need someone to call an ambulance to get you to hospital while you have to ensure your school children are taken care of as well. This means informing your employer as quickly as possible so a replacement driver can be sent or if required a replacement bus. You will need to get the contact details of the other driver and his or her insurer as well as well as eyewitnesses to the event. They will provide the evidence that proves the accident occurred while you were at work. Photographic evidence of the damage to the bus is important too so that the police and insurer knows who caused the accident. The police will typically turn up to the accident scene, especially if children are involved. Once all this has been done you will need to contact a workers’ compensation attorney who will help to get the workers’ compensation you are entitled for injuries that have taken place at work. How Workers Compensation Can Help Most employers take out workers’ compensation insurance to cover their workers if they are injured or fall sick on the job. The aim of workers’ compensation is to ensure workers don’t suffer financial hardship if they have to take time off work to recover from an accident while at work. You should still be entitled, even if the accident was your fault. Your entitlements will cover the cost of medical treatment and a percentage of your wages while you are unable to work. Why You Should Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Even though you are entitled to workers’ compensation as long as your employer is required to take out workers’ compensation insurance, insurers are rarely eager to pay up without a bit of a fight. Your workers’ compensation attorney will ensure all the evidence you have proving your injuries took place at work can’t be disputed. This means you are likely to get the workers’ compensation claim sorted out more quickly than if you do it on your own. To get started on your claim, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page to talk with a lawyer about your claim. Additional Resources Common Mistakes When Documenting My Workplace Accident Work-related Vehicle Accident and Workers' Compensation
