Florida School Bus Involved in Hit-and-Run Collision
Palm Beach, FL- A hit-and-run crash can happen anywhere at any time. Most of these crashes involve passenger vehicles, but on occasions, drivers flee the scene of truck and bus crashes. Such is the case of a bus accident that occurred in Florida earlier this month.
Florida School Bus Involved in a Hit-and-Run Crash
Three people were injured when a Ford pickup rear-ended an Alachua County school bus on October 5, 2017. WCBJ reports that the crash occurred around 8:30 a.m. when the Ford truck slammed into the rear of a school bus.
Witnesses saw the man in the truck get out and assess the damage and return to his truck. The man then made a U-turn and left the scene of the crash before police arrived.
Two students and the bus driver suffered minor injuries, according to WCBJ.
Police still have not located the driver of the pickup.
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Even though they could face felony charges, plenty of motorists flee traffic the scene of traffic crashes. Nationally, hit-and-run crashes are on the rise, increasing 13.7 percent between 2009 and 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The increase in hit-and-runs is greater in Florida. Data from the Insurance Journal shows that fatal hit-and-run accidents increased 23 percent in 2014. In total, there were 80,000 hit-and-run crashes in Sunshine State that year.
Drivers usually leave an accident scene because they are at-fault or are afraid of taking on the liability for a collision. The main reasons drivers flee the scene of a collision, include:
Drug- or alcohol-impaired driving
Driving with a suspended or revoked license
Driving with minimum insurance coverage
Leaving the scene of an accident is a felony charge that can result in up to four years in a Florida jail and license revocation for up to three years.
Contact a Bus Accident Lawyer in Palm Beach
The accident discussed above is an example of how complicated it can be to recover compensation for a bus crash. When the bus driver is the negligent party, a victim just needs to file a claim against the correct city or state agency, but things get more complicated when the at-fault driver leaves the scene and cannot be identified. In such cases, the victim must go through their insurance provider to recover compensation.
Victims of hit-and-run bus accidents in Florida can file a claim with their auto insurance provider. You must recover your medical costs, property repair costs and lost wages from your insurer. That may sound simple, but you will you might find it difficult to get the full amount you need unless you have a lawyer negotiating with an adjuster on your behalf. Whether you are dealing with your insurer, the insurer representing a negligent auto or bus driver or another party, you will have a better chance of getting a generous settlement if you retain a bus crash lawyer near you in Palm Springs. Let USAttorneys connect you a local lawyer who will fight for you and go the extra mile to ensure your claim is a success.
