5 Year Old Killed by Atlanta School Bus

A 5 year old boy was run over by a school bus in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood on Tuesday.  He was being dropped off after attending kindergarten at Usher Elementary School.  It was not clear whether the boy was killed immediately or died later from injuries sustained in the school bus accident.

Atlanta Police Officer James Polite indicated the boy was walking in front of the school bus when the driver began pulling forward.  Charges were still pending Wednesday morning as police investigators sought to determine how the bus driver lost track of this child.  The bus driver, who has been driving for six years, has not been identified.  It appears both the bus driver personally and Atlanta Public Schools, as his or her employer, is liable to the young boy's family.  As the police continue their investigation, it will be important to determine whether the bus driver was distracted at the time and, if so, what things were distracting the driver like a cell phone or other children on the bus.  The most significant legal problem in these cases is often Immunity from Liability that the Georgia Legislature has given to schools and their employees. If there is Insurance it is likely to be modest. Another legal issue is calculating damages for the pecuniary worth of a child. The Georgia Wrongful Death Statute gives the child's parents the right to decide whether and how to proceed. It is likely the boy's family will seek the advice of an Atlanta area accident attorney to discuss their legal rights in this situation.  If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another, please call our office at 1-888-973-2540 (888-WRECK-404) to schedule a free consultation.  Our staff is available 24 hours a day.

Labels: atlanta accident attorney atlanta injury lawyer Atlanta school bus