As a rideshare that takes the place of public school buses, Zum is required to maintain large insurance policies to protect the children who ride each day. After an accident involving a Zum bus driver, parents must seek full compensation from the company’s insurers to cover a child’s medical care. That support should also cover any care needed for injury complications that develop as they mature.
Rideshare Law Office of California wins support for victims hurt in accidents involving Zum buses. We make sure young victims and their families have everything they need to pay for their medical care so they can heal and get back to their normal lives. Please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation for all California victims injured in car accidents.
How Do I Know If I Need a Lawyer After My Child Is Hurt on a Zum Bus?
Any Zum bus accident that leaves your child with a serious injury, like a broken bone or a head injury, should prompt you to contact a skilled California Zum bus accident lawyer. These types of injuries can be especially devastating for young victims and also affect their physical development in the future.
When medical bills run high, insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers for Zum buss will work overtime to try to shift the blame in an accident or at least devalue your child’s injuries.
A California rideshare accident lawyer fully investigates your accident and collects the evidence necessary to keep insurance companies from wiggling out of responsibility. Witness testimony and accident reconstruction data will be used to force Zum bus to provide the maximum in compensation available. This is critical so your child can afford the best medical care available.
Zum Bus Accident Hazards
Zum is a school bus alternative for students that uses electric buses and provides additional monitoring options for parents. Parents use the Zum bus app to follow their children’s route on the way to school. They know when their children arrive and when they’ll be picked up.
The company’s school buses transport kids in over 4,000 schools and districts across the country. Their services are available in San Francisco and the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernadino, and elsewhere across California.
The company employs the safest drivers possible. Drivers must have commercial driver’s licenses and the company even has students buckle up for each ride. Unfortunately, any ride through unpredictable California traffic can pose accident risks for even safe drivers.
Bus drivers also deal with a lot more in the way of distraction than most of the normal drivers around them.
These are just a few of the added stresses that might cause a Zum employee to overlook safety and cause a collision:
The Monitoring of Children: As they travel, Zum drivers are also responsible for a lot of young lives. That means monitoring what’s going on inside and outside the bus. They must make sure students are taking actions that might hurt other riders. They must be on the lookout for signs of bullying and meet the requirements of special needs students. These important duties might force drivers to take their eyes off the road, resulting in a scary impact.
Cell Phone Distractions: Bus drivers aren’t supposed to be staring at their cell phones, but they may rely on those devices to find routes to a child’s home and around traffic tie-ups. Drivers may also have to communicate with parents through the app about emergencies. These distractions often send normal drivers into collisions, and bus drivers have much more taking their attention away from the roads.
Careless Driving: Bus drivers may be tempted to go too fast for conditions. They may make risky turns in large vehicles, leaving the side of the bus, where children will be, vulnerable to collisions. A driver without a lot of experience piloting a giant bus can make mistakes. Zum checks background reports and driver records before hiring drivers, but they can make mistakes that put your children at risk.
What’s more, children are at risk beyond just traffic collisions. They can suffer injuries due to another child’s actions. An assault may be allowed to happen. Students might be let off a bus in a dangerous area where they could be struck by other vehicles. The bus driver, and ultimately, Zum’s insurance provider would be liable for these mistakes that cause accidents.
Who Is Responsible for My Child’s Injuries After a Zum Bus Accident?
To transport children in the state of California, Zum is required to maintain transportation licenses and carry insurance to cover the many ways a child could end up hurt. That includes a strong auto insurance policy to cover any injuries a child may suffer in a bus accident.
- Zum Driver at Fault: A mistake by a Zum driver might lead to a devastating accident and leave students with serious injuries. Parents would be empowered to file injury claims against the driver’s employer and seek support in paying for their children’s hospital bills.
- Zum at Fault: Zum must take responsibility for their employee’s mistakes, but they could also contribute to an accident through other acts of negligence. The company could fail to inspect vital components of the bus each day, such as tires and brakes. This lack of action might cause a collision. A seatbelt malfunction could also leave them fully liable for the consequences of a crash.
- Another Driver at Fault: If another driver strikes the bus, the driver’s auto insurance would have to be called upon to provide recovery benefits to any child who was hurt.
Unfortunately, Zum is big enough to afford it’s own team of lawyers when its profits are threatened by an accident. Parents seeking basic injury support may find themselves up against corporate lawyers who are paid to limit the help Zum must provide.
It’s a good idea to have a strong legal representative like Rideshare Law Office on your side to balance the scales. Our lawyers strive to handle the frustrating claims process with as little disruption to young victims as possible. We would work to win the maximum in support for your family. Our goal is to give your child as much time as needed to focus on healing.
What Type of Support Can My Child Receive After a Zum Bus Accident?
Children must receive the maximum in injury compensation possible due to the potential future hardships they may face in recovery. Children’s bodies are usually smaller and more susceptible to injuries in the blunt force trauma of a vehicle impact.
It’s also true that injuries to a young victim may have a much longer-lasting effect on the health of the child. Broken bones and internal injuries may appear to heal, only to cause complications years later as the victim matures into adulthood.
Victims may require additional surgeries as they grow. Surgery may help correct the placement of a broken bone that never healed right. Children may require additional physical therapy down the road.
Your lawyer would be demanding full compensation for your family’s current hardships and those that lie ahead.
These are just a few of the damages that must factor into an accident settlement check:
- Medical expenses, both past and future.
- Support for physical pain suffered by the child.
- Support for any permanent disfigurement or disability suffered.
- Support for the emotional toll a crash and a difficult recovery take on a young victim.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Lost wages for parents who must miss work to care for a child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my family seek support if a child is tragically lost in a Zum bus accident?
Yes. Families would file wrongful death claims to earn justice and to help with future financial issues. They should receive help with funeral costs and every medical bill that remains. Parents must also receive support for the lifelong love and companionship that’s been lost.
What’s the statute of limitation on my injury claim after an accident involving a child?
In California, parents have up to two years after an accident to file a claim. But parents shouldn’t wait years to file. They should alert a lawyer as soon as possible so a lawyer can access fresh evidence and track down witnesses before they disappear.
What if I can’t afford to pay a lawyer after a bus accident?
You can still count on powerful legal representation. Rideshare Law Office doesn’t get paid unless we are successful in earning compensation for you and your child. Then, your lawyer is paid out of the settlement Zum must provide.
Contact a Zum Bus Accident Lawyer
After an accident, it’s critical for victims to avoid forfeiting important benefits they’ll need to rebuild their lives. That’s especially true for young victims who may suffer physical and emotional hardships for years to come after a frightening accident.
If you or your child sustained a serious injury and the accident involved a bus driver, contact us for a free and confidential consultation. There’s no obligation for this free case review. Rideshare accidents can be complex cases and involve many different insurance companies. It’s important to have a skilled California Zum Bus Accident Attorney protecting your child’s best interests.
