Forest Hills school bus crashes in intersection, no children hurt
A school bus for Forest Hills Public Schools was transporting students on Wednesday June 3 when it was in a crash.
The bus collided with an SUV in the intersection of East Beltline Avenue and 3 Mile Road in Grand Rapids Township.
According to Michigan State Police, early investigation shows the school bus was traveling eastbound on 3 Mile Road when it was struck by an SUV that drove through a red light, traveling southbound on East Beltline.
The driver of the SUV, a 39-year-old Grand Rapids woman, was transported to Corewell Health with non-life-threatening injuries. Several children were on board the Forest Hills school bus at the time of the crash.
No injuries were reported among the students or the bus driver.
The crash remains under investigation.
Legal options after an accident
Michigan is a no-fault state, which means that without having to determine whose fault an accident is, people injured in the crash may qualify for Personal Injury Protection benefits.
These benefits can help cover economic losses from the crash such as allowable medical expenses, wage loss, replacement services or attendant care.
Recovering noneconomic losses usually requires a separate claim against an at-fault driver. This would only be an option if the injuries meet the state’s threshold of serious impairment of body function, permanent serious disfigurement or death.
School bus crashes
Since public school districts are generally government entities, they are generally immune from tort liability when performing governmental functions such as driving the kids to school.
This means that in some cases, a public school district may be immune to certain lawsuits unless an exception applies, such as the motor-vehicle exception in MCL 691.1405. Michigan's motor-vehicle exception can allow claims for bodily injury or property damage caused by the negligent operation of a government owned motor vehicle.
For a claim like this to be successful, it must be proven that the crash was caused, at least partially due to the vehicle being operated negligently. Ownership, operation, employee or contractor status, negligence, injury, insurance and timing can all be factors in the success of a claim like this.
Get Help from Michigan Legal Center
Michigan Legal Center is the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates. Our attorneys help people injured in Michigan car crashes with no-fault claims, hit-and-run claims, insurance disputes, claims against at-fault drivers and serious injury cases.
After a crash, our attorneys can review police reports, preserve evidence, identify available insurance, evaluate no-fault benefits and determine what claims may be available. For immediate next steps, see our guide on what to do after a car accident in Michigan.
Call (248) 886-8650 or contact Michigan Legal Center for a free consultation.
There is no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you. Case costs and fee terms are governed by the written fee agreement.
Note
Our firm used outside sources when creating this post. We have not independently verified every fact regarding this crash. If you find information that is incorrect, contact Michigan Legal Center immediately so we can correct the post. This post can be removed upon request.