A six year old girl who was seriously injured in a Georgia school bus crash has died, according to the Associated Press. 

The girl was a student at an Atlanta elementary school and was pronounced dead on Feb. 2. Four other students and the bus driver had minor injuries in the Feb. 1 school bus crash. The bus flipped  on its side after taking a sharp curve on Forest Park Drive in Atlanta. There were 30 students on board.

Police say the deceased child was ejected from the bus. Residents of the area say the road where the accident happened is very steep and with many curves, with many drivers going too fast. It is unknown if speed was a factor in this fatal accident, however.

Police are still investigating the crash.

Our View

When we put our children onto school buses, we expect the driver to be safe and for them to get to and from school in a safe manner. But sadly, this does not always happen. As Virginia personal injury attorneys, we suggest that parents ask the following question at their school before they allow their children to ride a school bus: Are all of the school bus drivers they employ safe, trained and with a good safety record? All bus drivers should be well trained and should not have a history of traffic infractions.

There are other issues with school buses that we think parents should be aware of. School buses in many states still are not required to have seatbelts. At this time, only California, Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Louisiana require them on school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has supported lap and shoulder belts on buses since 2015. Experience shows when students have at least lapbelts available in a school bus, serious and sometimes fatal injuries can be avoided.

Parents whose children are injured or killed in a school bus accident may have a strong personal injury or wrongful death claim. It is the responsibility of the school bus driver and the school district to ensure that children get to and from school safely. Parents and the injured could be entitled to damages including pain and suffering, medical costs, funeral expenses, and more.