A Lacey Township school bus driver has been charged with DWI, DWI in a school zone, and other similar offenses after a crash that left 8 students injured on Monday morning.
The crash happened at Ocean County Vocational Technical School’s Tom’s River location at 1299 Old Freehold Road at around 7:30 a.m. According to the police, 57-year-old Cheryl Rooth was pulling a bus into the parking lot and collided with an unoccupied bus in front of her.
28 students were on the bus when the crash occurred. Eight of them, including three minors, suffered minor injuries.
Rooth had not been drinking but was allegedly under the influence of prescription medication.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea represents people who have been injured in accidents caused by intoxicated people, helping them recover financial compensation through civil lawsuits. We’ve asked Brian to share some information regarding the legal rights of students who are injured in school bus accidents in New Jersey:
Bus drivers are responsible for making sure students are safe on their way to and from school. Most bus drivers do their jobs well, but there have also been cases of negligent bus drivers causing preventable accidents. When this happens and students are injured, it’s important for the students and their parents to be aware of the family’s legal options such as a drunk driving lawsuit settlement.
In some of these cases, the school or bus company was also negligent in a way that enabled the accident to happen. For example, if the bus driver had a DUI on their record but was hired anyway because the school or bus company failed to run a background check first, the school could be considered negligent. School bus crash victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the bus driver’s employer in cases of negligence.
If you or someone you love has recently been injured in a school bus accident in New Jersey, it’s important to take legal action quickly. There is a two-year statute of limitations in these cases. You can learn more about your family’s legal options by speaking with an experienced bus accident lawyer.
https://6abc.com/school-bus-driver-charged-with-dwi-after-crash-leaves-students-injured/5276901/