Liability in School Bus Crashes
Under the Texas Transportation Code, a school board or county board of trustees may purchase buses to transport kids to and from school or contract with a third party to lease buses. School districts that lease them must ensure compliance with safety standards established by the Department of Public Safety. A local attorney could investigate whether these bus safety standards were violated, resulting in an accident.
In general, under Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 101.021, a governmental branch in Texas, including a school district, may be liable for property damage, injury, or death wrongfully or negligently caused by a government employee if the alleged harm involves a motorized vehicle. A municipality, such as Murphy, must also assume liability for a variety of necessary functions, including vehicle maintenance. If the school district’s buses fell short of criteria like these, the district, not the passengers and their families, bears responsibility for injuries.