School Bus Rear-Ended by 18-Wheeler; Several Kids Hurt

Technological advancements in cars, trucks, vans, and buses have helped reduce the likelihood of injuries to occupants in vehicles that have been rear-ended. As a result, many victims walk away from rear-end collisions with minor injuries or no injuries whatsoever. However, some of them sustain injuries which do not manifest themselves until several days later, such as pain in the neck, head, shoulders, or back.

So while we can be glad that no children had to be hospitalized after a school bus accident in Chicago last week, we should remain cautious and not assume that the kids will remain pain-free over the coming days and weeks.

On Friday about 9:30am, a school bus was traveling eastbound on the Eisenhower Expressway when it was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer just past Des Plaines Avenue. Two dozen fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were on the bus at the time of the crash, and several of them reported injuries. But none of those injured required transport to a hospital. There's no word on why the 18-wheeler struck the school bus, but it appears that the truck driver is at fault in the rear-end collision.

Even though none of the injured children needed an ambulance, it is quite feasible that any of them could begin noticing symptoms of injury this week (or possibly in the future.) A decrease in mobility or increase in pain in one or more bodily regions could develop in these youngsters, and a doctor's visit might be required. It is also possible that these symptoms might become severe enough to require medication, medical tests, physical therapy, or even surgery. If such a scenario were to occur, the parents of the injured child could file a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver and his or her employer in order to recoup the health care expenses incurred by the family.