As an experienced Missouri school bus injury lawyer, I have seen first hand the devastation that can be caused by drivers that are not properly trained and/or qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle, especially one with children on board. Parents would be unpleasantly suprised to learn some of the information that our law firm has uncovered throughout the prosecution of several civil lawsuits against schools and bus companies for causing serious injuries or fatalities to the children they are entrusted to protect. School bus crashes have been the topic of many statewide news stories over the past two years and it appears as if they are on the rise. Why is that?

Well we have our opinions. First, it appears as if many of the most severe bus accidents involve a bus driver that was over 70 years old. We are not descriminating here, we are just pointing out a commonality among several of the most catastrophic cases that we have worked on, and the research we have compiled. Bus drivers are required to undergo the same physical qualifications as semi-truck drivers, including phyisical examinations conducted by a Department of Transportation (DOT) medical examiner. These DOT exams are designed to screen and weed out bus drivers that are have medical issues that could interfere with the safe operation of a bus.

Bottom line, however, is this: most bus drivers don't realize that they are not qualified to transport our children until the unfortunate event of a serious injury or fatality. Many drivers are retired from other professions and enjoy the minimal hours per week that they get to work and the relatively low physicial impact of sitting behind the wheel of a bus for three hours per day. The problem is that this job is physically demanding...and drivers need to be on high alert at ALL times. This job should only be for persons in tip top shape.

The ultimate responsibility of keeping our kids safe on buses rests sqaurely on the shoulders of the school district. They are required to properly screen, train, and retain only the best drivers money can buy. What exactly are the stakes here? Well, in one word, life. The reality is that Missouri falls short of several states when it comes to school bus safety. States like Rhode Island, Illinois, and Connecticut lead the nation in safety. They invest heavily in driver qualifiation and ongoing training. We need to seriously consider what the dangers that an unsafe school bus driver present, because without proper screening and training, we will continue to put our children in harms way.

Stephen Schultz is a St. Louis personal injury lawyer and an AV-Rated attorney practicing law throughout Missouri. He is a founding partner of Schultz & Myers and president of Schultz Legal Group. Mr. Schultz speaks for the children injured in school bus accidents and the surviving parents who have lost a child due to reckless or negligent driving.