What if a Child is Injured on a Field Trip While Enrolled in a Florida Summer Camp Program?

Summer is a great time for fun. For many children enrolled in summer camps in Florida, camp includes many fun field trips. It is a wonderful time for adventure and exploration. Unfortunately for some children, a summer field trip can end in a terrible way and can even end before it even begins for gets anywhere. A recent Florida school bus field trip accident was report in Jacksonville on Interstate 95. It was reported that two buses carrying children enrolled in the Naval Air Station Youth Activity Center summer camp were heading out for a nice field trip to Jacksonville Zoo when the crash took place. The accident occurred near Downtown Jacksonville at the Eighth Street overpass. Just prior to the crash, one bus was following another bus. There were several reported injuries with three adults and three children being transported to UF Health Jacksonville and Baptist Medical Center.

When a child is injured during a school bus ride or field trip, there can be a case or claim pursued on behalf of the injured child. Like other cases, there are essentially four elements to the legal case:

1. Duty;
2. Breach of Duty;
3. Causation; and
4. Damages

Of course, the child occupant cannot be held at fault for the negligent driving of the bus driver or another driver. There may be rare exceptions if a child throws an object at a bus driver which, in turn, causes the bus to crash; however, in most instances, there is a bus crash to the negligent driving of one or more of the drivers involved in the crash. In and around Jacksonville, there are simply too many automobile accidents, trucking accidents, and, yes, school bus accidents. There are a number of cases of these wrecks which include but are not limited to the following:

• Distracted driving;
• Text messaging or reading phones during driving;
• Excessive speed beyond the posted speed limit;
• Excessive speed for the traffic conditions, weather conditions, or road construction; and / or
• Failure to obey traffic signals and signage. 

The book titled - When the Wheels Stop Spinning - Legal Rights of the Injured Child - What Parents Should Know After the Accident - has chapters on Automobile Accidents, Bicycle Accidents, Pedestrian Accidents, and other topics. You can get this book for free at When the Wheels Stop Spinning. If a child is injured as a result of the negligence of a driver, the parent of the injured child should contact a Florida Child Injury Lawyer for advice, guidance, and legal representation.