Where Should a Child Treated for Injuries Sustained in a School Bus Accident?

When a child is injured as a result of a school bus accident, there are often questions and challenges for a parent as it pertains tomedical care for the accident related injuries. A parent may think that a school bus or school district would automatically pay for the medical bills and provide for medical care if the accident or crash was the fault of the school bus driver. While this may seem to be reasonable and full of common sense, school bus companies and the related insurance companies do not automatically go into gear to provide for or pay the medical bills for the injured child. As such, a parent must often make arrangements on his or her own to get the child appropriately evaluated and treated. Here is a list of medical providers who may provide care following a school bus accident:

Pediatrician or Primary Care Doctor. The pediatrician or primary care doctor may be appropriate for medical care following an automobile accident if the injuries seem relatively minor and do not require much in the way of follow-up.

Emergency Room. If the child needs immediate medical care and there appears to be signs and symptoms of trauma related head injuries, back injuries, injuries to the extremities, internal injuries,  etc. . . the parent should take immediate action to get the child properly stabilized and evaluated at the emergency room. Many cities, especially the larger ones, have emergency room and hospitals that special specialize in the care of children. If such a facility is available, parents should take child to a pediatric emergency room or trauma center. Typically, a pediatric specialist the best position to have the best training in order to provide the proper evaluation and treatment of children following the school bus accident.

Specialist. Following a school bus accident, it may be necessary for a child to see a specialist. The type of specialist will depend on the injury sustained.  Specialists include neurologists, general surgeons, orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine and physical rehabilitation doctors, psychologists, neuropsychologists, and other specialists.

Physical Therapist.  Once a child is been properly evaluated and treated by the specialist or medical doctor, the child may be ordered or directed to physical therapy for follow-up care regarding neck, back, extremity injuries and other injuries.

The choices and available of medical doctors following a school bus accident may be quite limited and challenging especially if the child lacks health insurance and / or the parent has limited experience in dealing with the aftermath of a crash and making a decision as to the appropriate medical providers for the child.   As such, a parent should seek out legal counsel in the form of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer for advice and potential legal representation.  The book titled - When the Wheels Stop Spinning - Legal Rights of the Injured Child - What Parents Need to 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.