Whenever the words “school bus” and “wreck” are in the same sentence, it’s scary. A school bus is supposed to be a safe place, a secure way to transport children to and from school. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they’re immune to crashes, much as we wish they were. Thankfully, in the wreck we’re going to take a look at in this article, no children were on the bus at the time of the crash and the adults involved experienced only minor injuries. We’re glad to hear that there were no severe injuries as a result of the dump truck and school bus crash. Let’s take a look at how insurance could come into play with this accident.
What happened?
Earlier this week in DeKalb County, Georgia, a school bus and a dump truck collided. As we mentioned above, there were no children on the bus at the time. Traffic was closed for hours as the wreck was cleared. Two DeKalb County school district employees were taken to the hospital. Each vehicle had only one driver, and both were taken to the hospital for minor injuries. There were no other details released about the school bus/dump truck collision.
What questions do we have?
When a wreck like this happens, we wonder how the insurance aspect of things comes into play. That means we have to ask some questions, as the answers can impact what coverages could help the dump truck business recover from the incident.
How did the wreck happen?
It can be difficult to piece together exactly what happened and what caused a crash. Determining fault can be a big part of figuring out how insurance will work in the aftermath of a wreck and whose insurance will pay out for the claim. Was the dump truck driver at fault, or no? The news reports don’t explain how the crash happened.
Was the dump truck carrying a load?
Another important question is whether the dump truck was carrying a load at the time of the crash. And, if they were, what were they carrying? Who were they transporting it for? If the dump truck was hauling a load, cargo insurance might come into play.
Can the business get a rental vehicle?
A trucking business can be severely impacted if one of its trucks is out of commission. How long will it take for the business to get back on its feet and running like normal? Can they get a rental truck to help them out while they wait to get the truck repaired or get a replacement?
Is there worker’s comp for the dump truck driver?
Was there any worker’s comp insurance to help the driver of the dump truck following the accident? Driving can be a hazardous occupation, so it’s important that employees are protected.
What coverages did the dump truck carry?
Then, of course, what insurance coverages does the dump truck business carry? Different types of insurance cover different losses, so having the right insurance is essential.
What coverages could be helpful?
Now, we don’t know who was at fault in this particular accident. However, if a dump truck was ever to be at-fault in a wreck, these coverages could be very helpful:
Auto liability:
Liability insurance can help a trucking business cover their legal obligation to the other driver if they’re at fault in an accident. And in the event of a lawsuit, it can also help cover legal fees.
- Bodily injury liability: Bodily injury liability can help cover the other driver’s medical expenses (and pain and suffering) if a truck driver is at fault in an accident.
- Property damage liability: Property damage liability can help cover the costs of repairing or replacing the other driver’s vehicle if a truck driver is at fault in a crash.
Physical damage:
This is the coverage that can help a dump truck get back on the road quickly after it’s damaged by a covered loss. Like we said, trucking businesses rely on their vehicles, so they need their entire fleet functioning and on the road.
- Collision coverage: Can help repair or replace a truck driver’s vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident or in another collision.
- Comprehensive coverage: Can help repair or replace a truck driver’s vehicle if something other than a collision damages it. Typical losses that are covered include fire, theft, vandalism, animal strike, and falling objects.
In this case, collision coverage would be the likely candidate to help the dump truck business get their truck back on the road.
Cargo:
If the dump truck was carrying a load at the time of the loss, cargo insurance could help. Cargo insurance protects a truck driver’s load from losses like fire, collision, and theft.
Worker’s comp:
Worker’s comp insurance helps employees if they’re injured on the job. It helps cover their medical expenses so they can get the care they need, and it also provides a portion of the employee’s lost wages while they recover and rest following a workplace accident.
When a wreck happens, it’s essential to have the right dump truck insurance coverage. Get started with your truck insurance quotes by filling out our online form or giving us a call today. Prefer to message online? Use our LiveChat feature.
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