A recent North Carolina accident involving a school bus and a pickup truck nearly turned tragic. Reportedly, students from a high school and a middle school were about to get off the bus while it was stopped on a highway. According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, a Chevy truck that was following the bus failed to stop, rear-ending the larger vehicle.

According to a local news report, 17 students were taken to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. School buses are generally better designed than other vehicles to withstand an auto accident, but injuries still occur, especially since many buses do not have seatbelts. Some students were injured by shards of glass flying through the air after the crash, and others suffered bruises due to the sudden shift.

Authorities did not comment on how fast the truck was going before the accident, but since the crash caved in the bus' rear bumper, the police believe that the driver never hit his brakes. The driver of the truck was also taken to the hospital and treated for multiple injuries. However, he has been charged with a number of criminal offenses, including DWI and reckless driving.

Motor vehicle accidents present a number of legal issues. North Carolina law apportions a duty to all drivers to use reasonable care when driving. If a driver breaches that duty, he or she could be held liable the injuries another person sustains in an accident. Injured parties may seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any future treatment and rehabilitation expenses that might follow a crash.

It remains to be seen whether the pickup driver will be held criminally liable for the accident. Nevertheless, the injured students or their families could seek compensation from the driver for the injuries they suffered.

Source: WTVD-TV, "School bus, pickup truck collide in Cumberland County," Greg Barnes, Jan. 27, 2012