Anniversary of Alton school bus accident
by Benjamin Treviño | September 22nd, 2023 | Bus Accidents, Community
ALTON – September 21, 2023 marked the 34th anniversary of the Alton school bus accident. The 1989 tragedy which claimed the lives of 21 children still carries the grim distinction of being the worst bus accident in Texas history.
The crash happened about 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 676 (Mile 5 Road) and Bryan Road. The bus was transporting 81 junior high and high school students to their schools when it was struck by a soft drink delivery truck which had run a stop sign at the intersection.
The impact sent the school bus into an open caliche pit which had accumulated about 10 feet of rainwater. Investigators determined the bus filled with water within 30 to 60 seconds as it poured in through openings in side windows, the front boarding door, and the windshield which had become dislodged. Many of the students did not have an air pocket which would have given them time to determine how to escape.
21 of the 81 school children on board either drowned inside the bus, or died later in a hospital of drowning-related asphyxia. A total of 66 people were injured, including 61 children on the bus, the soft drink truck driver and a coworker passenger, and three rescue workers.
Legal legacy
The driver of the delivery truck was charged with 21 counts of homicide by negligence, but a jury acquitted him on all counts in 1993.
State legislators passed a law in 1991 requiring guardrails around any open pits near roadways. The law, enforced by the Texas Railroad Commission, required companies and/or landowners to erect barriers around any open pits, or face fines of $10,000.
School bus safety has improved too. Buses now have added warning lights for greater visibility, and they have additional roof and side exits, larger windows, and rear exit doors that open regardless of the effects of gravity.
Personal injury legacy
At least five people, including four attorneys, were charged with barratry in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Barratry is the legal term for the illegal solicitation of clients by so called “ambulance-chasing” attorneys.
There were many stories of lawyers trying to sign up clients at funeral homes. Others were accused of sending letters of condolence to bereaved parents, along with a business card and a contract for them to sign.
The bottling company that owned the delivery truck made the first settlement with a victim’s family within a year of the crash. It paid a total of $133 million in settlements, and it gave each family $4.5 million per deceased victim. The bus manufacturer also paid a total of $23 million in settlements.
The J. Gonzalez Law Firm pledge
The J. Gonzalez Law Firm will never take advantage of grieving families in the wake of a tragic accident by illegally soliciting survivors as clients. In fact, we are actively engaged in a public awareness campaign urging citizens to report attorneys or the representatives who violate Texas barratry laws.
School bus accident cases are among the most complex of personal injury cases, with many potential issues to navigate. We pledge to provide all our clients with the most thorough, most-effective, and most vigorous representation possible.
If you decide to hire us as your legal representative in any personal injury case, we will treat you with the utmost in professionalism and empathy. To learn more about what we can offer in your time of need, call us toll free at 1-800-CAR-CRASH.
