A school bus carrying children on a field trip in the French Alps near the Swiss border was struck by a train killing six of the children. Another 30 were injured. The accident occurred at a level crossing near the town of Allinges in the Haute-Savoire region. A level crossing is any railroad crossing intersected by a path, road, or other railroad where a bridge or tunnel is not present. They may or may not have crossing guards. The crossing in Allinges did have a crossing guard and is reported to have been working correctly.

While this accident took place in Europe, accidents involving trains and vehicles are not unique to those of us living in the U.S. Every year, many people are grievously injured or killed when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by a train. And many of those involved in accidents of this nature were reported to have gone around the crossing guard or tried to beat the train as they crossed the road. However, there are accidents, such as this one in France, where initial details are sketchy and it is unclear what caused the crash. What is known is that the 50 children and all the adults with the exception of the bus driver were not in control of the vehicle. They were, in a sense, at the mercy of whatever the bus driver was doing. In the U.S., buses are supposed to stop at rail crossings, even if there is no train present. This helps to avoid or eliminate even the slight chance that there is a problem with crossing guards, thus allowing all passengers to get to their destination safely.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus or train accident, please contact the Accident Lawyers Network to find an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.