Accidents continue to happen because too many drivers ignore the law
As the school year begins across Texas, thousands of families are adjusting to new routines that include early mornings, crowded school drop-offs, and yellow buses on every road. For most parents, the biggest worry is whether their child remembered their homework or lunch. However, the real danger often comes from drivers who fail to slow down or pay attention in school zones, resulting in a car accident.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were 781 traffic crashes in school zones and 2,480 wrecks involving school buses last year. Those numbers represent more than statistics. They represent children, families, and communities forever changed because of a driver's careless actions. At Hoover Rogers Law, LLP, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation these crashes can cause. And we believe every driver has a responsibility to help prevent them.
School zones are high-risk areas
School zones exist for one reason: to protect children at their most vulnerable. Yet year after year, crashes happen because drivers ignore the rules. Common causes include:
- Speeding through active school zones
- Texting or using phones behind the wheel
- Failing to yield to children in crosswalks
- Dropping off or picking up kids in unauthorized areas
- Passing school buses when red lights are flashing
What Texas law requires of drivers
TxDOT’s “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” campaign is a reminder of the rules all drivers must follow:
- Obey school zone speed limits. Fines increase significantly in these areas.
- Put the phone down. Using a handheld device in an active school zone is strictly prohibited.
- Stop for pedestrians and cyclists. The Lisa Torry Smith Act (2021) makes it a state jail felony to seriously injure someone lawfully in a crosswalk.
- Stop for school buses with flashing red lights or extended stop signs, even if you’re approaching from the opposite direction – unless you’re on the other side of a divided highway.
No family should have to suffer because a driver couldn’t be bothered to slow down or pay attention. Unfortunately, when crashes happen, insurance companies often step in quickly – often to minimize payouts or shift blame. That’s where we come in.
Protecting families, demanding accountability
We fight for accountability when negligent drivers cause harm in school zones or around school buses. Our attorneys act fast to:
- Investigate crash reports and witness statements
- Preserve traffic camera or dashcam footage
- Subpoena phone records to prove distraction
- Work with accident reconstruction experts to establish fault
When someone is injured in a school zone, our experienced car accident attorneys help them fight back against insurance company attempts to pay as little as possible. We demand compensation for:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages or income during recovery
- Pain, trauma, and reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death damages in the most tragic cases
But beyond financial recovery, these cases send a message: safety in school zones and around buses is not optional. It’s the law.
Contact Hoover Rogers Law today
If you or your child was injured in a school zone crash or an accident involving a school bus, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. At Hoover Rogers Law, LLP, we represent families across Wichita Falls, Lawton, and throughout North Texas and Oklahoma. We don’t back down from uncooperative insurers.
The school year should be about learning, not loss. If someone’s reckless choice has impacted your family, contact us today for a free consultation. Let us fight for the justice and accountability you deserve.
“Mr. Hoover has been amazing since he was given our auto accident case! Highly recommend this firm for anyone who needs competent, reliable attorneys!! Very knowledgeable and professional from the start, we truly appreciate everything they did for us!!! We appreciate each of you and appreciate your due diligence in this process, if we could give you more than five stars we’d be happy to do so!! Thank you, Ben, Madison, and staff for being so helpful with this process!!” – Kelly D., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐