Evansville, IN (September 1, 2026) – A middle school student was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when an Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation bus struck her while turning around in the parking lot of the Grandin Pointe Mobile Home Park, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies and McCutchanville firefighters responded to the 5900 block of North Saint Joseph Avenue on the afternoon of September 1, 2026. The student, a seventh grader at Thompkins Middle School, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Students riding the bus at the time were not hurt. The Sheriff’s Office said the bus driver submitted to a chemical test and that there is no indication impairment was a factor at this time.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Pedestrian Accidents Involving School Buses in Indiana
When a school bus strikes a child, more than one party can end up responsible for the harm that follows.
- Who may be liable: the bus driver individually, and depending on how the route and vehicle are operated, the school corporation itself
- What investigators examine: the results of the driver’s chemical test, any available bus camera footage, and the corporation’s procedures for turning a bus around near students
- Indiana follows a modified comparative fault standard, meaning a family’s recovery is only barred if the child is found more than 51 percent at fault
- Because a public school corporation may share responsibility, Indiana law requires written notice to the entity within 180 days of the incident, far shorter than the ordinary filing deadline. For this incident, that notice deadline is February 28, 2027
- The general deadline to file an Indiana personal injury claim is two years from the date of injury, which for this incident is September 1, 2028
Contact Our Indiana Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
Finding out your child was struck by a bus, and then watching her face surgery instead of starting the school year normally, is the kind of fear no parent should have to sit with alone.
Our Indiana pedestrian accident lawyer team has handled cases where a school corporation or its driver bore responsibility, and we understand how a case against a public entity moves differently than one against a private driver.
Because a government notice deadline applies here, the sooner records are requested from the school corporation, the more time we have to build the strongest possible claim before that window closes.
We work on contingency, so there is nothing to pay upfront and nothing owed unless we recover for your family.
Why Indiana families trust Langer & Langer:
- Founded in 1980, more than 45 years serving Indiana families
- 100+ years of combined legal experience
- Recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and the American College of Trial Lawyers
