CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Tuesday, WCNC Charlotte reported on three collisions involving school bus around Mecklenburg County.
A parent wanted to know whether bus drivers in North Carolina are insured, or if the schools had to pay for these crashes.
WCNC Charlotte found this question on Reddit. A person claims their son was involved in a fender bender with a school bus and the police report stated the bus driver was self-insured.
The parent wanted to know whether all school bus drivers were self-insured, what that means, and who pays for the damage to other vehicles and property when a school bus crashes.
OUR SOURCES:
WHAT WE FOUND:
When it comes to crashes involving school bus drivers, they are covered under the North Carolina State Tort Claims Act.
"The state of North Carolina is self-insured, but what that means for the average person like me and you, is the state of North Carolina is going to pay for any damages that a school bus driver causes," Charlotte Attorney Brett Dressler said.
Dressler said this process is controlled by the North Carolina Industrial Commission, which handles these claims.
"There is a form that an injured person or someone that the car can fill out, is then routed to a third-party administrator," Dressler said.
With the North Carolina State Tort Claims Act, the state, not the individual, is responsible for paying out any valid claims, Dressler said.
But where does that money come from?
You guessed it. The funds come out of the state income tax that's deducted from your paycheck.
"Every time you get a paycheck that goes to the state of North Carolina, that's going to pay to fix someone's car," Dressler said.
If you are ever in a wreck with a school bus and can't fill out the claim form yourself, Dressler said you can call an attorney to help.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte's Verify series is all about trying to make a difference in the Carolinas by making sure the community has the correct information. WCNC Charlotte outlines concisely what we know and what we don't know. Sometimes the answer can be surprising. Watch previous stories where we verify social media claims in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.