Philadelphia Bus Accident Lawyers
Bus Accidents
Many times each week throughout the United States, particularly in spring and summer months, news stories are published telling the horrific tales of the crash of buses that were transporting innocent passengers to their destination prior to the catastrophic accident. Many times when a tour bus crashes, the results are devastating. Many of these bus accidents involve tour buses, casino buses, and buses simply taking vacationers away from the stresses of everyday life.
Unfortunately, our experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys have all too often recognized that bus crashes spotlight lack of proper safety regulations and concern for the safety of passengers. Each year, several million individuals board public transportation or buses. Studies have indicated that bus ridership has increased significantly in the past five years with fatalities and injuries from such accidents also on the rise proportionally. There are more than 500,000 bus drivers registered in the United States with this number continually on the rise.
Bus Crashes In The News Highlight Risks To Passengers
Recently, a bus trip that originated at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia ended in a fatal crash on Saturday, September 11, 2010 when the driver took the wrong exit off a ramp, plunging a 13 foot high double decker MegaBus into a railroad bridge 10' 9" above the road. A number of victims were killed and catastrophically injured. Bus companies, whether they are private or public, owe the highest duty of care to passengers that travel on their vehicles. This duty of care is higher than the negligence duty owed by the bus company, drivers, other vehicles, and pedestrians.
Another casino bus crash on Saturday, March 5, 2011 took the lives of at least 15 innocent victims and catastrophically injured many more innocent victims when the driver of the tour bus lost control. Investigators have indicated that the driver may have been fatigued and driving without proper rest. Some passengers even reported that the bus driver swerved into rumble strips on the side of the road before the tragic bus crash. An initial background investigation revealed that the bus driver entrusted with the safe travel of so many passengers was convicted in 1990 for manslaughter, swiped an $84,000 check from the Police Athletic League, and was also busted before this horrific bus crash for driving without a license. When proper background investigation of bus drivers does not take place and a fatigued driver is at the wheel, a recipe for disaster exists.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration bars bus drivers from operating vehicles if they have been on duty, driving, or waiting to drive for 15 hours. The regulations also prohibit driving after being on duty for 70 hours over 8 consecutive days.
Bus trips are big business for tour operators and bus companies. A bus company must never sacrifice the safety and integrity of passengers in the interests of maximizing profits.
A recent Arizona bus accident that killed six and injured thirteen is also offensively shocking to the conscious due to the fact that the investigation revealed that the bus company had skirted regulations and amassed a poor safety record and was operating off the books. According to investigations, the company never had federal authorization required to transport passengers over state lines and the bus operator skillfully skirted regulations designed to insure that bus companies adequately maintain all their vehicles in proper operating condition, as well as test drivers for drug and alcohol abuse. Prior to the accident, which killed six and injured thirteen, the bus was declared out of service after government inspectors determined serious maintenance issues and faulty emergency exits, as well as a checkered history of maintaining insurance coverage. This accident represents a senseless loss of life.
Putting An End To Injustice: Crusaders In Accident Litigation
Not so surprisingly, our experienced team of Pennsylvania bus accident lawyers is well aware that most bus accidents are preventable. Buses are often operated by individuals not fit to drive a car. Our experts and investigators have determined that such safety oriented jobs or occupations mandate careful and regular testing for drugs, alcohol, sleep apnea, sleep disorders, physical and mental disorders and handicaps, as well as more careful background checks. As fatalities from bus accidents rise and as more bus accidents are occurring causing catastrophic injury, it is important to hold bus companies, drivers, and other bus company employees accountable for gross negligence which contributes to such bus accidents. Bus accidents are also caused by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, driver negligence, inadequate security, dangerous roadways, weather conditions, negligence, defective products, defective or improper maintenance, improper training, lack of safety equipment and/or procedures, crashworthiness, and failure to contain.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a serious bus accident which has caused a catastrophic injury or death, you may be unprepared for the intricacies in dealing with such a claim and require the legal assistance of an experienced bus accident lawyer. The Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have earned national respect and recognition from our peers and successful recovery of damage for bus accident victims, auto accident victims, and product liability victims. Our team of lawyers has a heritage of excellence since 1957 handling serious and catastrophic injury litigation and wrongful death cases. We have been highly rated by our peers locally, nationally, and internationally, and have been awarded on behalf of our clients in excess of $2 billion dollars and secured judgments, verdicts, or settlements in the hundreds exceeding $1 million dollars. The experienced Philadelphia bus accident attorneys of the Beasley Reiff Law Group work on a contingent fee basis charging only a small percentage of the recovery. We will not get paid one cent unless there is a successful recovery and have handled thousands of personal injury cases with great success. Our experienced Pennsylvania bus crash attorneys will diligently investigate your bus accident case and tirelessly work to help you achieve a timely resolution of your claim. For more information, contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130 for a free, confidential, no obligation consultation.
