ANOTHER PREVENTABLE BUS ACCIDENT KILLS INNOCENT VICTIMS - DEJA VU
PHILADELPHIA BUS ACCIDENT LAWYER, JEFFREY REIFF, SPEAKS OUT!
Eight people were killed and another 45 injured on Sunday, October 5, 2008 when a charter bus bound for a casino flipped over and rolled off into a ditch on a two lane highway north of Sacramento, California. Among the injured was the bus driver, Quintin Watts, 52 years old, who was hospitalized in critical condition and was also arrested the following Monday, October 6, 2008 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. According to news sources, Robert Kays, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol noted that the driver was observed to be operating the vehicle in an erratic fashion prior to the collision. Mr. Kays also noted that California records revealed that the driver DID NOT have a valid certificate to transport passengers in a chartered vehicle. The Associated Press, quoting the mother of the driver on October 6th, stated that he had wrestled with drug and alcohol problems and had been jailed several times on drug charges and smashed his car into a tree a few years ago. In addition, the news agency stated that records showed that the driver had been cited for speeding and other violations that resulted in the loss of his driver’s license for nearly two years and he regained his driving privileges in January. Officials also noted that the bus had an invalid Texas license plate and an invalid registration serial number and was operated by Cobb Transportation, whose owner, Daniel E. Cobb, Sr., was among those killed. According to witnesses, the bus drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic soon before the crash and stayed there for approximately one half mile before it began swerving and over corrected at least three times when it finally rolled over, ejecting some passengers before landing in a ditch. (news article)
I have written a number of articles or blogs spotlighting the lack of proper safety regulation and concern for passengers. Notably bus passenger usage is on the increase in the United States and so too are the number of bus accidents that are causing personal injury and death. Surprisingly, most of these accidents are preventable. I am outraged when I review the facts of an accident such as the one that took place in California this week. Common carriers, which include but are not limited to commercial bus companies, owe a extraordinarily high duty of care to their fare-paying passengers. Such safety sensitive jobs or occupations mandate testing for drugs, alcohol, sleep disorders as well as careful background checks of operators. Fatalities from accidents such as above are on the rise. As more and more accidents are occurring, it is important that the bus companies, drivers and other employees be held accountable for negligence and gross negligence which contributes to such bus accidents. It is equally as important for the State and Federal government agencies to implement tighter safety standards and regulations for common carriers and the manufacturers of buses that transport precious cargo.
In the last two weeks of August alone, an accident occurred including two tours buses in northwest New Jersey sending dozens of Pennsylvania and New Jersey citizens to the hospital. Another bus accident caught my attention this summer when young children on a teen tour were ejected from a bus which exploded when the bus driver missed a curve. That tour bus landed upside down in a creek, caught fire and 47 teenagers and a half dozen chaperones were on board.
At the Philadelphia bus accident law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been researching, investigating, litigating and speaking out about bus accident cases for almost 30 years. In my August 11, August 22 and September 5 articles, I noted in my blog how easy it is to prevent such catastrophic bus accident claims. Quite simply the facts of those catastrophic incidences were quite similar to the incident in California. Both drivers had multiple citations for driving while intoxicated, speeding and had their driver’s license suspended. Frankly, the bus companies just do not do their job in carefully evaluating who will be driving the bus which will carry many passengers. It is imperative that carriers and owners of buses be cognizant of the strong responsibility that they owe to their passengers and to others as their bus is considered a common carrier.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a bus accident, it is important to conduct a proper investigation looking into such aspects as the bus drivers training history, driving record, violation of safety records, safety training, background records, including but not limited to past traffic citations, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, experience, as well as lack of proper maintenance and equipment failure by the bus company. The Philadelphia bus accident lawyers of the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily have the expertise and experience necessary to help you obtain financial compensation for hospital bills, loss of wages and pain and suffering.
Bus drivers and bus companies, as well as their parent companies, have an affirmative obligation to insure that passengers are transported safely to their destination. If the bus driver or company negligently fails to deliver passengers in a safe and proper manner and injures or kills pedestrians or passenger occupants, the company and/or employer will likely be negligent and you may be entitled to monetary damages.
At the Pennsylvania bus accident law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been successful in representing victims who sustained injuries as a result of a bus accident since 1979. Please contact us for a free consultation. If we decide to accept your case, there will be no fee unless there is a recovery. We only charge a small percentage of the recovery. Please contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
