On May 5, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced several new measures the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) will be implementing to increase the safety of bus passengers across the nation.
The DOT will now require more thorough testing for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and will make new rules to reinforce compliance to federal safety regulations by passenger carriers. The FMCSA, working with state law enforcement, also plans to conduct motorcoach inspections unannounced at popular travel destinations all over the country during the spring and summer seasons.
The FMCSA also announced a new rule under which anyone applying for a CDL must first obtain a commercial driver’s learner’s permit (CLP). In addition, the new rule requires all state licensing agencies in the U.S. to use a CDL testing system that meets the standards of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for CDL knowledge and skills. The new rule also prohibits the use of foreign language interpreters during testing to prevent fraud. Before this rule, CDL testing was not uniform in the U.S. and CDL applicants were not required to obtain a CLP before a CDL.
Additionally, the DOT proposed another measure that would grant the agency stronger power to take enforcement action against unsafe “reincarnated” carriers by making a federal standard to help identify whether a new carrier is actually an older carrier that was considered unsafe. The DOT also proposed to make it mandatory for new motorcoach companies to go through a full safety audit before they are given operating authority by the DOT. It was also proposed by the DOT for a driver’s CDL to be suspended or revoked after a drug or alcohol-related offense is committed in a non-commercial vehicle, as well as for the penalty for passenger carriers that try to operate without DOT authority be increased to $25,000 a day from $2,000.
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our Los Angeles bus accident attorneys understand the emotional, financial, and physical struggles a victim faces after a serious bus accident. To learn how our lawyers can help you hold a negligent bus company and/or bus driver accountable for their actions, call our law offices at 1-877-800-1700 today.
On Thursday afternoon, April 14, The Los Angeles Times reported that a pedestrian was killed after he was hit by a Metro bus on Washington Boulevard near Interstate 10 in Los Angeles.
According to the article, the bus was turning right onto Washington Boulevard from Apple Street when it struck the man. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated the pedestrian was hit by two other vehicles in addition to the Metro bus. All drivers involved stopped at the scene of the bus accident to render aid. The man was in a crosswalk at the time of the collision but it is not known whether he was crossing the street with the appropriate walk signal.
The man was declared dead at the scene of the pedestrian accident in Los Angeles. The LAPD reports he was 73-years-old but his name has not yet been released, pending notification of his relatives. There were no passengers onboard the bus since it had just left a layover zone under the freeway at the West Los Angeles Transit Center. It was not reported whether the bus driver or other drivers involved in the crash sustained injury.
The cause of the California bus crash is still under investigation. A spokesperson for the Metro stated investigators will review footage of the accident from cameras onboard the bus to determine the cause. It is also standard procedure for a bus driver involved in a fatal accident to be tested for alcohol and drugs.
When a family loses a loved one as a result of a bus accident, they are left with a tremendous amount of grief while facing numerous emotional and financial challenges. The Los Angeles bus accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have the legal resources and experience needed to conduct a thorough investigation into an accident to determine whether another person’s negligence caused or contributed to a death. For many years, we have successfully aided families who have lost a loved one due to another person’s negligence receive the compensation they are entitled to from negligent parties. Call 1-877-800-1700 to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help you today.
A church bus crash in the San Bernardino Mountains near Crestline on Monday has left almost two dozen young people with serious injuries. The bus driver, a church volunteer, was killed in the accident. KPCC reports that the middle- and high school-aged students aboard the bus are members of the Light of Love Mission Church in Pasadena and were on their way home after a three-day retreat.
The crash took place after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while coming around a bend on Highway 189. The bus crashed into an SUV in the opposite lane and then proceeded to fall approximately 20 feet down a snow covered ravine. A doctor at the Loma Linda Children’s Hospital stated that they have treated over a dozen crash victims, seven of whom are still in the hospital with serious injuries from broken bones to severe head injuries and spinal injuries. Three patients are reported to be in serious condition, and four are in fair condition. The doctor also stated that some accident victims have had to undergo operations and others may require operative stabilization of orthopedic injuries.
Investigators with the California Highway Patrol are expected to carry out an accident reconstruction based on skid marks and other evidence to identify the cause of the fatal California church bus accident.
The Los Angeles Times also covered the accident and highlighted concern regarding the lack of safety belts on the bus. It is suspected that passengers suffered serious injuries because they were thrown forward with great force. There is no law in California that requires school buses or church buses to have seat belts for passengers.
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our California church bus accident lawyers understand the many physical, emotional, and financial challenges that can result from church bus collisions. Because there is often more than one person or entity at fault for a church bus accident, these cases require thorough investigation and attorneys with years of experience handling bus accident litigation. Contact our firm today to learn more about how we can help you hold negligent parties accountable. Call 1-877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
To ensure that tour buses are safe to be on the road, the California Highway Patrol recently ran a mechanical inspection of tour buses traveling through Barstow. The Desert Dispatch reports that CHP mechanics performed checks on every tour bus that stopped near the Tanger Outlet Mall. Mechanics examined the engine, brakes, tires and sewage system of each tour bus and inspected each driver’s license, certification, and logbook.
During the tour bus mechanical check, inspectors discovered a broken brake rotor on one of the wheels of a tour bus. Another tour bus was determined to be un-roadworthy because of small cracks in one of its wheels. In a previous inspection, the CHP had to put a bus out of service because it lacked any front brake shoes, creating an increased potential for brake wear and failure.
When a mechanical flaw is detected during an inspection, the CHP takes the bus off the road, a mobile repair service is contacted to fix the bus, or a replacement bus is brought to the location to transport the tourists. Many of the citations issued at the CHP tour bus inspection are considered “fix-it” tickets since they allow bus operators to fix violations on a bus within a certain span of time before they face a fine.
While tour bus accidents in California do not happen as frequently as other motor vehicle accidents, when they do occur, the consequences can be devastating. Some tour buses do not offer passengers the same type of protection, such as air bags and seat belts, that other motor vehicles do.
As California bus accident lawyers, we are familiar with the many emotional, physical, and financial challenges that bus accident victims face after being involved in a serious accident. Panish Shea & Boyle LLP has the legal resources and experience to handle any motor vehicle accident, including bus collisions. Contact our firm today to learn more about your legal rights. Call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
Driver inattention and following too closely may have caused a Missouri school bus crash on August 5 that killed one student, a pickup truck driver, and injured 55 people – two seriously – most of whom were students. According to www.stltoday.com, the Missouri Highway Patrol investigation of the multi-vehicle accident near Gray Summit is likely to take several weeks and the National Highway Safety Board’s examination of the crash may take over a year.
Two school buses transporting high school band members to Six Flags were involved in the accident along with a pickup truck and a truck tractor operating without a trailer. The truck tractor apparently had stopped in traffic due to an upcoming construction zone. The pickup truck then rear-ended the tractor. The first school bus struck the rear end of the pickup truck, pushing it on top of the tractor. The second school bus, which crashed into the first bus, pushing it on top of the other two vehicles, was said to have been following the first bus too closely.
The Highway Patrol report noted the driver of the school bus that struck the pickup truck to be “inattentive.” Pending investigations may reveal additional or other causes.
While school bus accidents account for very few traffic accident fatalities and injuries, when they do occur, passengers are at risk of enduring serious injury or death to a lack of safety restraints and air bags. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records reveal that an average of 19 school-age children die each year in accidents involving school buses or vehicles transporting children for school-related events.
Bus accident victims who are injured due to negligent driving, improper driver training, defective bus parts, or other forms of negligence, deserve to be compensated for the expenses associated with their injuries as well as for their pain and suffering.
The bus crash attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP understand the complexities surrounding bus accident litigation and have obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for bus accident victims and family members of wrongful death victims. To find out more about how we can help you obtain full and just compensation, please call 877-800-1700.
An accident on California Highway 99 in Fresno involving a Greyhound bus on its way to Sacramento from Los Angeles has left six people dead and 20 injured. The Central Valley bus crash occurred around 2 a.m. on Thursday, July 22. The Los Angeles Times reports that the bus accident began when an SUV carrying three women made a sharp left turn from the right-hand lane, collided with the median rail, rolled over and blocked the fast lane of the highway. All three women were killed.
The bus carrying 36 people hit the SUV and struck a Honda CR-V, resulting in all three vehicles going off the highway and falling down a 15-foot embankment. The Greyhound bus driver and two bus passengers were killed as a result of the collision. The driver of the CR-V was injured.
As more information unfolds regarding the deadly Fresno Greyhound bus crash, the California Highway Patrol will focus its investigation on re-creating the 24 hours in the lives of the drivers before the accident occurred.
Buses generally offer a safe and convenient means of travel. Although bus collisions are one of the most infrequent types of auto accidents, accounting for only one-half of one percent of all fatal accidents in 2006, when they do occur, the lack of seat belts and air bags in some buses can lead to catastrophic injury and even death.
The Greyhound Fresno bus accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Bolye LLP have the legal resources and knowledge to sort through the many complexities that often surround bus accident and wrongful death litigation and construct a strong and effective case for injury victims and family members of wrongful death victims. Our aggressive lawyers have obtained more than 200 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million for our clients during what can be the most challenging time in their lives. To learn more about how we can help, please call 877-800-1700 for a free consultation.
An early morning Greyhound bus accident in the Central Valley near Fresno on July 22, 2010 claimed six lives and injured at least ten people. The LA Times reports that the bus crash is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. CHP officials say the accident occurred at 2:14 a.m. near the intersection of northbound State Hwy 99 and McKinley Avenue near downtown Fresno. Accident investigators report that the Greyhound bus collision occurred when the bus driver took evasive action to avoid striking an overturned sport utility vehicle. The bus struck the SUV and collided with another vehicle before striking a concrete center divider and a tree.
Investigators say the Greyhound bus left Los Angeles bound for Sacramento, carrying 47 passengers. The California bus accident killed the bus driver and five passengers and injured at least ten. The California Greyhound bus accident closed the northbound lanes of Hwy 99 at Olive Avenue while emergency response personnel investigated and cleared the accident scene.
Compared to other forms of land-based transportation, buses are generally a safe way to get from one place to another. Bus accident statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that these types of accidents comprised one-half of one percent of all fatal accidents in 2006. However, when bus collisions do occur, the results can be devastating as these vehicles often lack many common safety features such as seat belts and air bags. Without any restraints to protect them from the impact, passengers can often be thrown from their seats and suffer serious injuries that lead to permanent disabilities and even death.
Bus accident cases are often very complex and require California bus crash attorneys with the experience and resources to help victims recover fair and just compensation from the liable parties. The Fresno Greyhound bus crash lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have decades of combined experience building effective cases for clients injured in these and other types of motor vehicle accidents. If you or a close family member has suffered an injury in a bus accident and would like answers to your questions, call 877-800-1700 today and schedule a free consultation with the California bus accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP.
