Some Missouri and Illinois families have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a bus accident through no fault of their own. Last week, we discussed the deadly collision between a FedEx semi-truck and a charter bus full of students hoping to tour a college and their adult chaperones. Ten people lost their lives in that truck vs. bus accident, including five young students who were just at the beginning of their lives. In the wake of this horrific crash, the surviving mother of one of those students has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her 17-year-old daughter, who perished in the crash and resulting fire that swept through both the truck and bus.
In fact, that fire may now be at the heart of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the grieving mother. The complaint maintains that FedEx was well aware of the fact that their trucks had a demonstrated history for bursting into flames while in operation. Some witnesses to this fiery bus accident have stated that the truck did not simply catch fire after smashing into the bus — according to them, it was already on fire before the two vehicles hit.
FedEx has declined to comment on the pending litigation, or the lawsuit’s allegations that unexpected fires have been a problem with their trucks. The plaintiff claims that reasons for these reported fires have included improper loading of cargo, mechanical issues or just plain driver error.
Driver error could conceivably be involved in this case, with the complaint also listing the estate of the driver of the FedEx truck (who died in the crash) among the defendants. The third and final named defendant is Silverado Stages, who owned the bus involved in the collision.
Lax safety regulations and oversight often leads to bus accident cases
This bus accident could also serve to highlight the extreme dangers that passengers of commercial buses face on an ongoing basis. Unlike the highly-regulated airline industry, safety requirements and enforcement of what regulations do exist in the commercial bus industry are lax. One of the biggest safety hazards to bus passengers is the fact that seat belts are not mandatory on buses. This is one of the simplest steps that could save many lives — and yet legislators have not yet made this a federal mandate.
Many opponents to seat belt requirements on buses try to claim that installing safety belts would simply be too expensive, could make the buses overly heavy and too hard to install, but this seems like a weak protest. Technology exists that would allow seats with safety belts that would cost and weigh the same as seats currently installed on buses. Further, many other countries like Australia and European nations took the step to require seat belts on commercial buses many years ago. Statistics gathered in many different studies appear to back up the fact that seat belts on buses is not just common sense, it saves many lives.
Another problem besides inadequate safety regulations in the bus industry is the fact that little oversight seems to actually take place. Airplanes and their pilots face heavy scrutiny from federal regulators. Bus companies and their drivers, however, are rarely subjected to routine or in-depth inspections. Because of this, some bus companies will often hire poorly-trained or unqualified drivers in addition to sending innocent passengers out on Missouri and Illinois roadways in inadequate or downright unsafe buses.
Bus accident victims have rights to seek personal injury compensation
If your family has lost a loved one in a Missouri or Illinois bus accident, you may be searching for answers as to how the tragedy could have happened and whether someone should be held accountable for negligence. Please consider contacting my St. Louis personal injury law firm as soon as possible to discuss your situation. I have extensive experience in trying this sort of civil lawsuit and offer a free initial consultation to personal injury victims or their surviving families. You will pay nothing until, and only if, my law firm can successfully obtain financial restitution in your case.
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