Greyhound Bus Lines is the largest intercity bus company in North America. Its drivers transport 18 million passengers over 5.4 billion miles per year, according to its corporate website.
"These accidents may be caused by reckless or tired bus drivers."
While most Greyhound passengers reach their destinations safely, a small number of them may not. These accidents may be caused by reckless or tired bus drivers, lack of vehicle maintenance or negligence. Throughout its long history, Greyhound Bus Lines has been involved in many accidents, and the company has often been found at fault.
Here are some recent examples of Greyhound accidents:
- 2005: A Greyhound bus en route from Los Angeles to San Francisco crashed, killing two and injuring many other passengers. One of the deceased was a 23-year-old pregnant woman. Authorities cited driver fatigue, then later identified an epileptic seizure as the cause of the crash.
- 2013: During a trip from Cincinnati to Detroit, a driver fell asleep at the wheel of his Greyhound bus due to untreated obstructive sleep apnea, which led to a serious crash that injured five. A month before the crash, the U.S. Department of Transportation had recommended the driver be tested for sleep apnea, but Greyhound neglected to do so. Greyhound tried to avoid responsibility by claiming the driver had lost consciousness by choking on his coffee. In 2016, after the driver was subjected to the first ever court-ordered sleep apnea test, a Texas jury awarded $6 million to five plaintiffs in the lawsuit over a 2013 Greyhound bus accident. The bus accident lawyers at Zehl & Associates represented the five plaintiffs.
- 2013: A Greyhound bus crashed into a semitrailer when the driver fell asleep. One woman was killed, and dozens others were injured. An Ohio man who was a passenger in the bus would end up losing a leg, and had to endure 30 different surgeries to treat his wounds from the accident. In 2016 a jury found Greyhound at fault, and awarded the victim $23 million in compensatory damages along with $4 million in punitive damages.
- 2014: In Fairview, Tennessee, a Greyhound driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the bus to veer wildly across the highway. Police had to pursue, and passengers had to wake him up. Thankfully the police officers were able to pull the driver over, and no one was hurt.
- 2015: A Texas woman died near Arlington when the SUV she was traveling in was disabled, and then struck by a Greyhound bus as police were trying to move it. A $1 million lawsuit claims that the Greyhound driver was traveling at an unsafe speed and failed to make evasive maneuvers in time to avoid the broken down vehicle.
- 2016: In San Jose, California, a Greyhound bus ran into a safety barrier, killing two passengers and injuring 18. The driver admitted to fatigue, and passengers reported seeing him dozing off moments before the bus drifted into the wrong lane.
"Many Greyhound drivers are working longer hours than they're supposed to."
How do these bus accidents happen?
The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rules and regulations in place to ensure the safety of all commercial drivers and passengers. However, when a transportation company is negligent, serious accidents can occur. An ongoing CNN investigation has shown that many Greyhound drivers are working longer hours than they're supposed to, and Greyhound isn't regulating this. That means overworked drivers falling asleep at the wheel, putting everyone else in the bus and on the road in severe danger.
Have you been in a bus crash? If you or a loved one was injured in a bus accident and you believe it's the result of a reckless or tired driver, you deserve to know your rights. Our undefeated bus accident lawyers have delivered the #1 largest verdict ever received against Greyhound Bus Lines. Our attorneys go to court and win.
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