Bus Accident Lawyer

15 July 2012: At least 39 pilgrims, including 34 Indian citizens, have been killed in this morning’s horrific bus crash in Nepal. An overcrowded tour bus carrying between 100 and 120 Hindu pilgrims slid off the slippery highway in rainy conditions and plunged several hundred feet into the Gandak Canal in southern Nepal.

The Hindu pilgrims, most of whom were travelling from Uttar Pradesh, were en route to a temple in the Nawalparasi district of Nepal, some 150km west of Kathmandu. Rescue efforts are continuing at the accident site. 39 bodies have so far been retrieved from the swollen canal, with the death toll expected to rise – 27 of the passengers who were on the bus are still missing, many presumed drowned.

The accident occurred about 250km south west of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. According to police officials in the Nawalparasi district, 37 of the 39 bodies that have been found have been identified. Of the deceased, only 3 were Nepalese citizens, with the remainder being of Indian descent. The deceased include 10 adult women, 28 adult men and a five year old girl.

A rescue team including a doctor trained in emergency medicine and an official from the Indian Consulate were sent immediately to the site of the accident, which was close to the India – Nepal border. As well as sending representatives from the consulate, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu has set up an information room to provide updates about Indian nationals that were involved in the accident.

The tragedy occurred early on Sunday morning, when the bus driver appeared to lose control in wet road conditions and veered into the Gandak irrigation canal, which was swollen with floodwaters from weeks of torrential rain. Most of the passengers on the bus were Indian Hindu pilgrims who were on their way to attend a religious festival in Tribenighat, a temple in the Nawalparasi district.

Of the survivors, ten Indian nationals were seriously injured. Currently there are conflicting reports of what caused the accident, with a number of the survivors claiming that the driver of the bus was drunk and had been driving recklessly prior to the crash. In addition, the bus was overloaded which may have contributed to the accident – some passengers were even seated on the roof of the vehicle. The Nawalparasi police are conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident and it is as yet unclear as to whether the bus driver will be held liable for the deaths and injuries caused.

A bus commuters activist group in the Pune region of India have suggested that more bus services are desperately needed for students in the area.

The activist group, known as the PMP Pravasi Sangh, have pleaded to the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus company to start running more bus routes and bus services for school students in the area, saying that the number of bus routes currently running is inadequate to serve a growing student population.

According to Jugal Rathi and Vivek Velankar, members of the PMP Pravasi Sangh activist group, the number of students in Pune continues to rise, without a parallel increase in bus services. According to Rathi, the PMPML which is the only major bus company in the region, is currently only running special bus services on seven routes, which is completely inadequate.

Rathi also complains that the condition of the buses on the routes is poor, and that the bus times are unreliable. In addition, the shortage of buses in the region lead to overcrowding of the buses that are available. Rathi and other activists are concerned about the safety of students travelling in such conditions, and that it is only a matter of time until an unfortunate incident occurs that could endanger the lives of many students. It will be PMPML management and the Pune municipal corporations who will be to blame if such an incident occurs, say the PMP Pravasi Sangh members.

PMPML data released in May of this year report that 610 of their total 1770 buses are off the road due to problems with roadworthy certifications, and only operated 1150 of their planned 1387 scheduled journeys this year so far.

PMP Pravasi Sangh have recommended that approximately 400 extra buses are needed on the routes served by PMPML to meet demands, and have requested that the bus company should repair its damaged buses and maintain its current buses in order to provide these extra vehicles. In addition, they have recommended that the bus schedules be altered to better correspond with the timing of school opening and closing. In addition, the Pune municipal corporation needs to offer more financial assistance to the bus company.

The commuter activist group has further demands including that the results of bus accident inquiries be made publicly available each quarter, and that an effective daily monitoring system to record lapses in bus services should be instituted.

A city passenger bus smashed into an on set trailer in the suburb of Roxbury, Boston, where Sandra Bullock’s latest film ‘The Heat’ is being filmed.

According to local authorities, a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus collided with a truck housing the production team of Bullock’s latest movie. The Boston Emergency Medical Services immediately dispatched six ambulances that responded promptly to the scene of the accident.

Boston Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Steve McDonald reported that they responded to an accident involving a truck and an MBTA bus adjacent to the Roxbury Municipal Courthouse at 9.30am on Monday morning. Fifteen people were injured in the accident, although none seriously. 4 of the injured were treated on the scene and released, while 11 were taken in to a nearby hospital for monitoring and further treatment of minor injuries, including the driver of the bus.

‘The Heat’ is being directed by ‘Bridesmaids’ director Paul Feig, and stars both Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. A crew member working on the film was one of the 15 people who were injured. According to a spokesperson for film studio 20^th Century Fox, the accident was unrelated to the filming of the movie.

It appears that the 60 foot long MBTA bus collided with a stationary production truck that was parked outside a venue where scenes from the film were being filmed. It is as yet unclear as to the cause of the accident, and the Transit Police are currently conducting an investigation into the incident.

There has been no further information given to the media about the status of the injured individuals, but according to the Boston Emergency Medical Services spokesperson, none of the injuries were life-threatening. The accident was a high profile one, with media flocking to the scene as soon as the report was made public.

Eyewitnesses at the scene took pictures of the accident on the busy Roxbury intersection, and Twitter was buzzing with reports of the smash as well as Sandra Bullock’s apparent bad luck when it comes to filming in Massachusetts. One tweeter noted that this isn’t the first time a car accident has occurred while Bullock was filming in the state. In 2008, Bullock and her husband at the time Jesse James were involved in a head on collision while she was filming the hit romantic comedy ‘The Proposal’.

It is unknown as to what factors played a role in this latest accident, and the bus driver has not claimed liability for the crash.

A Cher passenger bus bound for Baclaran in Manila in the Phillipines smashed into a taxi on Thursday morning, injuring a pregnant women. The initial bus crash triggered a six vehicle collision on the busy EDSA-Magallanes interchange in Makati city – only the pregnant women was injured with other drivers and passengers incurring only damage to their vehicles.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, or MMDA, reported that the Cher bus with a number plate TYG-266 was driving along the interchange at pace when it slammed into a taxi in the adjacent lane at around 7.41am.

The bus collision caused the taxi to slide into another taxi, which in turn hit two other cars and a Toyota Tamaraw van on the highway, causing chaos for oncoming traffic.

The MMDA Road Emergency and Rescue Unit responded promptly to the collision, and reported that the only person injured was Christian May Gonzales, who was a passenger in the taxi cab that was initially struck by the bus.

Gonzales is 5 months pregnant, and was rushed immediately to nearby Taguig City where she is currently receiving treatment at St Luke’s Hospital.

After the collision, the highway was closed to traffic to clear the debris, and according to the MMDA, the area was reopened at 8.53am. The bus driver as well as eye witnesses from the scene were taken to a nearby police station for questioning.

This is the second major accident on the same stretch of EDSA highway this week. Eight people were injured on Wednesday afternoon when another passenger bus also bound for Baclaran smashed into the side railings of the EDSA-Ortigas flyover near the city of Mandaluyong.

In this incident, the MMDA reported that the bus operated by bus company Don Mariano was driving towards Bacalaran when it crashed into the side railing of the flyover at around 2.40pm. Seven passengers on the bus were injured in the incident, as well as a motorcyclist who was also involved in the collision.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated, but initial reports from eye witnesses claim that the bus driver, Florencio Biron, swerved the bus suddenly in order to avoid the motorcyclist who had drifted into the buses lane. Despite swerving, the motorcyclist was still hit by the bus, fracturing his right arm. All the injured persons were transferred to the Victor Potenciano Hospital in Mandaluyong City for treatment.

Investigators are yet to determine the cause of the latest accident on the EDSA highway.

The bus driver of the passenger bus that crashed on the Interstate 95 this Wednesday is being investigated by state police to determine his role in the cause of the accident. All 24 passengers on the bus were injured in the accident, with no fatalities. State police suspect that the driver may have fallen asleep before the accident occurred, and are planning to interview the passengers to determine the events immediately preceding the crash.

The tour bus, owned by Brooklyn based tour company Star Tag, crashed at around 6.20am on the Interstate 95 on its way back to Queens from Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Star Tag has been accused of four incidents of bus driver fatigue in the last year.

According to local police, the driver of the bus was found  lying on the road outside the bus after the accident. He was critically injured and remains in a critical condition in hospital. Investigators are still attempting to determine how he landed up outside of the vehicle. It is unclear whether he was ejected during the accident or if he left the vehicle voluntarily before losing consciousness.

Sergeant Kevin Flynn of the State Police Department reported that the bus seemed to have smashed into a guardrail at the interstate. Speed may have played a role in the accident. As yet, no charges have been filed against the bus driver or the tour bus company, but the police are planning to interview the passengers to determine whether the driver had fallen asleep.

Emergency personnel found the bus driver lying on the side of the road 150 yards away from the bus. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx and remains in a critical position.

According to eye witness reports, the bus initially hit the median guardrail on the highway and then slid along the side of the guardrail for a few hundred feet. None of the 24 passengers had serious injuries, and were taken to Jacobi Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries.

Star Tag has recently been cited for a number of safety violations and incidents thought to be caused by driver fatigue. The latest such incident was on February 4^th, when the company was cited for driver fatigue, inadequate emergency exits and lights that were not working during a routine roadside inspection.

Star Tag representatives have yet to comment on the incident. Star Tag has a rating of satisfactory on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.

A bus travelling from Connecticut to Queens, New York crashed yesterday in the city of New Rochelle. The bus was coming from a casino and was carrying 24 passengers. All 24 people were injured in the early morning crash which occurred on Interstate 95. 5 passengers were seriously injured and were later treated for deep cuts and bruises at the hospital.  Interpreters were needed at the hospital for police to conduct their interviews with the witnesses and passengers. The bus driver was found a short distance from the bus and was bleeding heavily but was conscious.

During the rescue, the bus was still running and had slowly begun to move. A State Trooper maneuvered his patrol car in front of the bus while a firefighter quickly jumped on the bus to shut it off. As police tried to ask the bus driver questions, they were having a hard time understanding him due to the language barrier. The police were trying to figure out if he jumped from the bus or was thrown from it. The driver was taken to a hospital in Brooklyn.

The preliminary reports indicate that the driver lost control of the bus. Speed and weather are considered to be two other factors that played a role in the crash. The driver may have been speeding on the slick roads.

At a rainy 6:20 a.m. the bus ran into the cement guardrail on the median of Interstate 95  and moved through three lanes of traffic on the other side where it then hit the guardrail before stopping.

The driver appears to have a valid license and has an up-to-date logbook. The bus company, Star Tag, Inc., has had no accidents in two years up until this accident. The Department of Transportation has inspected the bus line about 19 times in the past two years. However, the bus line was found to have four citations issued to their drivers for unsafe driving, mainly driver fatigue. Almost all of the inspections ended in vehicle maintenance violations, such as non-working required lamps.  This past May one of Star Tag’s buses was pulled over because it was going 15 miles over the speed limit.

The driver is doing well and is expected to recover. The accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed.  Police are interviewing the passengers to see if the driver was distracted or had fallen asleep.

Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has stated that a legislation he sponsored has passed in Congress. The legislation requires the Federal Department of Transportation to create a grading system for discount tour bus companies and is required to publish those grades to the public as a means of judging the companies’ safety. Schumer wants the bus’ grade to be readily visible on the bus just like restaurant grades are posted.

Bus companies can no longer hide their unsatisfactory safety records from the public. The public will be able to see the companies’ safety rating before buying a ticket on a bus line. The grading system will be easy to understand and will be re-evaluated annually in urban areas that transport may passengers.

This law will also prevent bus companies from hiring drivers who have broken any drug or alcohol rules in the preceding three years.   It will also require the Department of Transportation to conduct studies on driver fatigue and the maximum time drivers can work before succumbing to fatigue. A national database of the results of a driver’s alcohol and drug tests will also be established.

This piece of legislature was prompted by the March 2011 bus crash in the Bronx. The crash killed 15 people and injured 7 and was carrying 32 passengers. The bus was speeding when it hit a guardrail and then rolled over. Passengers on the bus state that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The accident was among three fatal accidents that plagued the East Coast in less than three months. As a result, 26 low-cost bus companies were closed due to their unsafe practices.

While the Department of Transportation is doing all it can to ensure the safety of bus passengers, it has been reported that unqualified drivers are still operating buses and the limits on driving time are being brushed aside. The new rating system will make sure that all bus companies are serious about safety or they could potentially lose customers.

Other safety requirements included in this piece of legislation will require all buses to have an on-board logging system which will allow each driver’s hours to be recorded. This logging system will help cut down on driving fatigue. Bus safety standards are also trying to get improved by adding seat belts, better rollover prevention and tire pressure monitoring.

The legislation is currently awaiting the President’s signature.

30 passengers sustained injuries after a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus rolled over and fell off the Gemini Flyover in Chennai on Wednesday. The bus was traveling from Broadway to Vadapalani. It was trying to follow a curve in the road when the driver reportedly lost control. There were no deaths from the accident.

After the bus turned over, pedestrians help rescue the trapped passengers by breaking through the windows and pulling people out. According to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation director, Prem Kumar, the driver was speeding as he tried to round the curve. He goes on to say that it was through no fault of the bus’ equipment that the bus overturned.

The driver of the bus suffered several fractures from the accident. A crane is still trying to get the bus upright causing a delay in traffic.

Workers for the Metropolitan Transport Council are saying that the bus driver is being framed. They state that the bus was faulty and it was through no fault of the driver that caused the accident. MTC officials are sticking by their original statement that the driver was speeding. On Thursday morning the  bus was inspected thoroughly. Early reports indicate that the driver’s seat was lose and could have played a factor in the accident but when it was checked later seemed to be in working order. Preliminary reports allege that the seat collapsed which cause the driver to lose control as he rounded the curve.

Eyewitness reports state that the driver was indeed talking on his cell phone. Police will be looking at cell phone towers to see if the  driver was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident to verify these witness reports. If the driver is found to have caused the accident he will be suspended.

On Thursday, 500 members of the transport union protested outside the MTC headquarters because they felt the bus driver has been treated unfairly. They also state that the buses are not properly maintained.  Traffic experts agree that roads, along with transportation equipment, should be inspected regularly and be kept in good condition.

The driver was arrested for negligent driving but was later released. The MTC is confident in the information they have obtained which points to driver error and not equipment error. The MTC maintains the fact that the bus was in good working condition at the time of the accident. The accident is still under investigation.

The trial for the driver of a school bus that was responsible for the death of one child and injuries of 19 others began on Monday. The driver is charged with one count of second degree manslaughter as well as assault and 19 counts of endangerment.

The bus accident occurred on Highway 62 in Cunningham, Kentucky in May of last year. On Monday when the trial began, the family of the deceased child came to court to hear witness’ testimony. The State says that the driver’s medication played a role in the crash and that her medication caused her to lose control of the bus. The driver’s blood was found to have two narcotic drugs and a controlled substance at the time of the crash.

The defense, however, says that the driver’s medication was not a factor in the crash but what happened that day was simply an accident. They go on to say that the driver took the medicine just as she was supposed to and under the direction of her doctors. After the crash, the driver complied with letting medical workers take a blood sample.

Testimony in the case is expected to last a few days and the jury is expected to hear the case on Thursday. The case will also begin on Thursday and is expected to last for only three days.

The school bus was on its way back from a field trip when it began to drift off of the shoulder. The driver corrected too much causing the bus to flip where it then landed in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. 1 student perished in the accident and 19 others were injured. The bus had an onboard computer log system which the defense will have full access to. The defense will also have full access to state toxicology reports on the driver.

The driver’s driving record was also brought up and it was noted that the she had also been in an accident in 2008. The driver was quoted as telling someone that her medication had changed its effect on her and she probably should not have been operating a bus while taking the medication. These pieces of information will be brought up against her to show a “pattern of behavior”.

The defense believes that she should not serve jail time for this accident but should accept responsibility for her actions.

In March 2011, a bus crashed in the New York City borough the Bronx. The crash killed 15 people and injured 7. It was carrying 32 passengers.

Almost one year later, investigators concluded that the driver had gotten no significant sleep during the three days leading up to the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that fatigue and speed were the main factors that caused the bus to crash.

Investigators pulled the driver’s cell phone records on the days leading up to the crash and found he had been talking almost non-stop on his cell phone instead of getting rest. He was also found to have rented a car and was driving around New York City instead of sleeping.

Speed was another factor that contributed to the crash. Investigators stated that if the driver had slept before his shift the crash could have been avoided. The speed at the time of the crash was 78 miles per hour which is as fast as the bus could go. It was travelling at a speed of 64 miles per hour when it ran into the guardrail on Interstate 95. The bus hit the guardrail twice then rolled over. Passengers on the bus state that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The driver, however, states he lost control after he was cut-off by a truck. After the crash, the driver was minimally injured but was charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide. He pled not guilty and is currently serving at Riker’s Island.

The dangerous combination of sleep and speed proved fatal for many of the passengers that day.  The company that employed the driver was found to have kept inaccurate logs of his driving activity. After the horrific accident investigators looked into several low-budget bus lines and ended up shutting down 26 of them. Alarmingly, some of the drivers of the closed companies did not have valid licenses.

It was found that the driver of the bus had his license suspended 8 times and was fired from the Metropolitan Transit Authority as well as a private bus company before getting a job with World Wide Travel.

Investigators stated that more people could have survived if the bus had seatbelts or harnesses. The Bronx bus crash was a string of many last Spring and bus safety has become a rising concern in transportation today.