California Bus Accident Lawsuit Center

Tour Bus Hits Pickup—6 Passengers Killed

2010-03-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

March 5, 2010 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports rescue crews responded to an early morning tour bus accident that killed six passengers south of Phoenix.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety the tour bus accident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. near Sacaton, Arizona on the Gila River Indian Reservation. The bus struck a pickup, which caused it to rollover on the interstate early Friday morning.

The rollover cause the roof of the bus to crush and windows to breakout, with one being found as far as 25 yards from the bus in the accident that occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10.

There were six passengers; two men and four women thrown approximately 10 yards from the bus, according to DPS spokesman Bart Graves that were fatally injured. The early reports stated the tour bus had been involved in an accident with a semi truck, however the vehicle involved was a pickup truck. The bus carrying 22 passengers en-route from near Durango Mexico and entering the United States in El Paso, Texas veered into the center median after striking the pickup truck.

The driver over corrected causing the vehicle to rollover one time and then land on its wheels. Rescue crews broke bus windows to reach passengers that were trapped on the bus after the crash, the injured were treated at a triage that was setup on the interstate prior to being transported by ambulance or helicopter to the hospital.

Six people were listed in critical condition with life threatening injuries according to Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix were eight of the injured people were taken. The injuries according to hospital spokesman Michael Murphy included broken spines, head injuries and broken pelvises.

The bus driver and an 11 year old boy were among the injured patients at Maricopa Medical Center and were listed in guarded condition with non-life threatening injuries.

The accident remains under investigation according to police and also caused a second accident when another pickup slowed and was struck by a sedan sending one person from that accident to the hospital with injuries. The accident occurred on I-10 at mile marker 173, with traffic being rerouted to State Route 587.

Double Decker Bus Involved in I-5 Collision—5 Injured

2009-11-24T22:16:00.001-08:00

November 24, 2009 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports, 5 people were injured after a double decker bus collision on I-5.

The accident occurred on the I-5 Freeway in the vicinity of Oso Parkway and Crown Valley Parkway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Gabe Montoya the bus a double decker 32 feet long was not carrying passengers at the time of the collision. There were four other vehicles involved in the collision that sent 5 people to the hospital and caused a SigAlert with lanes reopening at 3:56 p.m.

There were two vehicles and a truck, with the truck driver striking the center divider in the vicinity of Crown Valley Parkway. A van also struck the center divider, while one vehicle struck the sound wall on the far right of the roadway and a third vehicle traveling in the No. 4 lane struck the sound wall.

The five people that were injured were transported to Mission Hospital with minor injuries according to California Highway Patrol Officer Gabe Montoya.

California Bus Driver Allegedly Driving Under The Influence Crashes

2009-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

October 2, 2009 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports a Ojai California bus driver has been charged with DUI after failing a breathalyzer test. The bus driver has been identified as Kim Fullenwider age 53, who has been a school bus driver for approximately 19 years was administered a breathalyzer test by the California Highway Patrol following an accident.

According to California Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Reid they are not releasing the driver’s blood alcohol level, but commented it was not good. Reid went on to state that school bus drivers, bus drivers, big rig operators and others must adhere to a lower percentage of blood alcohol level than other drivers, which is .08 and for these drivers of large vehicles the over the limit is .04 percent.

According to the California Highway Patrol Fullenwider made an legal u-turn while transporting 31 grade school and high school children on the bus and was struck by a pickup truck. The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. and when she spoke with an officer he could smell alcohol on her breath and noticed other signs of intoxication. Fullenwinder told California Highway Patrol officers that she had been drinking the night before.

Reid stated that while they are not releasing the breathalyzer results Fullenwider was arrested for driving under the influence and endangering children. Reid said that the school bus driver was in violation for both of the legal limits to drive a motor vehicle. None of the children that were onboard were injured in the school bus accident according to the California Highway Patrol spokesman.

Tour Bus Crash Relatives Sue

2009-06-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2009 (by Horatio Algren)

According to reports by bus accident lawyers in Los Angeles, the surviving French tourists and the families of those that were killed in the tour bust crash on Highway 101 are suing.

Thirty-two of the French tourists and the families of those that did not survive the crash have filed suit in Monterey County Superior Court. The surviving tourists and family members have filed a suit against the organizers of the tour and the tour bus company located in California. The suit for negligence and wrongful death names Orion Pacific, the Brea California charter bus company, which provided the tour bus. Also, named in the suite is the estate of the bus driver that was killed in the crash, 69-year-old John Egnew.

According to the attorney from the French Consulate Jean-Yves Lendormy stated the suit also names several French and Canadian travel or tour firms, which arranged the tour, the 14-day tour the French tourists were on at the time of the April 28th crash.

According to the findings of the California Highway Patrol who investigated the accident scene has stated they believe the accident was caused by driver error. They believe the driver failed to negotiate a curve on the overpass where the bus slammed into the guardrail.

At the time of the crash there were thirty-two French tourists, the tour guide and bus driver aboard the charter bus, four people including the bus driver were killed and countless other injured.

Commuter Bus Catches Fire—26 Treated For Smoke Inhalation

2009-04-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2009 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by commuter bus injury lawyers in Los Angeles County, a commuter bus on U.S. Highway 101 caught fire north of Los Angeles.

The Commuter Express bus was approximately 12 miles north of Los Angeles in Calabasas. When the driver saw smoke coming from the rear of the bus and then saw flames according to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Steve Zermeno. It is believed to have started in an engine compartment and is under investigation, it is believed it may have been mechanical.

Zermeno stated that it took fire crews about 20 minutes to put the fire out and as many as 27 of the approximately 37 passengers on board the bus were treated for smoke inhalation. The fire consumed approximately three quarters of the bus prior to fire crews putting it out.

One woman was transported to the hospital for observation, according to Zermeno she was in stable condition when she was transported to the hospital. There were 26 passengers that were treated at the scene.

The Commuter Express buses are a part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and have not commented on the U.S. Highway 101 fire.

50 People Injured in Greyhound Bus v. Tractor-Trailer Wreck

2008-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

HENDERSON, N.C. (H. Jardon) January 2, 2008 — A Greyhound bus rammed into a big rig truck’s tractor-trailer today. The bus then fell into an embankment, causing various injuries to at least 50 individuals. It is known so far that 2 individuals suffered catastrophic injuries in the big rig truck accident. They were both airlifted to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina according to the hospital officials.

The Greyhound was en route coming from Richmond, Va., on the way to Raleigh on U.S. 1. All of a sudden, the tractor-trailer in front of the bus attempted to make a turn, The driver of the Greyhound did not slow down according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol spokes people.

After striking big rig truck, the speeding Greyhound bus drove off the road and tumbled and flipped onto its side. These types of accidents also happen in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. If you were hurt in an accident such as this, you should speak with a serious bus or truck accident lawyer.

Family awarded millions of dollars in bus accident wrongful death lawsuit

2007-12-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

BOSTON - December 20, 2007— Family members of a coach killed in a bus accident near Gillette Stadium in Boston were awarded at least $4.4 million by a civil jury Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court in a wrongful death lawsuit.

The bus accident occurred back in 2003 when a shuttle bus was taking people to and from a parking lot during the Deutsche Bank Open golf tournament in Norton.

The man who did was a football coach named Thomas Kelly, who was also an English teacher at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.

A gust of wind careened into a metal parking gate that was not locked causing an 8-inch double-shafted pole to crash into windshield of the bus, driving it directly into the passenger bus aisle.

The pole pinned Kelly down and injured two others. Kelly's left leg was almost amputated and severely breaking his right leg. Kelly was evacuated by helicopter and had several surgeries, eventually succumbing to his wounds about a month later.

Kelly's family sued for wrongful death against five defendants, as well as the bus driver and his employer, the bus company.

The jury acquitted the bus driver and bus company, but found Foxboro Realty Associates, Apollo Security and Standard Parking, and, who owns the land around the stadium liable in wrongful death for failing to properly secure the gate. If you were injured in a Los Angeles bus accident or a bus crash in California, contact 888-400-9721 to discuss your legal rights from personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles.

Bus Accident Attorneys and Bus Injury Claims

2007-12-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

Excellent Orange County and Los Angeles injury attorneys excel in representing plaintiffs in accident cases such as bus accident claims. The best bus lawyers have handled literally hundreds of bus accident cases to successful outcomes. Bus collisions and accidents many times result in serious injuries to individuals in and out of the commercial vehicle. Sometimes these injuries can result in a wrongful death of your family member or domestic partner.

If you or someone you love was overcome with a serious injury or death from a California bus accident, you need to get a hold of legal counsel in your city. If you reside in Orange County, you’ll need a local Orange County lawyer, if Los Angeles County, experienced LA lawyers will be needed to deal with those judges and courts. Law firms such as Ehline Law litigate bus accident cases throughout the entire State of California. You can contact Ehline at 888-400-9721. Our firm will immediately review your evidence and e-mails and give you our thoughts about your potential case right away.

We take our accidents on a contingency fee basis. This means no recovery, no fee. We also advance all costs, including bio mechanic experts, life care planners and engineers like safety engineers.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents in California Cities

Bus accidents are usually caused by driver negligence, failure of proper security, unsafe roads, manufacturing defects, design defects and bad weather, and of course, negligent hiring and negligent supervision to name a few.

If you were seriously injured in any type of bus accident, including as a pedestrian in a cross-walk, as a passenger, city bus driver or even as a passenger of car or truck hit by a bus, you may have a negligence or tort claim to get compensation for your bus accident related personal injuries. Call or e-mail our local law firm if you are a bus accident victim. We have vast knowledge in making government claims against bus companies like Big Blue Bus, Metro Bus, Foothill Bus, OCTD, RTD and many other city and state school but authorities. Bus companies owe you a higher than normal duty of care as common carriers.

You will need a design immunity and government claims specialist if suing a government entity in California. These are highly complex cases and require filing a claim within 6 months of your injuries in most every case brought in Los Angeles, or Orange County cities like Santa Ana, Anaheim, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.

Please call or e-mail our local California law firm right away if you or someone you love was hurt while riding a bus, or as a result of a bus now! Call (888) 400-9721. Don’t delay!

Eight Students Suffer Injuries in School Bus versus Minivan Crash

2007-12-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Florida - December 13, 2007
By Jim Shorts

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported today that at least 8 students suffered personal injuries in a school bus accident that happened December 13, 2007.

Initial reports indicate that there were 28 students on the school bus when a minivan ran a stop sign and collided with the school bus.

Paramedics related that the driver of the mini van was seriously inured and needer assistance in getting removed from the motor vehicle. The van driver was then med-evacuated by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital.

The 8 students who were hurt had complaints that ranged from head trauma and neck injuries that are normally associated with a car crash case. There were all treated and released at the local hospital emergency room.

If you were a passenger injured on a bus, contact Los Angeles bus accident lawyers.

School Bus Fire

2007-12-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Kansas City - December 12, 2007
By Jim Shorts

A school bus erupted into flames a few short minutes after the bus was emptied of students being delivered to school on Wednesday. After the bus driver dropped off the school kids, he stated that he smelled smoke. The bus driver then saw the heater was in flames at which point he attempted to get the fire extinguisher. But he did not have time to douse the burning flames. The bus was gutted by the fire, but thankfully no injuries were reported.

If you suffered injuries on any type of bus, you should go to the doctor and then speak to a bus accident lawyer in Orange County or Los Angeles before it’s too late at 888-400-9721.