Personal Injury Law

Missouri Bus Accident Caused by Fatigue and Speeding

By Jeffrey Lowe

Tired truck drivers aren?t the only ones who cause accidents. Fatigue also plays a role in bus crashes.

On July 13, 2005, a tour bus carrying members of Eminem?s Anger Management 3 Tour rear-ended a tractor trailer on westbound I-70 near Odessa, Missouri. Four of the bus passengers as well as the truck driver and his wife were injured in the collision.

The tour bus was driven by Charles Dilligard of Entertainment Coaches of America. The bus was traveling from Chicago to Denver for the next show in the tour. The tractor trailer was in the left lane when the tour bus rapidly approached it from behind. The bus driver swerved right to avoid rear-ending the truck. In order to avoid crashing into a guard rail, the bus driver swerved back to the left, hitting the truck. The truck drove off the road, went into the grass median, drove through the cable divider, and crossed both eastbound highway lanes before ending up on the shoulder of eastbound I-70.

The truck driver suffered bruised ribs and lost the use of his truck for six weeks after the accident. His wife suffered a cervical fracture, spinal trauma, nerve damage and other injuries as a result of the accident. I represented the truck driver and his wife in a subsequent lawsuit.

My clients and the four injured bus passengers alleged that at the time of the accident, the bus driver was fatigued. We alleged he exceeded the number of driving hours allowed under federal law for commercial bus driver. We also claimed that the bus driver was speeding. A number of witnesses estimated that the bus was traveling over 85 miles an hour. At the time of the accident, the black box on the tractor trailer revealed that the truck was going 68 miles an hour.

Without admitting liability, the bus driver and the bus company agreed to settle the personal injury claims last year for $945,000.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident involving a bus, please contact our attorneys for legal assistance as soon as possible. We will investigate to determine whether the bus or the driver was responsible for causing the accident.

The lawyers of The Lowe Law Firm are experienced in helping victims of bus accidents. We will seek compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future wages, pain and suffering, disability and other damages. We also represent family members in wrongful death cases.

Contact the lawyers at The Lowe Law Firm today by calling 877-678-3400.

Full post as published by Trucking Accident Attorney Blog on February 26, 2008 (boomark / email).