Greyhound Bus Accidents

As the most popular and widely-used bus service in the country, Greyhound Lines buses are an iconic piece of Americana which symbolize the openness of the country and the accessibility of its roadways. Buses make state-by-state travel available to millions every year, but they can also be incredibly dangerous as well. If you or a loved one has been injured or even killed in a Greyhound bus accident, contact the experienced professional personal injury attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP today.

According to a CNN report, Greyhound buses ferry about 18 million passengers about 5.5 billion miles every year. Given so many miles traveled annually, accidents are bound to happen. However when these accidents are caused by preventable factors, the company may be liable for any injuries or even fatalities which may occur when their buses crash.

Drivers have a responsibility to their passengers

Take for instance a crash which occurred during a routine trip from Cleveland to New York. A driver is suspected of falling asleep at the wheel – after some passengers noticed that the driver’s eyes were read and weary while boarding passengers prior to leaving – which resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality. Greyhound is being sued by one of the passengers, who assert that Greyhound was negligent in allowing a dangerous driver behind the wheel.

As part of their investigation CNN found that, while Greyhound has specific language in their handbook regarding a driver’s responsibility to take breaks every 150 miles traveled to stretch, check the wheels and lug nuts of the tires and perform some light exercise to ensure they’re awake and alert, this was not actually enforced and was instead only recommended as a sort of guideline.

The implications of such a policy are terrifying, and leave Greyhound open for a litany of liability cases in instances where drivers are ignoring a policy to ensure the basic safety of their passengers.

Other cases involving driver negligence may include the driver using drugs or alcohol while behind the wheel or engaging in recklessly dangerous behavior while driving, such as excessively speeding, aggressively passing cars on the highway or taking turns too sharply to be reasonably safe.

On Jan. 2, a Greyhound bus crashed in Utah, killing a 13-year-old girl and injuring 12 others, including the driver when the bus swerved off the highway and wound up in a roadside ditch. Although the incident remains under investigation, some passengers identified it may have been a “medical issue” which caused the driver to lose control. In such an instance, Greyhound may be liable if they knew the driver had a potentially dangerous medical condition which could endanger their passengers.

Let us fight for you

Greyhound bus crashes, as illustrated by the prior examples, can be catastrophic. The high speeds at which these buses travel, combined with the structurally-flimsy and manner in which the buses tend to crumple upon impact, means that any collision can result in serious injuries to the passengers – from broken bones, to spinal injuries and even death.

Greyhound has a responsibility to ensure that their buses are safe to drive and that they employ safe and responsible bus drivers to operate those buses. Driving a bus is not like driving a car, and so a higher standard must be in place to ensure the driver can handle that responsibility, and they must never take for granted how important it is to stay sober, awake and alert at all times while driving.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving a Greyhound, contact Altman & Altman LLP immediately. We have over 50 years of experience advocating on behalf of victims who are injured. If there is an opportunity to secure financial compensation to ease your worries over paying medical bills or, in the worst instances, final expenses, we will find the right avenue to accomplish that successfully.

Call us for a free consultation to go over the specific details of your unique situation today at 617.492.3000 or toll-free at 800.481.6199. We are available 24/7.