Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A Megabus crash last summer caused injuries to a passenger and left her disabled and disfigured, according to a new lawsuit filed in Cook County.
The Megabus was traveling between Chicago and St. Louis on I-55 when a front tire blew, causing the driver to lose control and strike a concrete pillar in Litchfield. More than 70 passengers were on board at the time of the crash and several had to be extricated. One passenger died in the collision and dozens were injured, including the woman who filed the recent lawsuit.
The lawsuit names Megabus as a defendant as well as the driver of the bus, the owner and operator Coach USA, and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations which reportedly made the tire at issue. Reports indicate that the driver of the bus was still in training when a front tire blew on the highway. The driver claims he removed his foot from the accelerator but did not brake because he feared causing the double-decker bus to roll over.
After the collision last summer, Megabus released a statement saying the bus had been made just the prior year and had passed a full safety and preventative maintenance inspection within the week before the crash.
Several passengers recounted the crash to media outlets after the collision, saying the force of the impact was significant and threw many passengers forward and out of their seats, some into the aisles. Unfortunately this often occurs with bus accidents of any type because buses rarely have seat belts available for passenger use.
Many people have a false sense of safety while aboard a large passenger vehicle like a bus or motorcoach because of the size of the vehicle compared to the other passenger cars on the road. In reality, bus accidents occur daily and often cause serious injuries, including broken bones, cuts and bruises, head and neck injuries, and even death.
Chicago is a major hub for busing both locally and across the nation with service by PACE, CTA, Greyhound, and private buses. When you ride on a bus or motorcoach, you place your safety in the hands of the driver, assuming the driver is knowledgeable, skillful, and safe. That is not always the case and bus drivers can be negligent like any other driver on the road.
If you have been involved in a bus accident that left you injured or if a family member was injured or killed by the negligence of a bus driver, please call the Chicago bus accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your case. If you have been injured, you have legal rights and should contact an attorney to discuss them in detail. We can be reached 24 hours a day at (855) 529-2442 or (312) 924-7575.
Note: Abels & Annes, P.C. does not represent the woman who recently filed a lawsuit in this matter but has represented individuals in very similar accidents in the past.
Resources:
Woman sues over fatal Megabus crash, by Ellen Jean Hirst, Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2013.
Company: Bus in fatal crash made in 2011, inspected days ago, by Ray Long, Deanese Williams-Harris and Bridget Doyle, Chicago Tribune, August 3, 2012.
Prior Blogs:
Illinois Senate Votes to Increase Highway Speed to 70, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, April 25, 2013.
Firey Truck Crash Seriously Injures 4 in Illinois, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, April 23, 2013.