Officials Investigating Fatal Bus Crash in Illinois

January 11, 2013 (Press-News.org) Officials Investigating Fatal Bus Crash in Illinois

The family of a young woman who died in an Illinois bus crash earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and the bus company, the Chicago Tribune reported recently. The wrongful death case is the latest of several lawsuits filed in connection with the crash, which occurred on August 2, 2012 in Litchfield, Illinois.

The double-decker Megabus, which was bound for St. Louis, was carrying 72 passengers and two drivers when it ran off the road and hit a concrete bridge support, killing one passenger and injuring dozens of others. News outlets reported that a blown tire may have triggered the crash. Partially in response to the investigation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued an emergency bulletin to bus companies, advising them on how to avoid exceeding tire weight limits on fully loaded buses.

Safety Protocol Questioned

State and federal officials are investigating the crash to determine whether the driver and bus company followed all safety protocols leading up to the crash. A Megabus spokesperson stated that the bus had undergone a full preventive maintenance check less than a week before the accident, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. However, it is unclear whether the driver inspected the bus prior to leaving Chicago on the morning of the crash, as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration.

After a string of tragic accidents in recent years, Megabus and other discount bus companies have been subject to growing scrutiny from federal regulators who question their safety standards. The U.S. Department of Transportation shut down 26 bus companies in the Northeast due to safety concerns, calling them "imminent hazards to public safety," the Post-Dispatch reported.

Discount Bus Companies Scrutinized

Megabus, which transported more than 5.7 million passengers on about 100,000 trips last year, was not among the companies shut down. However, it too has had its share of problems, including five fatal crashes in the last two years. Greyhound, which carries more than four times as many passengers annually, was also involved in five fatal bus crashes in the same period, according to the Post-Dispatch. One of the recent Megabus fatalities occurred in September 2010, when four passengers died after a double-decker Megabus hit a low overpass in New York. The driver was acquitted on homicide charges.

People who are injured or suffer the loss of a loved one as a result of a bus or car accident in Illinois may be able to receive financial compensation for their injuries, medical costs, lost income and other losses resulting from the crash. To learn more about seeking compensation after an Illinois car or bus accident, contact a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer.

Article provided by James P. Ginzkey, Trial Attorney
Visit us at http://www.jimginzkey.com