When you get on a tour bus you like feel even safer than you do when you’re in your car. In fact, many people don’t even think about wearing their seatbelt in a tour bus. If you’re one of those people then you may begin to change the way you think after you hear about the following bus accident. After you’ve read about it, feel free to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation regarding your own accident.
The accident occurred early in the morning
According to police, the accident occurred just after 7 AM. A tour bus was traveling on the freeway, drifted off the road, and rolled over. This took place about 100 miles south of the California / Oregon border. The California Highway Patrol said that the bus originated in Los Angeles and was traveling toward Pasco, Washington. Interestingly, the police also said that about 50 miles south of the accident, the bus hit a Denny’s restaurant. There were no reported injuries in that first accident.
A 33-year-old passenger died
So far, there’s been one accident fatality: A 33-year old woman. Reports state that another 30+ people suffered injuries in the accident. One passenger was taken to Mount Shasta hospital by helicopter to be treated. That passenger and another two were reported in critical condition after being admitted to the hospital. A hospital in Redding has all the critically injured patients and most other patients who were injured in this crash.
Police have a theory about the cause of the accident
Police haven’t reported a full report yet, but investigators say they have reasons to believe that both crashes he was involved in that day may have resulted from driver fatigue. The bus driver was 67 years old. As of today, there’s no news about whether or not authorities are going to press charges. There’s also no information about whether or not they believe that the case may have involved driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Accidents involving buses can result in many injuries
While bus crashes are much less common than car crashes, they can be much more serious on account of how many people are injured at once. Once the police determine who was at fault, someone may face criminal charges. This could be the driver. It could also be a manager at the company he worked for if it turns out that he was forced to work beyond the hours allowed by state law.
Likewise, numerous people may have a personal injury suit. Close family members of the deceased woman many have a wrongful death case on their hands. The injury victims themselves may also have a case. It all depends on who was at fault and other circumstances. One thing’s for sure, these families will want to at least consult with a personal injury attorney. Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas is here with a free legal consultation. Call us at 909-982-0707 to learn more.
