A California-based trucking company and one of its drivers could be found responsible for a deadly bus crash that occurred on a New Mexico highway. The accident resulted in eight fatalities and 25 injuries, including three young children.
A Greyhound bus carrying 50 people was driving along Interstate 40 when a semi-trailer traveling in the opposite direction lost control and drove across a median, crashing into the bus. Many passing drivers stopped at the site of the accident to rescue bus passengers from the wreckage.
How Do Trucking Accidents Occur?
What caused this bus accident? The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating what factors could have led the truck driver to veer off the road and lose control. The investigators may look at certain factors such as:
- Driver fatigue. Many truck drivers drive long hours and don’t give themselves enough time to rest before continuing their delivery route.
- Improper training. All truck companies should provide quality driving and delivery training in order to decrease the chance of a negligent accident.
- Outdated, or lack of, safety records. A trucking company’s safety records should show how many accidents their business has been involved in
- Roadway conditions. Weather and poor road conditions can also contribute to a trucking accident.
Negligence complaints were quickly made against the truck driver and the California trucking company, JAG Transportation, Inc. According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the trucking company reported three crashes in the last 24 months. Many concerns within the lawsuits involve improper vehicle maintenance and a required inspection of the truck’s tires.
While bus passengers are recovering at the local hospital, authorities say that Greyhound is willingly cooperating with law enforcement and they would like to investigate on their own.
If you have been involved in a truck or bus accident in California due to another driver’s negligence, you should speak with one of our attorneys at Wells, Call, Clark, Bennett & Clawson. Contact us today for your free consultation.