Greyhound Bus lawsuit lawyers have been watching the company closely since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said it may prioritize the public passenger carrier for further safety monitoring.
Lawyers filed a bus lawsuit against Greyhound Lines in California after the company put a driver on the road whose license was suspended or revoked and who pleaded “no contest” to a charge of driving under the influence (DUI). The case revolved around a highway guardrail crash in Fresno in April 2019. Greyhound passengers were injured and went to the hospital.
The lawsuit is the latest red flag regarding driver fitness at the nation’s most recognizable motor coach line.
If you or a loved one has been injured or someone close to you has died in a Greyhound crash, contact the bus accident lawyer team at Pritzker Hageman P.A. The team has been tracking Greyhound’s performance as measured by driver inspections and equipment inspections. The team investigates bus crash facts independently of law enforcement — scrutinizing who was at fault and digging into the bus driver’s fitness and the vehicle’s maintenance history.
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Remarkably, when it came to driver fitness in October 2019, “70% of motor carriers in the same safety event group have better on-road performance than’’ Greyhound, the FMCSA said. The record showed eight violations for operating a bus without a commercial driver’s license, four violations for drivers not being physically qualified and one violation for a driver having possession of alcohol while on duty, or operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Greyhound Accident Watch
A snapshot of Greyhound’s safety record was compiled for the two-year period that ended Oct. 14, 2019. Also, when it comes to hours of service violations for Greyhound bus drivers, “65 percent of motor carriers in the same event group have better on-road performance than this motor carrier,’’ the FMCSA report said.
There were 109 violations in a recent two year period, including false report of driver’s record of duty status, driving after the industry’s 10-hour driving limit; and “operating a passenger carrying commercial motor vehicle while impaired by fatigue.’’.
When it comes to hours of service compliance and driver fitness, the FMCSA said on its safety website as recently as October 2019 that “this carrier may be prioritized for an intervention action and roadside inspection.’’ The notation was based on two years of record keeping that ended September 27, 2019.
Bus Crash Deaths
Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc. covers 140 million miles a year with a staff of about 2,500 commercial drivers. Four two years ending Oct. 23, Greyhound’s accident record as archived at FMCSA included four deaths and 76 injured. There were 154 reportable crashes in that time period by Greyhound and 76 of them were tow-away crashes
Of 911 vehicles inspected in the same period, 70 were judged “out of service’’ Of 1,845 driver inspections, 25 were “out of service.’’ FMCSA’s carrier safety rating of Greyhound was “Satisfactory.’’
Bus crash lawyers at Pritzker Hageman noted that noncompliance of federal motor coach regulations by any carrier makes roads more dangerous for everyone, not just bus passengers. There are five million truck and bus drivers sharing the highways in the United States with more than 250 million motorists. The willingness of law firms to identify recklessness and sue large transport companies to hold them accountable for millions and millions of dollars worth of damage helps keep the system in check.
Greyhound Crash Injury
On July 7th, 2023, a Greyhound bus driver sideswiped multiple parked semi-trucks while traveling to St. Louis on Interstate 70. The crash happened just before 2 a.m. on a ramp leading to a rest stop. Three people on the bus died and 14 more were transported to hospitals by ground and air ambulance.
In Greyhound’s recent history, another crash that stands out for 2019 was the collision between a Greyhound bus and a flatbed truck in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. At least 17 people were injured in the August crash as the bus was en route to Cincinnati. WKYT-TV television news reported that the driver of the bus was in the center lane of I-75 when the bus left the lane and hit the truck. Passengers helped each other get out of the bus through a window.
The station’s news report said there was an allegation that the bus driver was on the phone leading up to the crash. In fact, a passenger took a photo that appears to show the driver using his phone moments before the crash. WKYT-TV said the image was handed over to Kentucky law enforcement officers as potential evidence.
Greyhound passengers already have sued the company in relation to a New Year’s Eve crash in 2017 that killed a 13-year-old girl and injured 12 other people in Utah. The Associated Press has written stories about the crash quoting authorities who say the Greyhound bus driver fell asleep before the bus careened off a road into the desert.
Motor Coach Lawsuit
In the Fresno crash earlier in the year, the Greyhound bus driver was arrested and charged with felony DUI and a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended or revoked license. The driver pleaded no contest to the DUI charge. California Highway Patrol investigators confirmed his license was suspended in New Mexico, four days before the crash.
Yes, if you were injured as a passenger on a Greyhound Bus, you may be able to sue for compensation. Our bus crash lawyers have produced money settlements for groups of clients in past accidents. If the firm agrees to take your case, they’ll work to get you the money you deserve for pain, suffering, future medical expenses, missing work, loss of earning power and other considerations that fit your life now and in the future. Greyhound is a formidable company with many decades of experience in passenger lawsuits filed in connection with deaths and injuries. Your attorney should be deeply experienced in the special laws and regulations that govern commercial transportation and the safe operation of motor coaches involved in service to public passengers.