Serious accidents caused by Megabus tire blowouts have prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to issue safety advisories regarding bus tire regulations. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, 49 C.F.R. § 393.75, prohibit motorcoaches (including charter and tour buses) from carrying a weight greater than that marked on the tire. Carrying too much weight for the tires can cause significant damage to the tire and can cause a tire to blowout. FMCSA has found that the double-decker buses, like Megabus, are more susceptible to overloading. Our lawyers help bus accident victims and their families. You can get your free consultation here.
The Megabus accidents include an accident Aug. 2, 2012, on Interstate Highway 55 near Litchfield in Illinois that killed one Megabus passenger and injured dozens. Investigators found evidence that a blown tire on the bus may have been a cause of the crash. Some of the passengers recently filed suit, seeking compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, emotional distress and increased risk of future harm and lost wages.
Another accident involved a Megabus that caught fire Aug. 8, 2012, after a tire blew out on Interstate Highway 85 near Lavonia, Georgia.
These Megabus buses were allegedly overloaded and were operating on extremely hot days; the combination was too much for the tires. According to FMSCA:
A tire on a motorcoach loaded beyond its weight rating, operated at highway speeds for a significant period of time, is more likely to overheat and fail, possibly placing the lives of passengers and other motorists at risk. This concern is heightened when motorcoaches are operating in the extremely hot temperatures.
Safety demands that operators of these motorcoaches have policies and procedures in place to monitor the loading of their vehicles, and take appropriate action (such as reduce passenger/cargo loading or increase tire pressure) to ensure that they remain within the allowable tire weight rating and State vehicle weight limits, according to FMSCA.
Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman are our lead lawyers for our bus accident cases. You can contact them for a FREE consultation here to sue Megabus or another bus company for personal injury or wrongful death.
