Tour Bus Crash on 60 Freeway Leaves 1 Dead and 32 Hospitalized
One person has died and thirty-two others were hospitalized, two of them in critical condition, after a tour bus crashed on the 60 Freeway in Hacienda Heights early Sunday morning on Mother’s Day. According to Public Information Officer Fred Fielding, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, units were dispatched at about 5:07am. Units responded to reports of a crash involving a fire near Hacienda Boulevard. When the fire department arrived on the scene, they found the tour bus involved in a crash with a vehicle which appeared to be a Nissan SUV (the SUV was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived).
The driver of the Nissan SUV, the sole occupant of the vehicle, died. According to CHP Officer Zachary Salazar, the impact of the crash caused the vehicle to burst into flames, trapping the driver inside. Further, the officer stated that their were sixty-three people aboard the tour bus, including the driver.
A total of thirty-one passengers on the tour bus were uninjured and allowed to leave the scene.
The tour bus was traveling from the area of Morongo to Koreatown at the time of the crash; the bus sustained significant damage to its front end in addition to a shattered windshield.
According to a news release issued later in the day by CHP, preliminary investigations showed that the Nissan SUV had become disabled in the first lane; the bus then rear-ended the disabled vehicle before veering to the right, across all lanes, and hitting the raised guardrail along the right shoulder.
One passenger onboard the bus at the time of the crash said that he was thrown from his seat on the back of the bus up to four seats down.
One witness that was driving on the freeway at the time of the crash said that the situation happened very quickly. They said that “everyone tried to stop, but there was just not enough time.”
Although the incident remains under investigation, it is likely that victims that sustained injuries may have the right to file a lawsuit and recover compensation. If you or a member of your family sustained injuries in the incident described above or in a similar incident, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, our auto accident attorneys have decades of experience and are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to begin or continue your claim. Our team is committed to fighting for the rights of victims and their families and helping them get justice. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us today.
Possible Causes of Car Crashes
Although the incident above is still under investigation, preliminary reports point to the SUV suddenly becoming disabled in the first lane, resulting in the tour bus rear-ending it. In general, some of the common causes of car crashes may include the following:
- Disabled vehicles
- Defective vehicles, including mechanical issues, electrical issues, brake issues, etc.
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Reckless driving, including weaving in and out of traffic, tail gaiting, speeding, ignoring traffic lights, disregarding traffic laws, and more
- Defective roads or dangerous road conditions, including poorly designed intersections, blind intersections, poorly lit roads, etc.
- Dangerous weather conditions
- And more
Can Tour Bus Companies Be Liable for Crashes that Result in Injuries to their Passengers?
Yes, tour bus companies can be liable for crashes that result in injuries to their passengers. This is because tour bus companies are common carriers. A common carrier is a business that offers transportation for a fee. Therefore, they owe a higher duty of care to their passengers. When a crash occurs, tour bus companies must prove that they were not negligent to avoid liability. In instances in which the crash was caused by another party or entity (like a driver with a vehicle that was disabled on the road), then the other party may be liable. Although, it is important to highlight that the tour bus company may still be liable (at least partially) for failing to stop in time to avoid the incident.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Injuries Sustained in the Tour Bus Crash?
Yes, if you or a member of your family sustained injuries in a crash involving a tour bus, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. You could pursue a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim. Based on the details surrounding the incident, victims may have the right to pursue claims against an auto manufacturer, a road work agency, a tour bus company, a bus owner, and the insurance of the at-fault party, for example. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
What Compensation Can I Recover?
If you file a claim, you could be eligible to receive compensation. Some of the different categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:
- Medical costs
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
- Legal expenses
Our team is ready to fight for your rights and help you secure the maximum payout available for your claim. Whether our tour bus crash lawyers have to negotiate a settlement with an insurance company or take your claim to court proceedings to reach a verdict, you can trust that our team will always do everything possible to be able to secure the recovery that you are owed. For more information about the type of compensation that you could receive and the possible value of your claim, contact us as soon as possible.
Consider some of the following recommended steps to take:
- Take photos of all visible injuries
- Take photos of the scene of the crash
- File an incident report with the authorities and request a copy of the report
- Speak to witnesses and collect their contact information
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Gather all relevant medical records
- Gather records related to lost income
- Seek legal help with a tour bus crash lawyer
Are you unsure of what you should do next? If you every find yourself unsure of what you should do next, do not hesitate to reach out to our crash attorneys as soon as possible. Our firm understands how difficult it can be to deal with the aftermath of an accident; our team is ready to help you get justice!
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