When we think about the top of a motor vehicle colliding with an overpass, the stereotypical scenario is a tractor-trailer packed with cargo with part of the top of the trailer sheared off. This time it involved a private tour bus. Other buses have also impacted with overpasses. Here’s what happened in August 2018.
The Overpass Was Marked
New Jersey officials reported that the top of a bus carrying 46 passengers from Washington, D.C. to Newark collided with the bottom of an overpass. A total of 16 of the bus passengers were taken to hospitals and treated for injuries. Most of them were sitting toward the front of the bus. The crash occurred close to midnight at Edison Place next to Newark Penn Station. The clearance at the overpass is low at 9 feet, four inches. Most tour buses have a height of about 12 feet. Clearly marked yellow signs warn drivers of the low height of the overpass.
Not the First Time
These types of bus crashes have happened before. In April of 2018, a bus carrying dozens of students and their chaperones from John F. Kennedy International Airport to nearby Huntington crashed into an overpass. All of the passengers on board were taken to local hospitals. At least two of the teens were hospitalized with serious injuries. Commercial GPS units are available for less than $250 that detail overpasses on traveling routes and warn of their heights. The bus was not equipped with one, but they aren’t mandatory either. In 2012, multiple people died in Miami when the top of an airport bus was sheared off when it hit an overpass. According to news reports, the bus in the New Jersey crash was owned by Liberty Coach, Inc. A company named OurBus had arranged the bus for the passengers.
Liability
When a tour bus transportation agreement is entered into, there might be provisions governing liability in the event of an accident. Like in the New Jersey crash, the bus might be owned by one company and operated by another company. That can raise the issue as to who the tour bus driver was employed by. The owner of the bus must comply with licensing and maintenance requirements, and under the law of vicarious liability, the operating company will likely be responsible for any damages that its driver causes as a result of an accident.
Contact Us Right Away
Both state and federal laws and regulations govern bus transportation providers. If you were injured or lost a family member in a bus crash, you can contact us to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. We’re going to listen to you carefully, and we’ll make a determination of who might be liable for your injuries and damages. There might even be several different sources of compensation. We’ll probably even want to visit the scene of the crash.
It isn’t going to cost you a single penny to hire us to represent you and your family. We don’t even charge any legal fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Contact us as soon as possible after being injured or losing a loved one in any bus accident. Our goal is to maximize any compensation that you might receive.