If you take public transportation, one of the things you may be concerned about is the driver’s ability to drive safely. You don’t get to know much about your driver, but you trust that they’ve been able to get enough rest, are trained appropriately and know how to follow the rules of the road. When a driver is too tired, accidents can happen that hurt you, your loved ones and others.
When that happens, one of the only options you’ll have is to seek compensation from the company or driver. Your attorney can help you do this, but it won’t ever repair the damage that has already been done.
Families involved in this crash may be looking into lawsuits too, if it’s found that the driver was drowsy behind the wheel due to working too long or from fatigue. Officials reviewing an accident involving a bus driver in Northern California have said that the man reportedly told others he was tired before the collision. The Greyhound bus driver hit safety barriers while carrying passengers; the bus flipped onto its side.
The California Highway Patrol reports that the driver had stopped for coffee at the stop before the accident. He had said he was feeling fatigued at the time. However, he got back behind the wheel and continued; when the bus rolled onto its side, two people were killed, and at least eight others were sent to the hospital due to their injuries.
One of the passengers reported seeing the driver look like he was nodding off behind the wheel. The passenger didn’t say if he had tried to wake the driver or speak to him to see if he needed to pull over.
Source: ABC News, “Officials: Bus Driver Said He Was Tired Before Deadly Crash,” Jan. 19, 2016
