North Carolina Car Accident Lawyers Blog

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been busy issuing hazard demerits and out-of-service orders to charter bus companies across the U.S., so our Charlotte personal injury lawyers find it makes sense that bus safety has made the most wanted list for areas needing improvement, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Our final topic in the "Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements" series is bus safety. Other areas of emphasis by the NTSB that we have posted about in our series include teen driver safety, drunk driving accidents and motorcycle safety. Bus accidents in Greensboro and Charlotte are a growing concern because charter companies from these areas are being cited for an Unsatisfactory Safety Rating by the FMCSA as we posted on our North Carolina Car Accident Lawyers Blog.

Not only has Sky Express Inc. from Charlotte been granted an out-of-service order but North Carolina-based United Tours, Inc. was issued an "Imminent Hazard - Out-of-Service" order for non-qualified drivers employed by the company.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that approximately 750 million passengers are transported by motorcoaches each year. Rarely involved in highway accidents, most would probably consider charter buses one of the safest modes of transportation. However, companies who fail to provide quality buses with qualified drivers put a large number of people in jeopardy each time they step on the bus.

"From Day One, I have pledged to put public safety above all else, and we will continue to take action when we see carriers placing passengers at risk," said U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We have seen the tragic consequences of unsafe practices - whether it's ignoring fatigue regulations, providing inadequate driver training, or failing to conduct the proper maintenance of a bus or motorcoach. We continue using all of the tools at our disposal to get unsafe carriers off the road and hope that Congress will act on our proposal to provide us with the necessary authority to expand our safety oversight."

Two previous fatal bus crashes have made the government look at safety standards a little more closely. Numerous fatalities and injuries as a result of a 2008 bus crash in Texas and the 2009 rollover crash involving a motorcoach in Utah has upped the ante on bus safety.

Improving roof strength, protected seating areas and window glazing has become vital in improving safety of all passengers. Moving forward, government standards are needed to create consistency among members of the motorcoach industry. Motorcoach manufacturers must implement seat belts and make buses more occupant friendly in order to prevent injury and make buses safer in the event of a crash.

Exits should be well marked and easily accessible so that occupants can exit the motorcoach quickly. Consumers can help themselves by checking a charter company's safety record and rating. For a pre-trip safety checklist, visit FMCSA online for more information before you plan your next trip. Negligent drivers and charter companies should always be held accountable despite their safety rating.

Continue reading "Action Against Unsafe Motorcoach Companies Should Reduce the Risks of Bus Accidents in Charlotte, Greensboro" »

A tour bus heading from Greensboro to New York City flipped over on I-95 in Virginia, killing four women and sending 54 other passengers to the hospital for injuries, reports USA Today. The bus driver, employed by Sky Express from Charlotte, has been charged with reckless driving. Investigators have said driver fatigue caused the crash. Bus accidents in Charlotte and throughout the state are especially dangerous because of the number of occupants they hold.

Greensboro bus accident lawyers know that driver fatigue is a common cause of bus accidents, but the charter company has the responsibility to employ responsible drivers who can keep passengers safe during their travels. Driver fatigue is an act of negligence, so contact an experienced attorney to get compensation you deserve if you have been injured in a bus accident.

It was reported that Sky Express has one of the overall worst safety ratings, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Of all U.S. motorcoach carriers, Sky Express ranked near the bottom in driver fitness for repeated violations based on inspections conducted in the past two years. Inspectors from FMCSA found 24 fitness violations, ordering drivers to get off the roads until the problems were fixed. Sky Express also received a poor record in driver fatigue over the last two years of inspections. The tour bus company was handed 46 violations for drivers being behind the wheel too long and keeping inaccurate travel records.

As a result, FMCSA recently issued Sky Express an Unsatisfactory Safety Rating and has placed the motor coach company out-of-service for violating several federal safety regulations. Sky Express is no longer permitted to operate in interstate transportation services, effective immediately.

"FMCSA will not tolerate passenger bus companies that endanger public safety," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "Working side-by-side with our North Carolina state law enforcement partners, we took strong action to shut down this unsafe bus company."

During the month of May, FMCSA inspectors and state law enforcement partners throughout the United States cracked down on charter bus companies. More than 3,000 surprise carrier safety inspections were conducted over a two-week period. Results from the inspections cited 442 unsafe buses and drivers to be removed from roadways (315 buses and 127 drivers).

Also in May, a new final rule was issued by the Department of Transportation that requires those interested in obtaining a commercial driver's license to first obtain a learner's permit. State licensing agencies are also now required to use a standardized CDL testing system.

If you are planning a bus trip, view the FMCSA Safety Checklist before you make your reservations. This site is designed to help consumers research a charter bus company's safety record and safety rating.

To report a complaint about a bus company, call the hotline at 1-888-DOT-SAFT or visit the FMCSA complaint website.

Continue reading "North Carolina Bus Company Forced Out of Service Following Fatal Bus Crash " »

Preventing North Carolina school bus accidents and bicycle and pedestrian accidents involving students will require everyone to remain alert this week as our children begin returning to classes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the nation's school bus system has an excellent safety record -- averaging just 19 fatalities per year. Yet thousands of students are injured each year in school bus accidents. The start of the school year brings increased risk as students, drivers and motorists once again grow accustomed to the rules of the road.

Each year, more than 2,000 motorists are cited for illegally passing a school bus. Please remember that motorists must stop for a bus displaying red flashing lights and must wait until the lights are withdrawn and the stop sign is retracted before passing a school bus.

The state offers one of the country's most comprehensive school bus safety sites at www.ncbussafety.org. Tips include:

-Use a backpack to prevent dropping things on the way to and from the bus or beneath the school bus.

-Wear bright contrasting colors.

-Allow plenty of time to reach the bus stop -- running or hurrying can be dangerous.

-Walk young children to the bus stop and have older children walk in groups.

-Walk on the sidewalk whenever possible; stay off the street.

-Look left, right, left at intersections. Children should look left first and last because that is the direction of the closest oncoming traffic.

-Do not allow children to engage in pushing or other rough horseplay at the bus stop.

-Wait for the bus at least 10 feet away from the road.

-Never attempt to retrieve anything from under the bus.

Continue reading "Students at increased risk of North Carolina school bus accidents as classes begin" »

A North Carolina bus accident injured several members of a popular southern gospel group riding in a tour bus on I-85, Channel 18 reported.

The crash occurred when the group's bus crashed into the back of a semi on the I-85 bridge over the Catawba River, between Gaston and Mecklenburg. A dozen people were injured, including three singers in the Gospel group The Bowling Family. The chaotic scene included half-a-dozen ambulances, firefighters and paramedics.

Trucking accidents or accidents involving commercial buses are complex cases that should always be handled by a North Carolina injury lawyer. The presence of a large number of passengers, and the extreme weight of a semi or large bus, frequently leads to very serious or fatal injuries and multiple victims. Additionally, out-of-state busing or trucking companies, drivers and insurance companies make filing a claim a complex process. The presence of state and federal regulations governing truckers and commercial buses can also impact a case. A thorough investigation will need to be conducted to determine the cause of the accident, the number of claims involved, and the insurance coverage available.

In this case, two victims were flown to Carolinas Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Mike Bowling was one of those flown to the hospital; authorities said the force of the crash ejected the front passenger seat through the windshield with Bowling in it.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 380,000 crashes involved semis and large commercial trucks in 2008. A total of 4,229 people were killed and more than 90,000 were injured in trucking accidents nationwide.

North Carolina trucking accidents killed 143 motorists, while fatal South Carolina trucking accidents claimed 81 lives.

Continue reading "North Carolina bus accident injures popular Gospel group after crash with semi" »

For the second time in two weeks, a school bus in Charlotte collided with another vehicle, causing injuries (which luckily appeared minor) to some of the children on the bus, as well as to people in the other car. Last week, six Charlotte children were injured in a similar collision.

Any parent would worry when reading about such repeat incidents. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are generally an extremely safe mode of transportation. Rather than the danger posed by crashes with other vehicles, the main danger in the interaction between children and school buses occurs in the "danger zone" that surrounds the bus. The "danger zone" is an area of approximately ten feet all around the bus; in that area, children may not be seen by the bus driver, who is seated high up at the front of the bus.

A recent article entitled "School Bus Safety" suggests several steps that parents should take to prevent school-bus related injuries to their children:

• Don't allow the child to wear clothing with drawstrings when riding on the bus; drawstrings sometimes get caught in the bus door, and children end up getting dragged. For the same reason, check that your child doesn't have long scarves, or long straps dangling from a backpack, which could also get caught.


• Make sure that your children arrive at the bus stop in plenty of time, so they won't have to rush across the street to catch it.


• Teach your children to avoid the "danger zone" discussed above.


• Remind your children to stay seated and facing forward while they are on the bus; the bus seats are designed to protect them in case of a crash.
  

  Continue reading "Steps that Help Prevent School Bus Injuries in North Carolina" »

Earlier this week, six Charlotte children were injured in the University area when a pickup truck allegedly rear-ended the school bus in which they were riding. At the time of the crash, it was reported that the school bus was stopped at a red light.

All the injured students were treated for minor injuries and were released from the Carolinas Medical Center the same day. The drivers of the truck and the school bus were also treated for injuries.

One of the most typical injuries that occur in rear-end collisions is the whiplash neck injury. Scientists from Italy's Technical University in Milan have described whiplash as "an issue of rapid 'acceleration-deceleration' with energy transferred to the neck in rear-end or side-impact collisions"; they are now working on a new kind of headrest for car seats, which would be easy to adjust yet would lock in place automatically in a collision, keeping the motorists' heads from swinging sharply back and thus helping reduce the incidence of whiplash.

Whiplash injuries may be difficult to diagnose initially, are often difficult to treat, and may lead to long-term disability. One recent study has shown that women have a far greater risk of suffering whiplash injuries than men do. Interestingly, the author of the study concluded that the difference is due in part to differences between men and women's sitting positions inside a car.

Unfortunately, most school buses have fairly high seats but lack headrests. In addition, children riding in school buses are often seated in awkward positions, playing or talking to friends who are sitting in other parts of the bus. The studies of rear-end collisions seem to suggest that these factors would increase the chances of whiplash injuries when school buses are hit from behind.

Continue reading "New Research on Risks and Prevention of Whiplash Injuries" »