This news footage video shows the anatomy of a bus accident that resulted in 11 deaths. Bus accidents can often result in personal injury and may require consulting with a bus accident lawyer because of unreliable safety features or driver error.
In the span of only three days there have been two Chicago, Illinois CTA related deaths. In what initially may have been thought of as freak accidents there is an alarming trend with deaths and personal injuries from Chicago, Illinois Chicago Transit Authority transportation. Protections, either in the form of emergency shut-off devices for trains or extra security guards, need to be put in place near CTA “L” stops to prevent accidents. The first accident occurred Monday on the CTA blue line. The most recent accident occurred yesterday on the CTA red line. In both CTA “L” train accidents the pedestrians were killed. Investigations continue into both CTA train car accidents. In addition to Chicago, Illinois trains other forms of public transit are also under scrutiny. In recent weeks Chicago, Illinois PACE buses which provide transportation to Chicago, Illinois suburbs have also been in the spotlight due to a PACE bus accident which injured four pedestrians. Additionally, Chicago Metra trains which provide service within Chicago and to the suburbs have also been under attack. Train accidents have occurred both at train and car intersection accidents, train accidents hitting pedestrians and one train accident caused death and injury to a rider on the train. As gas prices soar in Chicago, Illinois, residents are using public transportation as an alternative to personal cars. Despite the financial savings from the public transit system residents may be willing to put more cash into the pump rather than ride on the Chicago, Illinois, CTA, PACE, or Metra due to the increasing number of accidents. Negligent bus drivers, Negligent CTA operators and negligent Metra conductors may deter residents from using public transit and opting instead to use cars even though fuel prices are high. CTA has not made any official statement regarding the recent wave of CTA related deaths but it is expected that a press release will soon be made public. As Chicago, Illinois residents remain puzzled about the unexpected CTA deaths one thing is sure safety measures need to be increased to prevent more innocent pedestrians, riders and travelers from experiencing personal injuries and death. To read about the most recent CTA red line train accident click here.
A PACE bus accident resulted in injuries to a woman and injuries to three children. The bus accident occurred when a PACE bus hit four pedestrians in a Chicago, Illinois suburb. Luckily the pedestrian victims sustained only minor personal injuries. The PACE bus accident occurred in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Oak Park, late Monday evening. The negligent bus driver was cited for failing to yield for pedestrians, likely the cause of the pedestrian bus accident. To read more about the personal injuries sustained by the accident victims click here.
This afternoon a Chicago Transit Authority bus slammed into a pole in the Avalon Park neighborhood. At a little past 1:30 pm five ambulances rushed to the scene where 10 passengers were being evaluated for injuries by paramedics. It is not yet known what injuries from the motor vehicle accident, if any, were suffered by those passengers. Read more here.
Chicago, Illinois was the scene of an SUV bike accident that occurred last Monday. The bicycle accident occurred when a bicyclist was smashed by a car door. Car door bike accidents are more frequent as bikers try to use a cheaper and more efficient modes of travel. Illinois legislation has been passed to crack down on opening door’s in a biker’s path. Sadly the accident became a fatal bike accident when the bicyclist passed away yesterday evening. Another Chicago bicyclist injured this week was hurt by a CTA bus accident. News reports have announced that a wrongful death suit has been filed against the driver of the parked car and the driver who hit the biker. To see the full story & a picture of the scene click here.
A college baseball team was caught in a bus accident on their way back from a game. The bus caught on fire but the students were lucky to escape serious personal injuries. The fire however destroyed all their equipment and personal belongings on the bus leaving the bus crash site as the resting place for many baseball mitts and caps. The bus crash and fire are believed to have begun when a tire blow out left the bus in flames. To read the full story click here.
Chicago, Illinois was the sight of another CTA bus accident on the city’s West Side this weekend. The Chicago CTA bus crash left 10 crash victims injured requiring hospitalizations. The crash proves once again that bus or car accident personal injuries can occur even during daylight hours, the crash occurring at 3:30 p.m. To read more and see a news click about the crash click here.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the truck driver whose semi truck crashed into the CTA Red Line station on Cermak last week possessed prescription drugs that were not prescribed to him. While in custody, the driver refused a urine test, a method police often use to detect controlled substances, and behaved oddly, leading some to suspect that he may have been under the influence of drugs when the truck crashed. Currently, Chicago lawyers have filed personal injury lawsuits in Chicago against the driver and have named the trucking company, Whiteline Express, in the truck accident lawsuit. Chicago Police plan to interview other semi truck drivers to determine if it is common for semi truck drivers to use controlled substances at work.
Please read more here.
The investigation into the horrific semi truck accident at the CTA’s Cermak red line stop last week continues. Currently, the Chicago Police Department is investigating the truck crash to determine if any foul pay was afoot, if the driver’s fatigue or substance use may have caused the crash, or if mechanical error caused the truck to crash. As of today, the Chicago Police Department has only given the driver a negligent driving ticket; this may mean that negligent driving caused a truck accident.
Read more here.
The US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics has some interesting information on fatal automobile crashes that may challenge some perceptions about driving conditions and the risk for fatal automobile accidents and fatal truck accidents. Saturday is the most dangerous day, followed closely by Sunday. Nighttime and adverse conditions are not as problematic as many think: nearly half of all fatal automobile accidents happened during daylight and almost 90% happened on a clear day without any rain or snow. In fact, fatal accidents during snowy conditions barely account for 2% of all fatal accidents.
See the chart here.
The family of a man killed in a bus accident involving a collision with a pickup truck is suing the driver of the bus, along with the operator and owner. The personal injury attorney filed a lawsuit alleging that the three defendants were negligent. The incident was blamed on driver fatigue; the bus veered off the road, colliding with the truck. Several other passengers were injured. The family is also asking that the bus company be shut down based on its failure to properly assess drivers' qualifications and history.
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In late November, 2005, a Greyhound bus headed along the 101 to San Fransisco crashed when it went off the road, slid on to its side, and rammed into a tree. Two more personal injury lawsuits have been filed recently, alleging that the Greyhound company was responsible for the automobile accident that resulted in the wrongful deaths of a 22-year-old pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man. Although California Highway Patrol first believed that the driver of the bus had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving that early morning, the county District Attorney’s Office announced in June of 2006 that it believed that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure. These two lawsuits are the latest in a string of personal injury lawsuits that have been filed against Greyhound and the driver of the Greyhound bus for their roles in causing the automobile accident that injured over 40 people.
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In yesterday's Minneapolis bridge collapse 50 vehicles are said to be trapped, 4 people are confirmed dead, 20-30 people are still missing and 79 people were injured. Officials said that they expected the death toll to rise. Six years ago, the Minnesota Department of Transportation found minor problems with the bridge and a study suggested that if one of two support planes cracked the bridge could collapse. However, this was found to be unlikely and replacement of the bridge unnecessary. Two years ago, however, the US Department of Transportation said that the bridge was structurally deficient and received a rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, meaning that there is "advanced section loss, deterioration."
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to the site of the collapse but a spokesperson remarked that the focus has to be on emergency response. While they will be performing a full forensic analysis to see what caused the collapse, the NTSB emphasized that right now, it is more important to rescue every person possible.
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A wrongful death suit will be filed against both the bus driver and bus company that caused a fatal Chicago bus crash last month. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the 76-year-old bus driver had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Last fall, Levin & Perconti settled a lawsuit for $1.25 million on behalf of a 50-year-old woman who was struck by a bus while walking in a cross walk.
click here for the full article.
