Commercial vehicle accidents, such as those involving semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, buses, box trucks, and other large vehicles, can have many different causes. Some are due to a negligent truck driver or negligent commercial truck company, but other accidents can be caused by the negligence of other drivers on the road.
In some cases, a commercial vehicle accident may be less deadly because the large vehicles protect occupants better than smaller vehicles. However, larger vehicles can also be more prone to rolling-over, and a rollover can have dramatically harmful consequences. Recently on I-95 in Virginia, a bus carrying 16 passengers overturned near Lorton. Near exit 163, a passenger car was apparently speeding and cut into the path of the shuttle bus. The bus and car collided, and the bus went off the road, into a guardrail and overturned.
The 16 passengers, as well as the driver of the bus, were all taken to hospitals. Sadly, one person died and both the bus driver as well as another passenger suffered serious injuries. Most of the accident victims were in their 20s and hailed from Virginia’s Prince William County. The deceased victim was just 24 years old and had been working as well as studying computers in community college.
Fortunately, the driver of the passenger vehicle was located by police and was arrested for felony hit-and-run. Authorities are still investigating the crash. In an accident like this, injured parties will understandably want to know what happened, why it happened and how they can cope with the costs. If the accident that spurred those costs was caused by negligence, either of the bus driver or another driver on the road, those costs can be met via a civil suit aimed at making victims whole again. Such suits can result in compensation for medical treatment, hospitalization, lost wages and even other personal losses stemming from an accident.
Source: NBC 4 Washington, “Bus crash kills 1, hurts 16; suspect arrested,” March 24, 2014
