After careful review of evidence from the July 2010 Greyhound Bus Accident where 6 people died, Judge Donald Black has ordered a new trial. The evidence that Judge Black reviewed showed that the driver of the Bus was speeding on Highway 99 without wearing his corrective lenses that were required for driving when he hit an overturned SUV in the fast lane at 2am.
A Fresno Jury in March of this year initially found that Greyhound was not at fault for the July 2010 accident. The jury never explained their verdict and the court found that their verdict did not support the evidence. It was shown that the driver of the bus was in the fast lane speeding and not wearing his glasses when the accident occurred. The crux of the case was that dozens of cars had missed the overturned SUV that the bus hit and since Greyhound only employs professional drivers why wasn’t he able to avoid the accident as well? If the driver of the bus had been wearing his glasses and been paying attention he would have seen that several motorists had pulled over and turned on their emergency flashers in an effort to help the victims that were there.
Greyhound relied almost completely on the CHP report and investigation to support their position. The judge that overturned the jury decision said “There is no question that the bus driver was confronted with an unexpected object in the roadway but he failed to take any action to avoid that object. It thus cannot be said that he took a course of action that in hindsight was not the better choice.” It should also be noted that Greyhound has already spent more than $3 Million to settle with the two dozen injured bus passengers and with the families of two of the deceased. Greyhound never made an offer to any of the other victims so they took the last course of action available to them and they sued.
Bus drivers, cab and Uber drivers, airplane crew and truck drivers are liable for a higher standard of care when they do their job. The Public has reason to expect that level of concern and we agree with the Judge in this case that the driver and the company fell below the expected standard and people were injured and lives lost as a result. If you have been injured at the hands of someone who may have fallen below the standards set forth by the best practices of their profession call the Law Office of Guenard & Bozarth. We know what the standards are and we will work on your behalf. Call us at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We Can Help!
