Bus Accidents

San Bernardino Bus Crash Leaves 7 Injured

July 3, 2019 | by Robert Walch

A San Bernardino bus crash recently occurred when an OmniTrans bus collided with a car near Sierra Way and Base Line street around 5:30 p.m. According to The Press Enterprise, it appears that “the bus was driving east on Base Line Street when a car that was driving west on the same road veered into the path of the bus.”

The resulting crash left a person in the car with life-threatening injuries—fire fighters had to work to extricate this person who was then rushed to the Loma Linda University Medical Center. Six passengers on the bus also suffered injuries and were taken by ambulance to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.

Even though it seems as if the driver of the car may have been responsible for this San Bernardino bus accident, authorities are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident. In a case like this one, it will be very important for the injured parties to get in touch with an experienced San Bernardino personal injury attorney in order to get compensation for their injuries.

Woman Killed by Los Angeles Metro Bus While Waiting at Stop

March 13, 2019 | by Robert Walch

CBS Los Angeles News reported that a woman was killed by a metro bus while waiting at the bus stop. The Los Angeles Bus Accident occurred in the early morning around 12:20 a.m. The woman was identified as Heather Kirkorowicz, who was 41-years-old.

Police are currently investigating what caused the accident. Initial reports suggest that Kirkorowicz may have been hit as she was trying to flag down the bus. It appears that she may have stepped off the curb and into the street as the bus approached, which resulted in her being hit. The bus driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with the police after the incident.

Bus accidents are always frightening. Because of the size, force and momentum of a bus, occupants of vehicles or pedestrians hit by a bus frequently sustain catastrophic injuries, including fatalities. A bus accident will generally always involve an in-depth investigation to determine what caused the accident. Luckily, many buses are equipped with video cameras that can be useful in determining what happened.

Private Charter Bus Accident in San Fernando Valley Leaves Dozens Injured

October 22, 2018 | by Robert Walch

KTLA News reported that a “multivehicle collision on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley sent dozens of people to the hospital.” The large crash occurred around 1 p.m., on October 14, 2018. Apparently, a large private charter bus traveling northbound on the 405 Freeway crashed into several vehicles.

After the initial hits, the bus crashed through the concrete center divider and into oncoming traffic. The bus hit several more vehicles on the southbound side of the freeway. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and evaluated 40 people. 25 people involved in the accident were transported to the hospital by ambulance because of their injuries—5 of those victims were considered to be seriously injured.

The bus was a private charter bus carrying 37 people from a church event. Due to the large number of injuries and heavy traffic caused by the accident, even ambulances struggled to get to the scene. Footage of the accident showed debris from the center divider all along the freeway, as well as the damaged cars, which closed the freeway for hours. At this time, officials are not certain what caused the bus to collide with the other cars in the first place. Continue Reading

7 Killed in Los Angeles-Bound Greyhound Wrongful Death Accident

September 8, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A Los Angeles-bound bus accident, involving a big rig truck, has resulted in the deaths of seven bus passengers. The bus was a Greyhound bus coming from St. Louis and headed to Los Angeles. In addition to the bus accident wrongful death victims, 42 other passengers were taken to local hospitals for their bus accident injuries. According to ABC News 7, the accident occurred on Interstate 40 near Thoreau, New Mexico.

Initial reports by investigators show that a big rig was traveling eastbound when a front tire blew, causing the truck to lose control. The big rig smashed through the center median and went into oncoming traffic, hitting the bus. The truck turned on its side while the bus was severely damaged, and luggage was strewn across the freeway.

13 People Taken to the Hospital After East Los Angeles Bus Crash

March 25, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A bus accident in East Los Angeles this morning, involving two buses, resulted in at least 13 people being transported to the hospital. The Los Angeles bus accident occurred on the 10 Freeway.

While details of the accident are still developing, ABC News reports that, the Los Angeles Fire Department says that a car left the roadway, hit a tree and went into traffic lanes. After that, a Greyhound bus on its way to Los Angeles struck a Foothill Transit commuter bus. The incident occurred at about 10:30am on the 10 Freeway near Soto Street.”

In the aftermath of the crash, 40 people were assessed for possible injuries, and 13 people were sent to hospitals in the area.

6 Children Deceased In Bus Accident

November 23, 2016 | by Robert Walch

Sadly, a sixth child has passed away from the tragic bus accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The bus crash occurred on Monday when the students were being driven home from school. According to cnn.com, the driver of the bus, Johnthony Walker, went off the road and collided head on with a tree and turned over.

Surprisingly, blood tests on the driver did not find any drugs or alcohol in his system. In addition to the six children who were killed, another 12 suffered significant injuries, including serious head injuries and spinal injuries. Six of those 12 students are still hospitalized.

Apparently the bus was not on the regularly scheduled path and the driver was speeding. There are also reports that the bus driver asked the students if they were ready to die before the crash. This indicates that the bus driver may have intentionally caused this horrible crash.

Our sincerest condolences go out to the families of the young victims who were killed in this crash and we wish a fast recovery to those who suffered injuries.

Palm Desert Tour Bus Collision With 13 Deaths Update – USA Holiday Bus Driver and Owner, Elias Vides, Had Many Prior Safety Violations, Accidents and Citations

October 25, 2016 | by Robert Walch

Elias Vides, the well liked owner, operator and driver of the tour bus that crashed into the rear of a big rig truck on Sunday, October 23, 2016, killing 13 people, including himself, and injuring 31, not surprisingly to our team of lawyers had many prior safety violations, traffic tickets and lawsuits filed against him for prior bus versus car accidents alleging deaths and injuries.

According to data obtained from the federal government, the bus drove 68,780 miles in 2015 and the company had been in business for five years. Statistics show that the more miles and time one drives, clearly the more likelihood of accidents, collisions and traffic violations.

As previously reported in our blogs, the tour bus was traveling back from the Red Earth Casino in Thermal, near Salton Sea, on the I10 Freeway towards the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard located in the Koreatown community of Los Angeles, California, when it violently rear ended the big rig truck in front of it.

Thirteen people died and will have California wrongful death claims, including driver Vides (age 59) and 13 passengers. 31 people were injured, including the driver of the big rig truck, identified as Bruce Guilford, age 50, a resident of Covington, Georgia, that was rear ended by the tour bus.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Vides had been sued at least twice for negligence after collisions between his bus and other vehicles. One of these collisions allegedly resulted in the deaths of three (3) persons in another vehicle.

NTSB Launches Investigation into USA Holiday Desert Hot Springs Tour Bus Collision Which Killed 13

October 24, 2016 | by Robert Walch

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it had launched an investigation into the horrific tour bus accident which killed 13 and injured at least 31 others this past Sunday morning, October 23, 1016, at approximately 5:17 a.m. in Desert Hot Springs, California.

The NTSB has sent a “Go To Team” to Desert Hot Springs to investigate the causes of this collision. For more information about the NTSB, simply click here.

The tour bus, allegedly owned and operated by USA Holiday, was returning from the Red Earth Casino in Thermal near the Salton Sea, traveling westbound on the I10 Freeway, with its destination in Los Angeles, in the Koreatown area, at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. Many of its passengers were asleep when the tour bus allegedly rammed into and crashed into the rear of a big rig truck. Apparently the tour bus was traveling so fast and the impact was so violent that one-third of the bus was crushed.

13 People Killed in Palm Springs Tour Bus Accident

October 23, 2016 | by Robert Walch

A tragic bus accident in Palm Springs this morning caused the deaths of 14 people and left over 30 people with injuries. The Palm Springs bus accident occurred at about five o’clock in the morning on Interstate 10, near Indian Canyon Road.

According to LAIST.COM, the tour bus slammed into the rear of a big rig truck, which crushed the front end of the bus. Of the 31 injured people, five are reported to be in critical condition.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but based on photos of the scene, it appears the bus was traveling at a high speed when it struck the big rig truck. Most likely the bus driver and bus company, USA Holiday, will be found responsible for the crash and will have to pay for the wrongful death and injury claims. If the big rig truck driver did anything negligent to cause the crash, the truck company may also have to pay extensive damages.

Our California personal injury lawyers handle bus accident injury and wrongful death claims throughout the state of California. Recently, attorney Robert Walch went to arbitration on a Northern California bus accident case and won over $350,000 for his injured client. That client sustained arm injuries and scarring from broken glass from the bus.

Driver Suffers Critical Injuries in Lancaster AVTA Bus Accident

November 24, 2015 | by Robert Walch

An Antelope Valley Transportation Authority bus collided with a pickup truck Monday, causing critical, but apparently not fatal, injuries to the driver of the truck. According to the Lancaster Sheriff’s Department, the driver of the pickup truck did not stop at a stop sign, which led to this Lancaster bus accident.

The Antelope Valley Times is reporting that three occupants of the bus had to be taken to the hospital for their injuries and the rest of the occupants did not need immediate hospital care. It does not appear that anyone on the bus suffered serious injuries in this bus crash.

The bus accident occurred on Avenue K and 70th Street East in Lancaster, California. Investigators with the Sheriff’s Department will have to determine if the driver of the bus did anything to contribute to causing this accident. As our personal injury law firm handles many accident injury cases in Lancaster, we know that often times vehicles are speeding on Avenue K in this area. The Sheriff’s Department also reported that it does not appear that alcohol or drugs played a part in the collision.