A bus driver, who hit and killed a teen operating a motorcycle in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (SC), was charged this week for failing to yield the right of way, according to WCIV-TV. The accident, which occurred in November of last year, claimed the life of an 18-year-old motorcyclist when bus driver Michael Joseph Burns, 77, failed to yield the right of way on an interstate ramp in Myrtle Beach according to reports.
The motorcyclist, who was a student at Academy of Arts, Science and Technology, collided with the bus and died at the scene of the accident. No students were on the bus during the time of the crash. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victim of this tragic accident, as well as his family and friends. Words cannot soften the impact that this unfortunate incident has certainly had on them.
Too often we see young lives stolen due to negligence and failure to practice safe driving on the roadways. This loss of life could have been prevented had the bus driver paid attention and yielded the right of way to the motorcyclist, and as we have reported in prior articles, motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to serious injuries due to the lack of a chassis and typical car or SUV occupant protections.
The fact is there are too many bus accidents occurring on the highways and interstates resulting in injury or loss of life. Many school bus crashes involve facts similar to what happened to this South Carolina teen. Each year, about “25 children are killed in school bus accidents,” according to the Student Transportation Safety (STS), The STS further reports that, “the most common fatality involving a school bus is to a motorist who hits the bus. There are about 120 Americans killed annually in this type of fatality.” These statistics, however, do not specify who—whether the bus driver or the motorist—is at fault for the accidents.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (NC-VA law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, Virginia Beach Injuryboard, and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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