At least four people suffered serious injuries after a commercial bus overturned on Interstate 95 (I-95) in Stafford County, Virginia (VA).
The bus reportedly overturned on its side in the southbound lanes between Stafford and Fredericksburg. There were 54 passengers on the bus when the wreck occurred. All of the passengers had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The bus driver, a resident of Flushing, New York, has been charged with reckless driving. Police believe speed was a factor in the crash, according to PilotOnline.com.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time a large commercial bus wrecked on I-95. Just a couple years ago, a commercial bus crashed on I-95 resulting in the deaths of four innocent passengers.
Just a few months ago, a tour bus wrecked on Route 13 while heading to Virginia Beach, VA. The result was multiple passengers suffering serious injuries.
In each instance, the bus driver was charged with a traffic violation. For example, in the Route 13 wreck, the bus driver was cited for a failure to keep a vehicle on the roadway. Now, the bus driver in this most recent Virginia incident is facing criminal charges for reckless driving. This begs the question – should there be additional oversight on how commercial bus lines hire their bus drivers?
These accidents all relate back to some careless error on the part of the bus driver. Obviously, we can’t eliminate all human error in driving, but it is possible to reform the requirements for someone to be allowed to operate a large commercial bus.
Another related issue is how commercial bus drivers are compensated. Many commercial bus companies, in an effort to maximize profit, do not pay bus drivers a great wage. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average commercial bus driver makes around $36,000 per year. To put that into context, the average store manager of a Starbucks makes $44,860 in salary per year.
We sincerely hope the passengers injured in this terrible bus accident, especially those in serious condition, make a speedy recovery.
PA
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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