At least 20 people were injured when a Greyhound bus driving to Las Vegas crashed in a remote section of Utah. In an instant, the bus would leave the highway, travel more than 100 yards, and finally flip over. Broken bones can be healed but many will face a lifetime of pain and horrific memories.
Farah and Farah is working with local Utah law firm, Craig Swapp & Associates, to take swift action for those injured. A woman from North Georgia was among the more severely injured and immediately reached out to our firm for guidance. Our client’s case is now the first suit against Greyhound bus lines to hold them accountable for this crash. Any victims of commercial accidents (including bus crashes) are encouraged to contact our firm to get direction, guidance, and an advocate every step of the way.
Who’s Responsible When a Greyhound Bus Crashes?
Whenever a Greyhound bus departs from the terminal, passengers are all assuming a safe, if not uneventful trip. The law states that Greyhound has a “duty of care” for every passenger. This applies while the bus is en route to its destination.
There are many different ways an accident involving a bus can take place. Our team has handled cases just like this so we understand how many are caused.
In the case of the Greyhound bus crash in Utah, there are likely several actions the driver took that contributed to the accident:
- The driver may have been speeding or not leaving enough space between the bus and other vehicles.
- The driver did, in fact, lose control of the bus.
- The driver may not have been paying attention at the time of the crash.
- The driver wasn’t being cautious along this stretch of highway or keeping a lookout for things like a bend in the road or a downhill slope.
- The driver simply wasn’t safely operating the bus.
Greyhound bus lines also hold liability in a case like this as it employs, trains, and supervises its drivers. Greyhound will need to answer for matters including:
- Greyhound may be found to have not supervised adequately, or their training program may have been lacking.
- They may not have followed correct procedures for correcting this driver after the crash took place.
- Greyhound’s policies for hiring, training, and supervising may be inadequate.
- Greyhound may not have followed industry standards in line with the above.
Given that there was snow on the ground, the driver needed to be extra cautious as he drove his bus full of passengers across the Utah desert. However, on this cold December night, that heightened level of caution simply did not take place and twenty people were seriously hurt as a result.
Not the First Time A Greyhound Has Crashed in Utah
Four years before the December 2021 crash took place, another Greyhound crashed in the same area around mile marker 112 on I-70. This prior incident resulted in the death of a child, as well as injured twelve of the passengers. Having two incidents from the same company so near to each other makes one wonder why Greyhound did not take more precautions. Why did they not train their drivers to exercise more caution along this stretch of highway?
In the lawsuit filed on behalf of the victim from North Georgia, the term “negligence” is used often. Negligence means failing to act in a way that protects people. For the reasons we’ve outlined above, having repeated and severe accidents in the same place shows that Greyhound was being negligent, which has led to dozens of injuries and even death.
“We’re Handling This” States Farah and Farah Attorney
Attorney Matt Grossman of Farah and Farah in Jacksonville represents the North Georgia victim who reached out to us for representation. Matt is highly skilled in commercial vehicle accidents and when asked what he would tell anyone involved, he responded, “We’re handling this. We intend to hold Greyhound responsible. Our client’s case was the first lawsuit filed from this crash which can help those injured receive justice faster for everything they’ve been through.”
When you are up against a giant corporation like Greyhound, they have teams of corporate lawyers who do nothing but try to limit their liability when an accident takes place. They’ll try to place the blame on things like the weather. However, the Utah Highway Patrol was quoted in an ABC News article as saying the road conditions were not that bad on the section of I-70 where the crash occurred. Our team is full of seasoned attorneys like Matt Grossman who know how to stand toe-to-toe with big corporations and hold them accountable for fairly compensating victims.
Why are “Rollover Accidents” So Dangerous?
When the Greyhound bus rolled over in Utah, the passengers inside faced far more dangers than with other types of accidents like a rear-end collision. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “a rollover crash is far more likely to result in fatalities than are non-rollover crashes”. This is because the body is undergoing stress in many different ways when a bus or vehicle tips over.
As well, flying debris, including other passengers, can strike with tremendous force and easily break bones. Broken bones can be life-threatening when they puncture an organ like the lungs or open up an artery.
Were You Hurt in a Greyhound Bus Accident? We’ll Act Fast to Get Victims the Compensation They Deserve
Our accident attorneys move fast to do the necessary legal work to hold Greyhound responsible when a crash occurs. If you or someone you know has been hurt in a Greyhound bus crash, please contact Farah & Farah for a free consultation. We’ll outline the options you have and the steps we can take to help make you whole again.
