Bus Crash

Dozens of Oregon people are seriously injured, or even killed, each year on what is one of the safest modes of transportation available—the bus. Fortunately, anyone who has been injured in a bus accident has rights, and there are a number of very good Portland bus accident lawyers available to help guide victims through the minefield of dealing with insurance companies and, often, government bodies.

Portland bus accident lawyers understand that many Oregon buses are operated by government entities. School districts and public transportation companies would be two examples, and many people find the prospect of tangling with any form of government body to be quite daunting. School buses, in fact, due no doubt to their large numbers and the amount of miles traveled, account for the highest percentage of fatalities in bus accidents. Almost four in every 10 fatalities occurred on school buses, followed closely by municipal buses, at 37%, according to statistics released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Common injuries that occur in bus accidents include whiplash, spinal cord injuries, fractures, abrasions, severe sprains, soft tissue damage and burns. In extreme cases, brain damage occurs, or in the worst case, death.

Portland Bus Accident Attorneys can Investigate to Help Determine Cause of Accident…

There are many reasons why Oregon buses are involved in crashes that cause serious or fatal injuries, but sometimes, it takes a lot of investigating to get to the root cause of that crash. This is where Portland bus accident lawyers are invaluable. They know what to look out for, after years of experience in helping victims of bus accidents. They’re not afraid to ask the awkward questions, and they know where to go to get the answers they need to protect their clients’ rights. Some of the main factors that contribute to bus crashes include:

• Inexperienced or even untrained drivers
• Drivers working while overly fatigued
• Drivers operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Poor mainteance practices by the bus company. Buses are extremely heavy, and therefore hard on brakes. Regular servicing is essential, but in some cases, bus companies cut corners in this important area.
• Overloaded conditions. People standing on a bus are far more likely to be seriously injured in the event of an accident.
• Insufficient or missing safety equipment

Sometimes, factors like poor road conditions can play a significant part in a bus accident. In cases like this, the lines determining what party is liable (the bus company, or the state/county responsible for maintaining public roads in a safe condition) become blurred. This is just another area where advice from an experienced Portland bus accident lawyer becomes invaluable.

When someone is injured on a privately-owned Oregon bus, it is relatively easy for Portland bus accident lawyers to prove liability. Private bus companies are considered “common carriers,” and in Oregon, the state requires common carriers to take great care in protecting not only its passengers, but other vehicles and pedestrians on the roads. If a government entity is involved, however, it may not be easy to get an admission of liability, even if the circumstances surrounding the accident appear clear cut. In such cases, it is essential to contact our Portland bus accident lawyers for a FREE consultation.

Date: December 28, 2009
Location: SE 76th & Stark St., Portland, Oregon
Names: Dobrivoje Ivkovic

A bus driver for senior citizens attending Providence ElderPlace in Portland, Oregon, was arrested December 28, 2009, for drunk driving, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident after he crashed his empty bus at SE 76th and Stark Street, around 3:30 PM. Police caught up with Dobrivoje Ivkovic, 41, at Providence Portland Medical Center on NE 48th and Glisan.

KOINLocal6.com said police believe the bus was unoccupied at the time of the crash. There were no injuries.

Ivkovic was taken to Multnomah County Jail.

Gary Walker, director of public affairs for Providence Health & Services, told The Oregonian that Ivkovic’s bus was used to transport older adults to and from Providence ElderPlace, a health care and social services program with a location near the hospital, at 4540 NE Glisan.

Walker would not comment on the allegations against Ivkovic, saying it was a personal matter.

As Portland hit and run lawyers, we are grateful that no one was injured in this crash, but we can’t help but be shocked. This driver was entrusted with the safety of senior citizens. Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and so is drunk driving, but there are legal options with a Portland hit and run lawyer.

The hit-and-run driver must be held responsible for his actions. And if anyone is injured in a hit and run crash, civil penalties may apply as well. At Shulman DuBois, our personal injury attorneys believe that hit-and-run, and drunk driving, are simply unacceptable. If you have been injured in a hit-and-run or drunk driving crash, contact our hit and run lawyers soon.

Shulman DuBois, LLC, is a personal injury law firm  located in SE Portland, Oregon, and serves clients in all Oregon cities and counties, including: Portland, Beaverton, Multnomah County, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Troutdale, Sellwood, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, Milwaukie, and Albany.

Date: December 8, 2009

This item comes from our “Better Late Than Never” file: The National Transportation Safety Board has called for procedures to remove unsafe buses from U.S. roads.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the NTSB wants agencies to identify companies that operate substandard buses, take the buses out of service, and force the companies to cease operations.

The NTSB issued their recommendations after investigating a January 2008 bus crash in Texas. The bus overturned, then was hit by a truck. One passenger was killed, 17 were seriously injured, and 29 people received minor injuries.

In the Texas crash, a driver with only three months of experience fell asleep on a trip from Monterey, Mexico, to Houston. The NTSB investigation into the accident uncovered numerous safety concerns.

In a report synopsis, the NTSB released their findings, including the following:

• Weather, road defects, and mechanical problems were not factors. However, the bus did not meet federal safety standards.

• The driver’s blood tests were negative for alcohol, but the bus company delayed testing and alcohol could not be ruled out.

• International Charter Services, which leased the bus to Capricorn Bus Lines, failed to maintain operational control and safety oversight of Capricorn’s operations.

• Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was authorized to conduct a compliance review, they never did, and Capricorn did not receive an “at-risk” rating, despite serious safety violations.

• FMCSA’s “tacit approval” of lease agreements gives a lower level of safety oversight to buses carrying live passengers than to buses hauling cargo.

• During the accident investigation, FMCSA knew that International Charter Services was providing services outside the scope of its authority, but never took action.

• A legal loophole allows unsafe bus companies to circumvent the law by transferring operating rights to newly formed companies, and current review processes do not identify unsafe buses and keep them from operating.

Capricorn lost its insurance in 2003 after a fatal accident in Mexico a year earlier, but avoided federal scrutiny because of its lease arrangement, receiving “tacit” approval from the FMCSA. Capricorn got a Texas license plate by having another company register the bus in California.

“I think that this accident is the mother of all shell games,” the NTSB’s Robert Sumwalt told the Chicago Tribune.

Incredibly, according to the NTSB, Capricorn went out of business but is still operating, this time as Flores U.S. Bus Lines.

“The traveling public should expect that any motor coach they ride complies with all of the safety criteria imposed on every other commercial passenger vehicle within our borders,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman in a press release.

We not only agree, we’re surprised it took this long. Bus riders have every right to expect that they’re riding in safe vehicles, and it’s too bad it took a death, and multiple injuries, to get the NTSB to act. But now that they’re on the case, we think their recommendations should be implemented sooner rather than later. Let’s not have another crash before we have top-notch safety standards that are carefully enforced, with no loopholes.

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