Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In the last few years, our firm has undertaken multiple cases against bus companies and trucking companies, in which people were killed and catastrophically injured because a driver had been forced to drive more than the maximum allowable number of hours. Unfortunately, such accidents are all too frequent, owing—at least in part—to insufficient federal oversight of these companies.

Recently, we filed a case against the Canadian company, Mi Joo Tour and Travel, the operators of bus tours of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho. The sole driver of one of Mi Joo’s bus tours drove between 10 and 12 hours a day, in order to meet the demands of a tight travel itinerary. On the last day of one tour, he left Boise, Idaho early in the morning, and— three hours later, oblivious to signs on the icy Oregon interstate highway that warned of hazardous conditions—failed to slow down , lost control of the bus, and collided with a guardrail. The bus spun around and crashed down a steep embankment, rolling at least once before it landed. Nine passengers were killed, and 39 others were severely injured.

Multiple lawsuits were filed in different jurisdictions, alleging diverse causes of action. Allegations were made that the tour operator, Mi Joo, was vicariously liable for the driver’s failure to follow hours-of-service regulations, and to heed road and traffic warnings. In addition to negligence claims, it was alleged that the bus had several maintenance and product defects that contributed to the accident. Investigations indicate that at least one tire failed to meet the required standards for the particular driving conditions. Some passengers claimed that they had asked the driver why there were chains on the tires going to one location but not coming back, suggesting that something was undeniably wrong.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered Mi Joo to cease operations, and cited the driver for excessive driving hours. The FMCSA also noted, in an out- of-service order, that it had cited Mi Joo in 2010-2011 for violating drug- and alcohol-testing regulations, and had suspended the company for two months in 2011, until it paid an agency fine. During those investigations, the FMCSA uncovered multiple safety violations.

Accidents such as these, and the legal actions that ensue, demonstrate the need for better regulatory oversight— and, indeed, for an overhaul of the federal system that regulates motor carriers and buses engaged in interstate transportation. They also suggest that the FMCSA must increase the frequency and depth of compliance reviews of carriers that are subject to prior out-of-service orders. After all, the companies that operate these vehicles owe the highest duty of care to fare-paying passengers.

The Philadelphia bus accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have over 34 years of experience representing victims and families of those catastrophically injured or killed in trucking and bus accidents. Our lawyers have been recognized as among the top lawyers in the United States. They are members of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and have been noted by their peers to have the highest possible rating in both legal abilities and ethical standards. Reiff and Bily always offers a free, no obligation consultation. Call them toll free, at 1-800-421-9595.

According to news sources, a Pastor with a commercial driver’s license steered a Megabus to safety after the driver was reportedly incoherent and weaving in and out of traffic on a Pennsylvania highway.

Megabus officials confirmed that this incident occurred at approximately 6:00 p.m. on August 27, 2012 near the Bedford exit as the Megabus was westbound from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Initial reports indicate that the Pastor of City Reach Church, Pittsburgh’s North Side, noticed that the driver was incoherent and he grabbed the wheel after other passengers also noticed the bus was weaving.

News sources report that the bus driver told the Pastor that she needed to change her eyeglasses and indicated that she had forgotten to take her blood pressure medication. A passenger identified as Stefon Braxton stated that the Pastor “jumped on her (driver’s) lap and started steering the bus, and the other passengers, they pulled her out.”

Continue reading "Another Potential Megabus Disaster is Avoided by the Saving Actions of a Religious Official" »

For the last 33 years, I have concerned myself with prosecuting legal cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths resulting from bus accidents, truck accidents, and car accidents. In the last few years, I have all too often met with families who lost a mother, father, or child as a result of extensive safety violations that contributed to their death.

Recently, it was determined that U.S. regulators failed to shut down a discount bus operator, Sky Express, after finding extensive and obvious safety violations prior to the accident. Four people were killed. Our office represents an individual who sustained some of the worst injuries that one can imagine in one of these bus accidents and like many of us, we are unable to comprehend how the discount bus carrier was operating after being cited for 204 violations and 95 roadside inspections in the ten months preceding the accident. The facts in this case are egregious. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had conducted four safety reviews in four years at Sky Express which is unusual for an agency that inspects 2 to 3% of buses a year due to limited resources. So, in effect, this company was prominent on the radar screen. The crash and resulting injuries and deaths were entirely preventable. While many individuals and non-specializing lawyers may point the finger at a tired driver and the owner of the bus company, in this case, federal regulators failed in their oversight of an industry ripe with issues, problems, and safety concerns. In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also issued a blistering report on Tuesday, July 31st when NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman also blamed ineffective government oversight for the accident.

As a consumer safety advocate attorney who has investigated thousands of car accidents, fatal bus, and truck crashes over the last three decades, I am always amazed when manufacturers, owners, and operators, fail to make changes in the name of public safety including stronger roofs, safety belts, and maintenance issues, and my concern raises to an even higher level when despite notice of these problems, the government takes no corrective action.

It is my hope as a committed commercial vehicle accident attorney that the passengers who died and those who suffered catastrophic injuries will serve as a monument of action and that those responsible will be held deeply accountable for the damages sustained by the victims in a horrific accident that should have never happened.

As an experienced Philadelphia bus accident attorney, I have recently noticed an increase in the number of bus accidents occurring not only in Philadelphia, but across the entire country.

While bus accident investigators are quick to blame these accidents on undertrained or overworked drivers, I believe the recent rise in the number of bus accidents may be related to a bus or vehicle defect involving the drive shafts used by manufactures building these buses.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating Motor Coach Industry buses for the past 20 years, finding that the drive shafts on the MCI D series buses have on occasion fallen out of buses causing bus drivers to lose control of the bus right before an accident.

The NHTSA probe covers an estimated 4,000 MCI D-Series buses with a steerable rear axle currently on the road. NHTSA has reported that the drive shafts on the MCI buses can fall off and damage the bus breaking system. Innocent and unknowing bus passengers have no idea of the risks they are facing when they step foot on one of these defective buses. Recently, an Americanos USA bus operated by Greyhound crashed on Interstate 37 near San Antonio, killing two and injuring 40 others.

Bus experts investigating potential defects involving these drive shafts have concluded that while drive shafts rarely completely fall off a bus, a loosely attached or hanging drive shaft bus drive shaft can be just as dangerous. A hanging drive shaft can snag on the roadway, resulting in a bus rollover accident.

We believe that the bus industry and federal regulators must more closely regulate the condition and safety of their vehicles and passengers and start protecting their passengers.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident that was believed to be the fault of the driver, or you were involved in a bus rollover, it is important you consult with an experienced bus defects lawyer who is familiar with potentially defective bus drive shafts. Contact the experienced bus accident attorneys at Reiff and Bily for a free consultation to evaluate your injuries and claims at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. We have over three decades of experience investigating commercial bus accidents and prosecuting claims on behalf of bus accident victims and their families.

In the last two years, I have been entrusted with the representation of several individuals who sustained some of the most unimaginable catastrophic injuries that will dramatically affect them for the rest of their lives as a result of short cuts and corner cutting by low cost bus services which sacrificed safety in the name of profits.

The Double Happiness Bus Company regularly transports passengers on the northeast corridor making stops in Philadelphia, Washington, New York City, and Albany, New York.

In December, the U. S. Department of Transportation declared Double Happiness a “eminent hazard to safety” after federal review found numerous safety violations in hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and controlled substance and alcohol testing. It was interesting to note that in our representation of individuals in some of our cases we had to pursue a complicated web of corporate shells and identities before we were able to discern the appropriate and responsible corporate and individual entities that are operating these buses.

When a passenger boards a bus, he or she has every right to expect that the bus will be properly inspected, operated safely, and not operated by an over-fatigued, alcohol or drug induced intoxicated driver. One has a rightful expectation that the bus will be regularly and safely maintained.

The experienced Pennsylvania bus accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily salute the efforts of federal officials in obtaining a court order against the Chinatown bus company, as well as salute every continual effort that federal and state agencies utilize at their disposal to protect the traveling public and remove unsafe bus companies and commercial carriers from our highways. On a side note, it should be stated that the restraining order against the Double Happiness Bus Company cited four violations of controlled substance and alcohol use, including two drivers who had failed pre-employment drug tests. Additionally the company had filed 49 false driver reports and violated several inspections and maintenance regulations. I have voraciously argued for enforcement of common carrier rules when it comes to the substandard bus companies and believe that one must stand for something.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of a common carrier or catastrophic bus accident, our experienced investigators and legal experts are always glad to offer a free, no obligation consultation and a zero recovery, no fee guarantee.

Imagine this scenario, you were in a violent automobile collision where both vehicles have to be towed from the scene, occupants taken to the hospital and diagnosed with significant and permanent injuries. A few days later, a representative of the insurance company comes to your house and offers a small sum of $250 to settle the claim and tries to disclaim responsibility in an attempt to intimidate the claimants. Does this sound strange? Indeed it does, but unfortunately it is true.

I recently met with clients who were witnesses and participants in this scenario only to learn that they had sustained severe and permanent debilitating injuries which require surgical intervention and due to the fact they were naïve and immigrants to America, a representative of the insurance company for the striking vehicle clearly tried to take advantage of them when the justifiable and proper resolution of their claim could be worth a multiple of hundreds of thousands more than the original settlement offer.

Why does this continue to happen? Because the main objective of insurance companies is to try to avoid payments of justified claims or settle early before claimants have a chance to educate themselves and seek the advice and opinion of an experienced car accident lawyer who understands the stonewalling and low balling techniques increasingly utilized by insurance companies. It is imperative to fight back against the insurance companies if you are injured in a Philadelphia car accident caused by the negligence of another.

Experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney Jeffrey Reiff has witnessed such despicable insurance company behavior for over three decades and distinctly remembers one claim over 30 years ago where an adjuster for a large company visited a wonderfully naïve and polite elderly “old school” Italian woman, bringing her lunch and offering her a check for $100 to settle her claim that was ultimately resolved later for over $100,000. Initially the client was going to accept the $100 to fully settle her claim after she was seductively encouraged to do so by the “kind claims representative” who befriended her with lunch and polite small talk about her family. Chance favors the prepared mind and I advise anyone involved in a serious automobile accident who sustains a serious injury to contact an experienced car accident lawyer for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss their rights and remedies.

Car accidents in Pennsylvania are one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths. It is important to level the playing field by seeking the assistance of a lawyer who has dealt with insurance companies and tens of thousands of cases involving cars, buses, and truck accidents.

Reiff and Bily is an experienced Pennsylvania catastrophic injury and car accident law firm and always offers a free, no obligation consultation and can be reached toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. We always offer a zero recovery, no fee guarantee.

Over the last year, our law firm has been retained to represent catastrophically injured victims of trucking accidents as well as high profile bus accidents. One thing is very apparent, many truck and bus operators continue to put greed first and stress profits over safety. Driver fatigue is the number one epidemic and safety problem in the commercial motor vehicle transportation industry and is perhaps the most dangerous hazard on the road today. Unfortunately, as is the case with many of the clients we have represented who have been in bus or trucking accidents, shortcuts, health deficiencies, and driver fatigue are often easily predictable, yet an easily preventable means of highway tragedies.

When I meet with a client who has had the wind knocked out of his or her sails economically, financially, and medically at a young age as a result of a truck or bus accident, it angers me and makes me aggressive to the point of doing anything it takes to win for my client. Yes, I am one of the greedy trial lawyers, I am greedy for client justice. I find it most interesting that those who we regularly litigate against, as well as their lobbyists, often note that trial lawyers are greedy. The fact is, actually, that fatigued drivers and shortcuts in the monitoring of commercial vehicle drivers is a national monument to corporate greed. Many government officials and trucking industry executives are acutely aware of important and extremely dangerous safety issues, yet they continue to ignore them due to greedy profits or motives. If you combine these factors with the increased usage of cell phones and texting while driving, which has been banned in all but a few states, there exists a national epidemic on our highways that is largely being ignored.

The catastrophic injury, car accident, and bus accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily are committed to consumer safety and will continue to fight the fight against greedy corporations with our clients one case at a time. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck or bus accident, contact one of our experienced Philadelphia catastrophic injury lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

2011 is shaping up to be a banner year in the annals of tour bus accidents and resulting deaths and injuries. That is more than the total of 2010 when there were 30 fatalities, 272 injuries, and 28 tour bus crashes. In the wake of tour bus accidents, investigations have been commenced by various state and national authorities. However our experienced bus accident attorneys and investigators understand that many tour bus companies and discount bus operators continue to stress profitability rather than safety and seem to be taking all too many short cuts in a tightened economy.

For years, bus safety advocates and bus accident lawyers called for legislation with teeth that would strengthen bus driver safety and driving training. In our independent analysis of many bus companies and their drivers, we have found abysmal safe records. In one case, the tour bus drivers were cited for over 46 safety violations including speeding and fatigue. Many drivers were found to have deportation detainers from immigration and customs departments, as well as felony warrants. In one of our cases, one of the bus companies claimed to have an office in a premise that was totally non-existent. Amazingly the bus company still continues to operate despite fatalities in alleged ongoing investigations.

Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey was concerned that the Department of Transportation was not moving quickly enough to make motor coaches or buses safer and was quoted as saying “Just because bus companies can discount prices, doesn’t mean they can discount safety”. Unbelievably in one of our cases, the insurance company claims that the bus did not have insurance as stated on their certificate. Until lawmakers take proper steps, bus owners and operators will continue to skirt the system and unfortunately more and more lives will be lost and other innocent and unknowing victims injured. We recommend that buses be equipped with black box recorders similar to those installed in airplanes.

Continue reading "In The First Six Months Of 2011, 17 Tour Bus Accidents Result In 323 Serious Injuries And 32 Fatalities - A Disturbing Trend Opines Bus Accident Law Firm Who Has Repeatedly Called On Legislators For Tighter Safety Legislation" »

Unfortunately another deadly bus accident has occurred in New York taking the lives of several innocent and unknowing victims. Over the last six months, there have been a series of bus crashes and near crashes involving the discount tour bus industry which has killed almost 20 individuals and catastrophically injured many others.

The experienced bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are representing individuals and their families in one of the earlier fatal bus crashes and our investigative efforts have revealed a plethora of bus safety and driver training issues and problems. To reiterate the words of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer who is pushing for legislation to strengthen bus safety and driver training, “There isn’t a moment to spare when keeping bus passengers and drivers safe and informed”. As a bus accident and catastrophic injury attorney who deals with the almost incomprehensible tragedies that occur in the lives of otherwise innocent victims, it is evident that the bus industry is incapable of regulating itself when it comes to safety. The bus industry continues to emphasize profitability over safety and the growing epidemic of crashes over the last few months reenforces the need for strict legislation with teeth to address this terrible epidemic. We wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts of Senator Schumer and others committed in their fight to improve tour bus safety.

Reiff & Bily has recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group and together we have recovered over $2 billion dollars in verdicts, settlement, and awards for catastrophically injured victims and their families. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com

Over the last six months, there have been a multitude of fatal bus accidents mostly involving discount bus operations. After each accident, there is a news story alleging highlight of safety concerns and woes with investigations noting many times that the bus operators involved had multiple safety violations yet continue their operations.

Enough is enough! How many more victims must be catastrophically injured or killed before real action is taken by government authorities?

As an experienced bus accident who is representing several catastrophically injured victims involved in discount bus accidents, talk is cheap and there should be absolutely no tolerance for passenger bus companies that put passengers at risk. Unfortunately, according to news sources, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Administration allowed Charlotte-based SkyExpress Inc. to keep operating despite numerous safety violations in four previous accidents. Finally, the unsafe practices caught up with the company when a fatigued driver ran into an embankment, rolled over, and killed 4 and injured another 54.

The experienced bus accident legal team of the Beasley Reiff Law Group ask what would it take for the National Transportation Safety Board and various state regulators to shut down common carriers and bus companies with horrendous safety records which put passenger safety at risk. We believe that had the Charlotte-based SkyExpress been shut down due to knowledge of its abysmal safety record an accident may have been prevented and to quote Louis Pasteur, "chance favors the prepared mind". Astoundingly federal inspection records indicate that SkyExpress drivers were cited for 46 safety violations over 2 years including speeding and fatigue. Drivers performed worse than 86.2% of all drivers in fatigued driving and drive too many hours without rest. What is clear, as evidenced from the rash of discount bus accidents, is that the current model does not work. It is time for government regulators and state officials, as well as the public, to demand zero tolerance for cost cutting compromises to safety!

Continue reading "After Every Fatal Bus Accident Many Stories Appear Alleging That "This" Accident Highlights Bus Safety Concerns - Experienced Bus Accident Lawyers Tired of Deja Vu Experience And Weigh In" »

Our experienced bus crash and rollover lawyers and investigators have been busy the last few months investigating various tour bus accidents which catastrophically injured many and killed many individuals. Most of the tour bus operators involved in the fatal accidents were discount bus services. Many had unsatisfactory ratings and were found to be in violation of multiple federal safety regulations.

In this recent bus crash disaster, the New York City bound bus hit an embankment and overturned in Virginia and the driver was later charged with reckless driving and he claimed fatigue was a factor in the crash. Federal documents revealed that this particular bus company had a particularly poor safety record. News sources indicate that over the last two years the small bus company involved in this fatal and catastrophic accident had been involved in several accidents with 46 violations of fatigued drivers over the same time period. Although the bus company offered a relatively inexpensive fare between New York City and North Carolina ($30), our experienced bus accident attorneys and the federal government recognize that safety should always be the number one priority and that carriers such as this, whether they are discounted or not, owe the highest obligation of care and safety to unsuspecting fare paying passengers.

While the bus industry has been a booming business for discounters, a string of fatal accidents has prompted calls for federal regulations. As an outspoken critic of the bus and common carrier industry, I have been writing for years on this very topic. In one of our cases, our investigators were unable to even locate an existing office for one of the discount bus companies despite information provided to federal and state authorities. While the bus industry claims that these problems are limited to a small number of rogue operators, the experienced bus accident attorneys of the Beasley Reiff Law Group understand that until tougher government regulations and enforcement of the regulations are put into effect with strict penalties this situation will continue in epidemic proportion and that many innocent people will put their lives at risk.

Continue reading "Feds Shut Down Another Tour Bus Line After Virginia Bus Crash Kills Four - Pennsylvania Tour Bus Accident Lawyers Wonder Why It Took So Long" »

Dozens were injured and 4 people were killed and yet another tour bus rolled over in a catastrophic bus accident. According to news sources, the bus was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to New York when it hit an embankment in Virginia and rolled over onto its roof on I-95 on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. The bus was carrying 58 passengers and its Chinatown office in New York was empty of workers on the date of the accident. Police blamed the bus accident on driver fatigue and investigators said that charges were pending.

As an experienced tour bus accident lawyer, it seems that the epidemic of driver fatigue and bus accidents continues to increase at an alarming rate and must be curtailed by stricter regulations, guidelines, driver health, and background checks.

The law office of Reiff & Bily in conjunction with the Beasley Firm joined forces to create the Beasley Reiff Law group and are currently representing victims of another bus crash that occurred just a few months ago when a bus traveling to Chinatown from New York to Philadelphia crashed killing and catastrophically injuring other individuals.

Since 1958, the lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have recovered over $2 billion dollars on behalf of catastrophically injured victims and their families. If you or a loved on has sustained catastrophic injuries or suffered a wrongful death as a result of a tour bus accident, please contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

Did you ever get in a taxi cab and take the ride from hell leaving you wondering in the back seat as you are being thrown around where did this guy get his driver’s license. Due to the recent upsurge of catastrophic bus accidents in New York and New Jersey this past year, a crackdown was initiated to improve bus and taxi cab safety.

On Monday, May 9, 2011, 46 commercial drivers were arrested due to the fact they possessed a high number of unanswered traffic tickets, felony warrants, deportation detainers from immigration and customs departments, possessing false instruments, falsifying business records, and being unlicensed operators of vehicles, buses, and taxi cabs. Transportation officials conducted almost 2,000 surprise roadside inspections resulting in the removal of 143 vehicles and 173 additional drivers. In the last few months, there were a number of fatal bus crashes in the Bronx which killed 15 passengers, and another one on the New Jersey Turnpike on a bus bound from New York to Philadelphia which killed two people and injured 41 others. The U.S. Department of Transportation suspended the operation of the tour bus company in the New Jersey Turnpike crash and federal authorities and lawmakers continue to investigate. Congress is now calling for the passage of bus safety bills requiring seat belts in buses, anti-ejection glazing on windows, and stronger roofs to withstand rollovers, and reduce flammability of bus interiors.

The experienced Philadelphia bus and taxi cab accidents attorneys at Reiff & Bily are representing victims of the New Jersey Turnpike crash and salute the efforts of law enforcement officials in their efforts to promote highway safety and protect innocent consumers.

If you or a loved one has sustained a catastrophic injury as a result of bus accident or taxi cab accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily for a free, no obligation consultation online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com.

As an experienced bus accident attorney for the last 32 years, this winter brought to light just how dangerous bus travel can be. Our office is representing the interests of several catastrophically injured people who were involved in a New Jersey Turnpike accident last month which also killed a 21-year old Montgomery County, Pennsylvania man. State and Federal regulators have placed bus safety square in their spotlights. The Feds have shut down Super Luxury Tours of Wilkes Barre, PA. Our investigators have incurred a spider webs of confusion and misrepresentations on behalf of the many tour bus operators. As I have noted before, one generally assumes that bus travel is one of the safest means of transportation, but unfortunately, this is not the case when operators take short cuts on safety and maintenance. The U.S. Department of Transportation claims it is committed to improving tour bus safety records requiring higher standards of safety and controls for coaches and buses. The Greyhound Line, the nation’s largest intercity operator, recently announced that it would begin installing lap and shoulder seat belts on all its new buses.

Recently a federal court in Sacramento, California ruled that Greyhound could be held liable for failing to put seat belts on its buses. The case where 8 passengers traveling on a Greyhound bus were injured in a rollover accident on the I-5 freeway. Greyhound’s action to equip their new buses with seat belts represent a safety breakthrough, and we salute the concern for safety as the federal government does not yet require seat belts on large buses.

I never had a second thought about using one of the cut rate bus services or even putting my children on one of the buses from Philadelphia to New York or Washington. After all, I thought to myself, what could really go wrong. One would normally think that buses provide one the safest means of transportation and should most certainly be safer than an airplane.

As news events of the past few months has indicated, many deadly tour bus crashes have occurred as a result of numerous safety and maintenance violations by many bus operators. Just last week a surprise New York bus inspection removed 124 drivers and 100 buses from the road following the deadly New York bus crash a month ago. A tour bus crashed on March 12, 2011 on a Bronx highway returning to the city from a casino in Connecticut killing 15 people. Our experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys have been retained to represent victims of another tour bus crash in New Jersey a few days later, and the results of our investigation are very concerning and somewhat horrifying. We filed a lawsuit on behalf of a catastrophically injured victim only to be stonewalled by false information, addresses, and what appears to be misrepresentation of corporate identities and parties.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has recently implemented facial recognition technology to arrest 31 drivers with commercial licenses for using aliases to fraudulently obtain multiple licenses with 50 more cases being reviewed. Federal transportation officials reported 2,800 spot checks of passenger buses from March 28 to April 6 resulting in 289 drivers of buses being removed from the road. Also, this followed 300 buses being removed from service after 3,000 inspections after 17 days of earlier spot checks.

Recently the Philadelphia bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm to form the Beasley Reiff Law Group and together have recovered over $2 billion dollars for injured victims. If you or a loved one has sustained catastrophic injuries or wrongful death as a result of being involved in a tour bus or other bus accident, please contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130 for a free, no obligation consultation.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation shut down the Wilkes-Barre based tour bus company that was involved in the March 14, 2011 deadly bus accident. It was found that the bus driver violated federal insurance requirements.

Ironically, the decision to shut down the tour bus company came on the same day that the Senate subcommittee confronted the department because it was not addressing bus safety quickly enough. Subcommittee Chairman, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), was concerned that the Department of Transportation was not moving quickly enough to make motor coaches or tour buses safer. He also felt that it was unsafe to continue to put unsafe buses and bus operators on the road. Senator Lautenberg was quoted as saying, “Just because bus companies can discount prices doesn’t mean they can discount safety.”

The experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys Jeffrey Reiff and Raymond Bily have filed one of the first lawsuits against Super Luxury Tours on behalf of a victim who sustained catastrophic injuries in the March 14, 2011 bus crash, which also claimed the lives of several others.

The experienced auto accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily has recently joined forces with the catastrophic bus accident attorneys of The Beasley Firm and both law firms have been awarded in excess of $2 billion dollars on behalf of our clients since 1958. We will continue to diligently work on behalf of our clients, as well as with lawmakers, to ensure that the wrongdoers are brought to justice. For more information, contact us online at Beasley Reiff Law Group or toll free at 1-800-588-0130 for a free, no obligation consultation.

Experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorneys Jeffrey Reiff and Raymond Bily have filed one of the first lawsuits against Super Luxury Tours on behalf of a victim who sustained catastrophic injuries in the March 14, 2011 bus crash, which also claimed the lives of several others.

The bus company involved in the fatal and catastrophic accident reported that it had offices in Wilkes-Barre, PA. However, the locations listed on paperwork filed with the Department of State are not occupied by anyone affiliated with the tour group or the bus company. Our investigators have determined that the company has had multiple accidents and multiple safety violations on its records over the past two years. According to state reports, Super Luxury Tours lists 115 N. Meade Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA as its address. However the building is a multi-unit apartment building owned by James A. and Helena K. Davis of Hanover Township. The building is a duplex with both units rented out. The landlord claims of no knowledge of the bus company operating out of the building.

Another address listed by Super Luxury Tours was identified to be a vacant space located at 17 E. Market Street across the street from City Hall in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Super Luxury Tours is identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as having a higher than average number of violations for unsafe driving, including 9 tickets in the past two years for speeding, improper passing, and failure to obey traffic controls. They have also been repeatedly cited for having drivers who do not speak English. To add insult to injury, the passengers who were catastrophically injured or killed as a result of this accident are being denied benefits for payment of financial losses for themselves and their families.

As an experienced Pennsylvania bus accident attorney, I am horrified that buses entrusted with the safety of transporting innocent passengers away from the stresses of everyday life operate in a system lacking proper safety regulations and concern for the safety of innocent passengers. The legal team of Reiff & Bily has recently joined forces with the catastrophic bus accident attorneys of the Beasley Firm and both law firms have been awarded in excess of $2 billion dollars on behalf of our clients since 1958. We will continue to diligently work on behalf of our clients, as well as with lawmakers, to ensure that the wrongdoers are brought to justice. For more information, contact us online at Beasley Reiff Law Group or toll free at 1-800-588-0130 for a free, no obligation consultation.

As an experienced Pennsylvania catastropic bus accident and car accident attorney since 1979, I salute New York State transportation investigators whose sting operation, weeks after a horrific bus crash, ordered 14 buses off the road. New York State investigators reported 9 major safety issues with drivers including lack of updated log books which indicates how long a driver has been behind the wheel, as well as 10 major vehicle issues and 40 minor infractions.

On March 9, 2011, 15 people were killed in the Bronx borough of New York when a bus returning to New York from Connecticut overturned and split in two by a side support pole. The experienced Pennsylvania bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have been contacted to represent the interests of several individuals on the bus. Our own investigation has indicated concern regarding various violations against the driver and safety issues of that particular bus. As a result of the New York sting, 54 criminal summons were issued Friday, March 18, 2011 and 8 of the buses were towed away due to safety violations. Other buses ordered out of service were safe enough to be driven by qualified drivers but evidentally not safe enough for passengers.

The bus involved in the New Jersey Turnpike crash had “one of the worst rankings for unsafe driving”. The Pennsylvania bus accident, car accident, and product safety lawyers of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the legendary bus accident lawyers of the Beasley Firm and we have been calling for a crackdown on unsafe buses for decades. I have always believed that you get what you pay for. However, safety should always be a priority and always triumphs over profitability.

The Super Luxury Tours bus involved in the New Jersey Turnpike accident had a score of 99.6% for unsafe driving, meaning it scored worse that all but 0.04% of all bus carriers in the nation.

If you or a loved one has sustained catastrophic injuries or wrongful death as a result of a tour bus or casino bus accident, put decades of experience on your side. The Pennsylvania bus accident and car accident lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been awarded billions on behalf of their clients and have hundreds of settlements, verdicts, and awards in excess of $1 million dollars. Please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 800-421-9595.

In the last few weeks and months, many innocent victims have been killed and catastrophically injured as a result of being involved in bus accidents operated by cut rate bus companies.

A New York bus crash that killed 15 people on their way home from a casino focused attention on problems federal and safety investigators have warned about for years, namely driver fatigue and failure to perform proper background checks. The driver of the bus had a past history notable for past offenses and driving on a suspended license and should not have been behind the wheel. There is an old saying “you get what you pay for”, and whereas a normal trip to New York on a Greyhound bus might sell for $50, a Bolt bus and some of the other cut rate buses charge anywhere for $1 to $12 for a trip to New York. However, one thing is for certain, the safety of passengers should not be compromised no matter what the cost.

As an experienced Pennsylvania catastrophic bus accident lawyer, I am well aware of short cuts taken by bus operators in order to maximize profitability. Beside the negligence to the bus operator and driver, the initial analysis of this case recognizes that perhaps the bus had product defect or design defect issues such as failure to use laminated windows which would prevent ejection of the passengers and allow for containment – one of the key safety factors in a rollover accident. Also, there may be a roof crush or crashworthiness issue. The victims and their families would be well served to seek the services of an experienced bus accident attorney with a background in automotive product liability to fully evaluate this claim and work with a team of accident reconstructionists and biomechanical engineers in order to make a proper financial recovery. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones and we pray for a speedy recovery for those catastrophically injured.

The experienced Pennsylvania car accident, bus accident and automotive defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily currently joined forces with the Beasley Firm and together both firms have been awarded over $2 billion dollars representing the rights of injured victims and their families since the mid-1950’s. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Recently a 16-year old mentally challenged teenager stole a bus from SEPTA and damaged 20 cars. One of the victims, Judy Farley Friday raised the same question that I had raised: “How does a 16-year old boy just walk in there and take a bus?” Ms. Farley’s vehicle, a 2009 Camry, was damaged in March after a SEPTA bus was stolen from the SEPTA Victory depot at 69th Street and Victory Avenue in Upper Darby, PA. Farley further added, “If I had left a minute sooner, I would have been in the car and probably the bus would have got me before I got to the car.” That’s how fast he was going. According to the teenager, he informed authorities that the bus was left unattended with the keys in the ignition. SEPTA claims they are trying to figure out what happened. Richard Maloney, A SEPTA representative, stated, “We are still sorting it out and it’s going to take some time. The insurance and the lawyers and all the rest of that.” Maloney suggested that victims file claims through their own insurance companies.

As an experienced Philadelphia bus accident lawyer since 1979, I am somewhat alarmed at the situation and just as alarmed at the response of SEPTA’s spokesperson Richard Maloney. Bus companies such as SEPTA owe the public the highest duty of care to prevent bus accidents whether they be property damage or serious injuries to pedestrians or passengers. It was quite lucky that no one got catastrophically injured or killed as a result of this negligent behavior by SEPTA and it is a warning shot that safety procedures are not proper. We urge a closer investigation into this matter by SEPTA and law authorities so that future injuries or fatalities do not occur to other innocent victims.

If you or a loved one is a victim of bus accident, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia bus accident lawyers for a free no obligation consultation.

A 13-year old was killed as he traveled into the path of a Lanta bus in Lehigh County and was hit and run over causing catastrophically fatal injuries. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the families of those involved in this accident.

The experienced bus accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily are all too familiar with these unfortunate situations and, in fact, successfully represented the family of another Lehigh Valley teenager killed by a Lanta bus. The family would be well served to seek the services of an experienced bus accident attorney to fully investigate this case and work with authorities to properly insure that their legal interests are protected to the maximum of their ability.

Bus companies owe the highest duty of care to passengers and pedestrians to protect against injuries and death due to the ever increasing congestion of roads, particularly in urban satellite cities. The number of deaths and injuries from bus accidents is also rising. Bus accidents should be properly investigated to determine if the cause was bus driver negligence, improper bus maintenance, improper driver training or background check, roadway design or defect, or many other possible causes.

If you were a passenger on a bus or a pedestrian injured in a bus accident, whether public or private, you are owed the highest and utmost duty of care associated with a common carrier to properly protect your rights. It is best to consult with an experienced Pennsylvania bus accident lawyer.

According to news sources, new developments have been reported concerning a fatal tour bus crash that killed 2 people along a Texas highway and injured 30 other people when the bus turned over on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. The tour bus carrying 40 people from Mexico and the United States veered off the road of Interstate 37 at 10:00 a.m. and cut back on the road before overturning on its right side. Officials now believe that equipment failure may be the culprit for the deadly rollover bus crash. The bus was operated by Auto Buses Americana, a Greyhound company, and was headed from San Antonio to Mexico.

The experienced bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are committed to bus and commercial carrier safety and have a successful track record of representing those catastrophically injured or killed in a bus accident. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact one of our experienced bus accident lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman has scheduled a news conference to detail vehicular homicide charges, including multiple counts of reckless endangerment, against a school bus driver Frederick Poust III. Poust was at the wheel of a Perkiomen Valley School Bus carrying 45 students on the morning of February 17, 2010 when it collided with an oncoming car killing the passenger in the car and catastrophically injuring the driver.

As I noted in a prior blog, the school bus driver had been behind the wheel in another fatal accident a decade ago. In the previous fatal accident, the school bus driver was dialing his girlfriend on his cell phone when his Ford Explorer blew through a stop sign in Bucks County crashing into another car and killing a two-year old girl.

As it appears to this experienced Philadelphia car accident and school bus accident lawyer, the school bus company nor the responsible individuals did any background check on this driver’s past history. With the easy availability of driver records and a simple background check, perhaps this accident may have been avoided and the tragic loss of lives prevented.

Eight people were killed early on Friday morning March 5, 2010 when a passenger bus crashed on an Arizona interstate. The wreck occurred south of Phoenix at milepost 173 on I-10. The Department of Safety reports that there have been multiple fatalities and many catastrophic injures. Our hearts and prayers go out to the friends and families of those who were killed in this most tragic bus accident. We wish all of the injured victims a quick and speedy recovery. Though it is not clear from the initial news reports what caused this Arizona bus accident, one thing is clear bus companies owe their passengers the utmost duty of care which means that they must ensure that their passengers are transported safely.

As an experienced bus accident and common carrier accident lawyer, the victims would be well advised to seek experienced counsel to make sure that their rights are properly protected. They would be well advised not to speak to any insurance adjusters or give any statements.

An experienced bus accident lawyer will conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine who is at fault and responsible for their injuries. The experienced bus accident attorneys at Reiff & Bily will always do so with no obligation.

Philadelphia car and bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily salute United States Senate Committee’s approval of long sought legislation which will dramatically improve motorcoach safety for millions of Americans. Known as the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act introduced by Senators Sharrod Brown, (D-Ohio) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas), the bill was passed by the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee and will move to the Senate floor for consideration.

This bipartisan bill comprehensively addresses NTSB safety recommendations by including safety requirements for occupant protection (seat belts, roof strength and anti-ejection windows), protection against onboard fires (fire fighting equipment, fire suppression), and crash avoidance (electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring systems). This legislation also addresses the safe operation of motorcoach companies through new safety reviews to be conducted within nine months of starting operations and improves driver safety by requiring entry level driver training and electronic onboard recorders to ensure compliance of federal rules of maximum driving time.

Annually more than 700 million Americans take trips in motorcoaches, as many as United States commercial airlines carry. Today there are nearly 3,700 interstate motorcoach companies operating more than 34,000 motorcoaches and thousands of other motorcoaches operating in interstate commerce. Each year, the number of new interstate registered motorcoach companies increases by about 900. Safety advocates indicate that for decades DOT has not required motorcoaches to have the same occupant protection safety features that are routinely designed into passenger motor vehicles to prevent catastrophic injury and death. For example, in 1968, the NTSB first recommended that motorcoaches be equipped with seat belts. Today there is no federal requirement for this essential lifesaving protection in a crash.