Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

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 and 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 and 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 and Bily will always do so with no obligation.

Philadelphia car and bus accident lawyers of Reiff and 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.