New York Injury Lawyer Blog

The federal government passed tough new regulations this week, making it illegal nationwide for commercial bus and truck drivers to text message while driving.

While the New York Injury Lawyer blog reported in November when New York outlawed text messaging by all drivers, the federal ban is important because of the large numbers of out-of-state commercial drivers on state roads.

In 2008, more than 4,000 people were killed by accidents with large trucks in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. In 2007, nearly 14,000 people were injured and 146 people were killed in New York trucking accidents, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Several recent high-profile New York bus accidents also serve as a reminder that school bus drivers and commercial tour buses are also required to obey commercial safety regulations meant to protect the public.

"We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."

Truck and bus drivers who violate the law face fines of up to $2,750.

Drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 of every 6 seconds while texting, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The federal government estimates distracted drivers are 20 times more likely to get into a traffic accidents than drivers who are not distracted.

Continue reading "New York trucking accidents in focus as government bans texting for commercial drivers nationwide" »

Authorities are investigating at least three recent New York bus accidents involving tour buses driving between New York and Canada.

Commercial bus drivers must be professionally licensed and trained to operate tour buses. Busing companies have a responsibility to make sure they are providing safe passage for customers, hiring and retaining safe drivers and ensuring their buses meet safety and routine maintenance standards.

The New York City bus accident attorneys and the mass transit accident lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool fight for the rights of clients who have been seriously injured or killed in bus accidents, subway accidents, train accidents and ferry boat accidents.

Not only do large commercial bus drivers and busing companies have a responsibility to ensure the safety of passengers, they must also do their part in avoiding traffic accidents with other passenger cars and smaller vehicles. Because of the size of large school buses, tour buses and other commerical buses, New York City car accidents involving a bus can lead to devastating injuries similar to those involving semis or New York City trucking accidents.

In the latest incident, one person was killed and two were severely injured on New Year's Day when their tour bus reportedly swerved to avoid a vehicle and flipped onto its side, according to The Canadian Press.

The tour bus, operated by the Big Apple Bus company, was carrying about 30 passengers at the time of the crash. The tour group had left New York City on Dec. 26 and had stopped in towns around the northeastern U.S., Ontario and Quebec. The bus was headed toward Boston at the time of the accident.

While that accident occurred in Quebec, a few miles from the U.S. border, the others happened in New York and all three involved New York tour bus companies.

In fact, both December New York bus accidents involved the same bus company -- Megabus.

On Dec. 21, a double-decker Megabus headed for Toronto had an accident near Buffalo New York, according to CBC News.

The Sunday morning accident on Interstate 90 was one of two serious bus accidents involving the company in December. Forty people were on the bus, which was traveling from New York City to Toronto, when it went off the road near a Buffalo suburb at about 7:15 a.m.

State troopers ticketed the bus driver for failing to maintain his lane, according to media reports.

On Dec. 10, another Megabus traveling between New York City and Toronto overturned on the New York Thruway, CBC News reported. Thirteen people were injured in that accident, which happened during snow and high winds.

Megabus.com offers discount trips on its double-decker buses between Toronto and cities in New York, including New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.

Continue reading "Officials investigate third New York City bus accident in as many weeks " »