In September, ABC News reported on a New York City rush hour accident involving two buses that was caught on video. Follow up reports by the New York Times, New York Daily News, and other news outlets reported that the driver of the Dahlia Tour Bus that collided with an MTA bus had once worked for the MTA. He was no longer working for them due to a DUI citation he had received in Connecticut. Unfortunately for the two people killed and the sixteen others who were injured, the driver who also died was still hired by the company. Another report on the accident made later seems to reveal what appears to be a pattern of irresponsible and reckless behavior on behalf of the company.
History of Issues Prior to Fatal Accident
The Dahlia Bus Company has had three accidents now that have resulted in at least one fatality since 2003. The company had been cited three times for speeding and failing to obey a traffic device. There were also reports at the scene that said a picture of the buses speedometer showed it was stopped at sixty after the accident. Not only did the bus hit the MTA bus, but it also crashed into a restaurant. Speculations aside it seems probable to an alarming degree that the company may have also erred in the hiring of the driver.
It is hard to believe that a background check or even a simple abstract of the driver’s past driving experience was not done before hiring. If either circumstance is true, there certainly seems that the victims in the crash deserve compensation for their injuries. Those who have lost a loved one particularly should be consulting with an attorney with experience in wrongful death actions.
There are many red flags in this case to be sure, but an experienced attorney in wrongful death cases can find more than just the obvious facts. If you have lost a loved one and feel you have been the victim of wrongful death in New York that could have been avoided.