Car accidents always have the potential to be serious, but car crashes involving buses can be especially deadly. If a bus strikes a car, the force or impact from such a large vehicle can have fatal consequences for those inside the car. Even when the bus is involved in a single vehicle accident, consequences for passengers can be profound. Just recently, a tragic bus accident happened near Laredo and illustrated how grave losses can be when a bus is involved in a single vehicle collision.
Serious Bus Accident Results in Death and Injuries Near Laredo
Fox News reported on the bus accident which occurred near Laredo. The bus was a charter, traveling to a casino in South Texas on a Saturday morning. It was on Highway 83, approximately 46 miles to the north of Laredo. The driver of the bus apparently lost control of the vehicle and the bus rolled over. The driver survived, but unfortunately seven people were killed in the collision. Another 44 people sustained injuries in the accident.
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper indicated the investigation was still in its preliminary stages. It was raining on the Saturday morning when the crash happened, but it is not clear if bad weather or wet roads were part of the reason the bus flipped over. There were reportedly no other vehicles in the area at the time the accident happened. The trooper said they knew very little except that the driver had lost control. The National Transportation Safety Board was also going to send a team to investigate the accident, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The bus belonged to a charter company, which is based in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. The bus company did not comment immediately following the accident. The crash is being called one of the deadliest bus accidents to occur in Texas over the past several years.
When bus accidents happen, it is important for passengers to understand what legal options they can pursue to get crash compensation. If the bus accident resulted in fatalities, surviving family members can typically pursue an injury claim. The bus company should be held accountable in most situations, as long as the driver of the bus is found to have been negligent.
Bus companies must carry substantial insurance coverage to ensure crash victims can be provided for. However, when there are many victims hurt or killed, it is important to aggressively pursue a case to obtain compensation from the insurer within policy limits. Pursuing a case against the insurer, in addition to the driver, means more insurance is available to cover losses.