Injured Plaintiffs File Lawsuit Against Trucking Company After Collision with Shuttle Bus
Several passengers of a party shuttle bus have filed a truck accident lawsuit against a trucking company after a serious accident. Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege that the driver was impaired at the time of the accident and that the company he worked for was reckless and negligent. The plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit against the company requesting $10 million in compensatory damages and another $350,000 in punitive damages.
According to the lawsuit, the incident occurred on December 16, 2022, in Virginia when the tractor-trailer rear-ended the party bus. Three of the bus’s passengers were killed in the accident. One of the deceased is among the eight named plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
This is where it gets interesting. The driver of the truck initially told state police that he had just dropped off his co-driver. However, later, the driver told federal authorities at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that there was no co-driver. He was given a cover story. The driver also told the NTSB that he could call his employer’s data center in Lithuania to have them digitally alter his logs to make it appear as though he had taken more time for rest. A former driver for the company corroborated the driver’s claim in addition to the log book manipulation.
Lawsuit alleges that the driver was intoxicated at time of accident
The plaintiffs contend that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. For most people, the legal limit for alcohol is .08. However, truck drivers have a stricter limit, 0.04. The lawsuit alleges that the driver was over the legal limit when he rear-ended the party bus.
However, according to the NTSB report, the driver was treated at a local hospital where blood was drawn, and state police acquired a blood sample. No alcohol or other drugs were detected in this sample.
Truck drivers are required to take rest breaks
Truck drivers can only drive for 8 hours straight before taking a rest break. This is mandated by federal regulations. The idea is that drivers need periodic rests after being on the road for an extended period of time. Drivers who violate these rules can be held accountable for failing to abide by the regulations. In this case, even if the plaintiffs cannot prove that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident, they have evidence that the driver altered logs to make it appear as though he had taken more rest breaks than he actually had. That would be enough to establish that both the driver and the company he worked for were negligent for this accident. Plus, most rear-end collisions are the fault of the rear-ending driver.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Truck Accident Lawyer Today
The Matassini Law Firm represents the interests of plaintiffs in lawsuits against trucking companies whose drivers injure other parties on the road. Call our Tampa personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.
Source:
wavy.com/news/investigative/10m-lawsuit-in-deadly-truck-bus-crash-alleges-trucker-was-drunk/
