Bagolie Friedman Offers Bus Safety Tips After Deadly Chinatown Bus Crashes, Steer Attention Toward Driver Certifications and Safety Guidelines

Jersey City, NJ, March 23, 2011 --(PR.com)-- As word spreads that the tour bus driver from Saturday’s fatal crash in the Bronx has a criminal record and suspended driving privileges, questions linger over commercial driver’s license qualifications and the need for stricter background check requirements.

If it’s discovered the driver lacks proper certification, the finding could trigger more lawsuits from accident victims, warns Ricky Bagolie, co-founder of Bagolie Friedman Injury Lawyers, a personal injury law firm in Jersey City, NJ.

“When a bus accident occurs, legal liability can attach to the driver as well as others responsible for the crash, including the bus management company or the casino owners if they knowingly contracted with a company that ‘cut corners,’” said Bagolie, who recommends passengers request driver credentials, report aggressive driving or reckless behavior to bus carriers and/or the police, and only ride buses from established companies with solid safety records.

The cause of Saturday’s crash that killed 15 people, as well as Monday’s fatal accident involving a luxury bus heading from Chinatown to Philadelphia, has not been determined but is being investigated by state and local authorities. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has joined both probes.

According to the latest figures from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), about 12,000 people are injured and 330 people are killed every year in the United States due to bus-related crashes and the most common causes are driver inattention, speeding, rollovers resulting from flawed designs and faulty parts.

Bagolie says lack of training or improper background checks are often the result of companies putting profits before safety, as every dollar saved usually goes into the owners’ pockets.

“When you or someone you love gets on a bus, you assume the driver is properly trained, has the required credentials, and is capable of safely operating a bus,” Bagole added. “But in many instances involving fatal or serious injuries, that’s not the case.”

Lawsuits resulting from bus accidents usually involve multiple state law or court systems because the responsible entities are rarely from the same area. Lawyers who take on bus lawsuits usually don’t charge upfront. Instead, they get paid with proceeds from the case, giving victims a no-risk way of hiring an attorney they might otherwise be unable to afford.

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