Texas Bus Accident Leads to Negligence Lawsuits, Potential Criminal Charges

truck accident attorneysAccording to KHOU Houston, a bus driver is currently under investigation for the role he played in a deadly casino crash in north Texas. The bus driver faces potential criminal charges and more than 13 different lawsuits have already been filed alleging bus company negligence.

Our Houston bus accident lawyers know that when a bus driver is careless or engages in dangerous behavior, that driver faces a potential civil lawsuit by injured victims to obtain damages. The bus company could also be sued by accident victims.  Criminal charges, which are separate court actions, may be brought in situations where gross negligence or recklessness occurred and criminal laws were broken.

In a separate case,  Attorney Gene Hagood represented victims of a bus rollover accident in Houston involving more than 50 Vietnamese passengers. They were on a religious pilgrimage to Missouri when a tire blew out, causing the bus to roll over off the highway and down a ravine. A number of passengers were killed and injured. Lawsuits were filed against the bus operators and the manufacturers of the bus, seats, seat belts, and tires. Attorney Hagood and other Houston lawyers reached a confidential settlement after three years of hard work to prove the cases.

Texas Bus Accident Results in Possible Legal Action

On April 11, a casino bus was involved in a devastating crash in North Texas. Three people were killed in the accident and more than 40 of the passengers aboard the bus sustained injuries as a result of the crash. The passengers aboard the bus were mostly seniors who had left Dallas and were traveling to a casino located in Oklahoma.

Preliminary reports from the accident scene indicate that the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the road and hit a concrete barrier. The bus then landed on its side, resulting in the death of the 81-year-old trip organizer as well as an 82-year-old and 69-year-old passenger on the bus.

The driver, who was 65, indicated initially to authorities that he may have blacked out in the moments leading up to the accident. There did not appear to be any type of mechanical problems with the bus and a more thorough investigation reportedly confirmed that no physical issues with the bus caused the crash to occur.

Because it is believed that the driver's actions were primarily to blame, a criminal inquiry has been launched and the Texas Department of Public Safety has asked the Dallas County district attorney's office to review the case in order to determine if charges should be filed against the driver.

Injury Lawsuits Already Filed Against Bus Company

Although the criminal investigation is still underway and it has not yet been determined whether the accident should lead to criminal charges, at least 13 different civil lawsuits have already been filed against the bus company and driver.

The civil lawsuits are distinct from any criminal charges that might be filed. Criminal charges are filed by the state to take action if the driver violated the law. Civil lawsuits, on the other hand, can be brought in any circumstance where the bus driver was negligent. The driver can be held legally liable for his negligence in a civil lawsuit and the bus company can also be held legally liable for the negligence of employees.

The purpose of civil lawsuits is not to punish the driver or send him to jail but instead is to allow the injured victims the ability to recover monetary compensation for damages sustained as a result of the bus accident.

If you have been injured in a bus accident, contact Hagood & Neumann at (800) 632-9404. Offices in Houston and Galveston.

With offices in Galveston and Houston, the Law Offices of Gene S. Hagood serve clients throughout Texas. Whether it’s helping injury victims in truck accidents, construction accidents or other accidents due to negligence, Attorney Hagood works tirelessly to get people the compensation they rightfully deserve.

Gene Hagood