Some motor vehicle accidents are significant enough to gain national attention. Such an accident, as readers probably already have heard, took place last week in northern California. The accident, which involved a FedEx truck and a motor coach bus carrying over 40 people, ended up killing five high school students. In addition, three adult chaperones and the drivers of the truck and the bus died.

The crash reportedly occurred when the FedEx truck, for unknown reasons, went across the median and crashed into the bus. According to some sources, most of the students and others on board were able to escape through safety windows before an explosion occurred. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, along with the National Transportation Safety Board, is now conducting an investigation of the accident. 

No doubt, FedEx will be put under the microscope for its contribution to the accident. In addition, various issues touching on motor-coach safety are likely to be addressed, though it remains to be seen whether any new safety recommendations will be made based on the incident.

Obviously, accidents involving buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles such as this one can involve serious injuries and death. Victims of such accidents have the right to be compensated by parties who contributed to the accident. In some cases, it may be possible for victims to obtain not only compensatory damages but also punitive damages. The latter are intended to punish offending parties in situations involving particularly egregious behavior.

Crash victims who hope to achieve maximum recovery should consult an attorney experienced in handling such cases. 

Source: Insurance Journal, “U.S. Agencies Join Prove of Fatal California FedEx/Bus Crash,” Richard Clough, April 14, 2014.