Seven people were injured, two critically, when a transit bus and pickup truck collided Monday in East Pomona, according to an Associated Press article posted on the San Jose Mercury News’ Web site.
Los Angeles County fire officials responded to the crash a little before 10 a.m. Monday.
According to news reports, one victim was in critical condition and was flown to a trauma center and another victim, who was originally listed in moderate condition was downgraded to “critical,” officials said.
Five other victims with mild to moderate injuries were treated and transported to local hospitals.
The names of the victims were not immediately released and the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The bus was operated by Foothill Transit, which provides bus service in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys.
As mentioned, the incident is still under investigation and we don’t know who was at fault. But we at Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys have dealt with hundreds of bus accident cases over the years that ended up in serious personal injuries or death.
Bus crashes are scary because they often involve a large number of people – be it a public transit bus, a private charter bus or worse, a school bus. The causes of these bus crashes often range from driver negligence, inadequate security, dangerous roadways and weather conditions to defective products and improper maintenance.
People who are injured in bus crashes may be able to file a claim against the bus operator to recover for their damages. Any bus company, whether it is public or private owes its passengers the “utmost duty of care” associated with being a common carrier. That duty is higher than “negligence,” which could be a factor when a bus company becomes involved in an accident concerning other drivers and/or pedestrians.
A special investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the main issues in bus crashes included: 1. Bus driver fatigue; 2. Emergency egress; and, 3. Passenger safety briefings. The complete report may be viewed at http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/1999/SIR9901.htm.