Posted on 09/17/2016 3:24:09 PM PDT by PilotDave
Multiple people have died in a crash on US-74 near Rockingham, NC involving a charter bus.
Troopers said a football team was on board the bus. Officials have not said where the team is from.
(Excerpt) Read more at wmbfnews.com ...
...which has exactly what to do with this tragedy??
This wasn’t the first tragedy caused by a charter bus company, and it is unlikely to be the last. Whether it is launching off of interstate ramps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluffton_University_bus_crash, catching on fire http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Bus-fire-reported-on-interstate-access-road-384041811.html , blowing up and catching on fire http://www.chron.com/news/hurricanes/article/24-nursing-home-evacuees-die-in-bus-fire-1946742.php or just plain wrecking http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-ems/articles/91135018-8-dead-about-40-hurt-after-Texas-charter-bus-crashes/ , Charter bus operations are an unregulated Ayn Randian dream.
A preliminary investigation of the crash scene shows the bus may have blown a front tire, troopers said.
I live just a few miles from the Northside Drive overpass where it occurred, drive that way every day to downtown.
When the DOT put in the carpool lanes, they put a left/fast lane exit up onto the bridge. The exit was right beside a sign that said "I-85 traffic keep left." The bus driver kept left, couldn't stop when he reached the top of the bridge, went through the railing, and back down onto the highway below.
They have changed the configuration and the signage. Left lane exits kill folks.
Four people died in a crash on I-74 near Rockingham, NC involving a charter bus.
Troopers said the Ramah Juco Academy football team was on board the bus. They were on their way to a game against University of God’s Chosen in Raeford, NC.
The bus reportedly struck an overpass bridge near mile marker 316 in Richmond County. According to WECT, US-74 was closed because of the wreck.
Lieutenant Jeff Gordon with NC Highway Patrol said 46 people were on board the bus when it crashed. Forty-two people were taken to four area hospitals. The extent of their injuries range from critical to minor injuries. One of those transported was reportedly not hurt.
Three of the injured people had to be flown to other hospitals for treatment to their injuries, according to Gordon.
Ten patients were sent to FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital, two of those patients were moved to UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill. The eight remaining are in serious condition, according to a hospital representative.
Two patients from another hospital were flown to CMC in Charlotte for treatment.
As of 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 22 people have been discharged from the hospital.
I have been on charter buses that were driven in an extremely dangerous manner, and I have also read articles about studies showing that charter bus companies are dangerously unregulated.
“Contributing to the severity of the crash was the motorcoach’s lack of an adequate occupant protection system.”
The insurer for the bus company tendered policy limits ($5 million) toward the settlement. The state tendered its tort liability limit ($3 million). Insurers for the University kicked in $17 million, policy limits on two policies, and $3 million less than policy limits on a third. (The university was deemed liable because the coach was found to have retained control over the driver, and thus was responsible for his actions).
So, while the poor design and signage was a causative factor, the company and its driver were also determined to have been at fault. And better regulation of charter bus safety would have mitigated the harm.
Did the driver survive and when will his name be realeased?
If delta-v is 60 mph+, survival is merely a fluke.
There was no determination of fault. That's not how tendering the policy limits works. The insurance companies made a financial decision that litigation would cost more than the policy limits, with multiple deaths and serious injuries to almost all the survivors. The policy limits are per incident, not per person.
The settlement agreements included a declaration of no liability - they always do. That's what "settlement" means.
MVA litigation was my job for 10 years. I am very familiar with all the players in this case, the plaintiffs' and the defendants' law firms, and the excess/surplus lines carriers as well.
DOT got tagged, but they are protected by the Georgia Tort Claims Act, and so the plaintiffs went for the deep pockets (who can blame them?)
You'll learn his name after notification of the next of kin.
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