Multiple people were injured last week when a Greyhound bus veered off a highway and crashed into a guardrail near Tulare, California, including several who were hospitalized.
Greyhound Bus Rear-Ended Freightliner Truck, Drove Through Center Median
The November 9th accident occurred as the Greyhound bus was traveling north along Highway 99 en route to Sacramento from Southern California with 23 passengers aboard.
Sometime around 3:30 a.m., the vehicle rear-ended a 2018 Freightliner truck towing two additional trailers near Bardsley Avenue in Tulare. The bus then veered off the roadway and across the center median separating the northbound and southbound lanes, finally coming to rest on top of the guardrail.
Greyhound Driver Among Those Hospitalized
Multiple people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
While most victims received treatment at the scene, three people – including the bus driver – were transported to area hospitals.
The driver of the Freightliner truck was not hurt.
So far, it’s unclear why the bus driver failed to respond in time to avoid hitting the truck. According to the California Highway Patrol, it does not appear that alcohol factored into the collision.
The investigation into last Wednesday’s accident is ongoing.
California Has Seen 3 Greyhound Bus Crashes in 2022
Unfortunately, last week’s accident marks the third Greyhound bus crash recorded in California this year alone, as well as the second to occur along Highway 99 in 2022.
Just this past August, more than 20 people – including many children — were hospitalized after another Greyhound bus headed north on Highway 99 toward Fresno rolled into a nearby parking lot after driving off the roadway near Avenue 260 in Tulare.
So far, tests have indicated the driver was not operating his vehicle under the influence. Other possible factors being investigated in connection with the August accident include driver fatigue and vehicle maintenance.
Just two months earlier, 13 people were hurt after a Greyhound bus blew a tire and veered into a car and a center divider wall on a California desert highway near Banning.
What to Do After a Greyhound Bus Accident
While commercial bus accidents are relatively rare, the sheer size of these vehicles, not to mention a lack of safety features like seatbelts and airbags, means those crashes that do occur are more likely to cause multiple severe injuries and deaths.
To avoid potentially record-breaking verdicts and settlements, bus companies, their insurance carriers, and their teams of attorneys will do almost anything to avoid responsibility, even if that means downplaying victims’ injuries, blaming other parties, and destroying or “losing” training records, driver logs, and other vital evidence proving their responsibility.
For that reason, it’s essential to act quickly after a Greyhound bus crash to protect your rights and ensure you receive the maximum compensation possible for all of your injuries and losses:
- Call 911: Once the police arrive, they’ll begin taking witness statements and documenting other evidence for an official, written report that could help you prove the bus company and its driver are at fault.
- Gather What Evidence You Can: if you’re physically able and it’s safe to do so, take photos and videos of the crash scene, including damage to the bus and other vehicles, as well as any skid marks, stop signs, and traffic controls, lighting on the highway, and other road conditions.
- Collect as Much Information as Possible: Write down the bus driver’s name, the name of the bus company and its DOT number (located on the side of the vehicle), the license plate number of all vehicles involved, the name of the bus driver’s insurance company and the policy number, and names, phone numbers, and addresses of any witnesses.
- Head to the ER or Urgent Care: Not all injuries are immediately apparent, especially when adrenaline is high after a crash. Heading to the nearest ER or urgent care – even if you don’t think you were hurt – will ensure your injuries are documented and will help prove they resulted from the accident.
- Don’t Make Any Statement: Speaking with or providing a recorded statement to the bus company’s insurer could prove to be a costly mistake, and you’re under no obligation to do so.
- Follow All Medical Advice and Keep All Doctor’s Appointments: Any failure to follow doctor’s advice or skipped medical appointments could give the bus company and its insurer a reason to question your injuries and pay you less than your case is worth.
- Contact an Experienced Bus Accident Attorney: Having a bus accident lawyer – preferably one with a proven record of success representing crash victims against Greyhound – is the most important thing you can do to ensure you and your family are fully and fairly compensated for all of your injuries and losses.
Undefeated Greyhound Bus Accident Lawyers: Call 1-888-934-1263 or Click Here for a Free Consult.
In addition to being undefeated, our Greyhound Bus Accident Lawyers have won Record-Breaking Verdicts and Settlements against the world’s largest bus and transportation companies, including Greyhound.
Most recently, our firm recovered a $6 million settlement on behalf of several Greyhound bus passengers who were seriously injured in a rollover crash. While the company initially claimed the bus driver had suffered a “medical emergency,” our attorneys won the first-ever court-ordered overnight sleep study of a commercial driver in Texas, which ultimately proved the driver suffered from Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and likely fell asleep at the wheel.
If you or someone you love were hurt in connection with the Highway 99 Greyhound bus accident in Tulare, California, please call 1-888-934-1263 or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Form.”
During your consult, we’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide all the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
The consultation is free, and since we work exclusively for a contingency fee, you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.