Fatigue leads to serious car accidents in Pennsylvania and around the country every year. In San Jose, California, a bus driver admitted to feeling tired right before he crashed into safety barrels on the side of the road in the early morning hours of Jan. 19. The bus flipped onto its side, resulting in the death of two people and injuries to at least eight others. There were 20 passengers on the bus when the accident occurred.
According to officials, the cause of the wreck is still under investigation. The bus driver stated that he stopped for coffee about 30 minutes before the crash occurred. One passenger stated that he could feel the driver weaving jerking the wheel prior to the crash. The driver has been asked to submit a blood sample for testing for drugs and alcohol. After the bus crashed, a car hit some of the debris from the bus, but there were no injuries in that accident.
Driving while tired may be considered a form of negligence, and motorists who cause a crash because they were too tired to drive may be held financially responsible for the medical expenses of the injured victims. If a person has been killed in an accident that was caused by another person’s negligence, the surviving family members may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault party.
The types of damages that can be sought in a wrongful death lawsuit are often set forth in the particular state’s wrongful death statute, and can include funeral and burial expenses, the loss of financial contribution of the decedent and other amounts. An attorney who handles these types of matters can outline the types of compensation that are allowable.