At least 20 of the more than 220 bus and trucking companies ordered shut down by federal regulators over the past two years still have vehicles on the road, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
And, as the authors of the report based on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data noted in their executive summary, “The number of likely reincarnated motor carriers is understated, in part, because our analysis was based on exact matches and also could not identify owners who purposely provided FMCSA deceptive information on the application (e.g., ownership) to hide the reincarnation from the agency.”
An unnamed North Carolina (NC) bus operator is cited as “Case 20” in the report as having been ordered to close in both 2003 and 2008 for failing safety inspections and not paying $19,500 in federal fines. As many as 1.003 other companies across the United States could be operating under new names without having fixed safety problems.
During a year when subway and commuter rail accidents like the DC Metro crash have made big headlines, it is equally important to be aware of and ensure the safe operation of other forms of public transportation. My colleagues and I know from experience how vulnerable bus and rail passengers are. Any operator who delibrately ignores safety rules, deliberately increases the risk for riders and should be held liable for that.
About the Editors: Shapiro & Appleton& Duffan personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border. The firm handles car, truck, railroad, medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Shapiro & Appleton& Duffan’s lawyers are licensed in VA, NC, SC, WV, DC and KY.
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