A bus company and its driver were recently found liable for $124.5 million in damages by a Texas (TX) jury to seven passengers injured or killed while riding in a van. The van was not licensed to operate in the state where the accident occurred.
Several small firm attorneys from different firms represented individual passengers and their families as they tried the case together. Passengers testified that the driver had been eating and speeding on the snowy roads when the van crashed.
“These people . . . realized the driver was driving too fast for the conditions, and they were clamoring to find their seat belts at the moment of the accident,” said Dennis L. Richard, an attorney who represented the family of 63-year-old Ascencion Ramirez Caraveo.
The van had been traveling no more than fifteen minutes when it rolled over on Interstate Highway 76. Several passengers were ejected and injured; two were killed.
While we applaud the jury in TX who came to this wise decision, our hearts are still heavy with the losses suffered by the victims and their families. To have to endure such a terrifying experience is tragic, and will likely remain with a person for the rest of their lives.
In order to be a responsible driver, do not allow yourself to become distracted on the road. Eating or performing other tasks shows poor judgment. Speeding is illegal and we are glad the driver who engaged in that behavior was found liable in this case. If you find yourself the victim of someone else’s negligence or recklessness on the road, contact a qualified attorney as soon as possible.
IW