Bus Accidents in Texas and Recovering Compensation for Your Injuries
A San Antonio bus driver has recently been honored for driving buses for 48 years without any accidents. Jesse Quintero, who is 70 years old, has been driving buses since 1966, and during his entire time driving, Mr. Quintero has never been in accident. The American Public Transportation Association honored Mr. Quintero earlier this year for his impeccable driving safety record.
Mr. Quintero’s flawless driving record is quite a feat considering that the VIA Metropolitan Transit estimates that he has driven about 3.9 million miles throughout his tenure. Mr. Quintero credits his accident-free driving record to two basic rules. First, he leaves four to five car lengths of space between his bus and the vehicle in front of the bus. Mr. Quintero’s second rule is that “when that bus is moving forward, you can’t take your eyes off the road.” These two rules seem simple enough, but many bus drivers (and other drivers) fail to follow or consciously disregard these rules on a daily basis.
Bus Accidents Occur Frequently Throughout Texas
Unfortunately, Mr. Quintero’s driving abilities and clean driving record are not the norm for bus drivers. Instead, bus drivers throughout Texas are frequently involved in bus accidents. From school buses to public transportation buses to private charters, accidents occur on all types of buses and happen for a variety of reasons.
Often, bus accidents occur because the driver of the bus acted negligently. This means that the driver failed to operate the bus according to how a reasonable, prudent person would have operated the bus in the same or similar circumstances. Examples of negligent bus driving include failing to stop at a red light, speeding, failing to keep a proper lookout, follow to keep a safe distance between cars, and failing to yield the right of way to other cars or pedestrians.
An example of one bus accident occurred in Houston when a school bus struck and killed a 56-year-old bicyclist. The accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. near the 9000 block of Airport Boulevard, just east of Hobby Airport. The bus fled the accident and the Houston Police Department has been investigating the accident. The deadly bus accident follows another bus crash that injured more than a dozen Houston middle school students. The bus, which had 28 people, struck tree along Briar Forest and Tanglewild. Twenty people were taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The police cited the driver for not having a commercial driver’s license.
Contact a Houston Bus Accident Attorney from Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers for Help Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident as a result of someone else’s negligent or reckless conduct, a Houston bus accident attorney may be able to help you recover damages for your injuries. Contact the Houston bus accident attorneys at Zehl & Associates to find out how we can help you.
You can call one of our attorneys at 1-888-603-3636 or visit our office. We provide a free initial consultation and case evaluation.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas:
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
Open 24 hours
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
Open 24 hours