Company Denies Driver Fatigue Involved in Fatal Bus Accident

Even as investigators probe the possibility that driver fatigue was linked to a fatal bus accident in Oregon that killed 9 people, the company denies that the driver was working beyond the maximum hours allowed, and was fatigued at the time.

Investigations are going on into the accident near Pendleton, Oregon, that killed 9 people, and injured more than 30 passengers. The bus which was operated by a Canadian company, crashed through a barrier, and went down a steep embankment.

Federal investigators probing the accident have found that the driver was likely exceeding the maximum number of work hours allowed under Hours of Service rules. However, lawyers for the company claim that the driver had got at least 7 ½ hours of sleep just before the accident, and that fatigue was not a factor here. The lawyers also deny the effects of drugs or alcohol use on the driver’s driving abilities.

The company instead believes it was bad road conditions that led to the accident. According to lawyers, a stretch of black ice on the interstate where the accident occurred, contributed to slippery conditions, leading to the accident.

Meanwhile, the Canadian bus company that operated the bus has been ordered to shut down operations in the United States. Mi Joo Tour and Travel has been ordered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to halt all passenger services inside the United States. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration alleges that the company failed to ensure that its drivers have sufficient rest and sleep, and required them to drive in violation of federal work hour rules.

The Texas bus accident lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent passengers injured in bus accidents across Texas.