Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Recently, a regional transit bus crashed into the side of a home in central Massachusetts. According to WCVB, the bus accident happened on the very first day that the new bus driver was on the job. 
Our Boston bus accident lawyers know that driver experience is very important when operating large vehicles such as trucks and buses. While the cause of this current accident is still under investigation, the accident is an important reminder that bus companies need to carefully screen and train drivers in order to prevent disasters from occurring.
New Bus Driver Crashes Into House
According to WCVB, the driver of the bus that crashed into a central Massachusetts home in late June was just 27-years-old. The driver, who was hospitalized after the crash, reportedly went through an eight-week training program before he started his job driving the regional transit bus. An official for the bus company also indicates that the young driver had extensive experience driving a school bus and that his past driving record was stellar.
While the bus driver’s background has not yet been confirmed other than the mention by the bus company representative, it seems very clear that something went terribly wrong to cause the bus to crash into the home. Police indicate that preliminary evidence shows that the brakes on the bus may not have been applied before the bus crashed into the house.
There are several possible reasons why the brakes may not have been used to prevent the bus from hitting and partially destroying the residence. Police have indicated that the driver of the bus may have had some type of medical problem that prevented him from putting on the brakes and avoiding the accident. It is also possible that the accident was not the fault of the driver doing something wrong but was instead the fault of a maintenance problem with the bus.
It will be important to determine the cause of the accident in order for the homeowner to obtain compensation for all losses and damages caused by the bus crash. The homeowner may be able to take legal action against the bus driver if it turns out that the driver was negligent or careless in a way that caused the bus to hit the house.
The homeowner may also be able to pursue a claim for compensation against the bus company, which could be a better option since the regional transit authority likely has more available funds than the driver to pay out full compensation for the damage caused.
The transit authority can be held responsible if the company was negligent in its hiring policies and procedures, such as by hiring a driver with insufficient experience or hiring a driver with a medical issue that made him an unsafe driver. The company can also be liable for the negligence of its employee while in the line of duty, or if the company failed to provide adequate driver training or adequate bus maintenance. In any case, the accident is an important reminder to bus and trucking companies everywhere of their responsibility to be cautious in hiring new drivers as a crash can happen at any time.
If you or a loved one was hurt in a traffic accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
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