Distracted Driving Causes Buses To Crash In South Dallas?

What the hell is going on out there? On Sunday a lot of people were injured when two Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) buses collided. According to a report by CBS DFW, around 11:00 in the morning near the intersection of Ledbetter Drive and Bronx Avenue, on DART bus stopped to pick up some passengers.

Suddenly another DART bus crashed into the back of it at a high rate of speed. How could you not see a bus in front of you at a stop?

Ten people were injured and taken into the hospital, including both drivers and several children. Fortunately there were no other vehicles involved in the accident.

Did Distracted Driving Cause This Wreck?

Distracted driving causes a significant number of the collisions we see in this office. We hope that a DART bus driver would not be talking on his cell phone and/or texting, but it happens. It is significant that school bus drivers are prohibited by state law from using a cell phone if children are present, but other bus drivers are allowed to do so.

One of the biggest causes of motor vehicle collisions is drivers talking and texting on their cell phones. In case you are wondering who cannot use them while they drive in Texas, ithe rest of the list is pretty short:

1. Drivers under the age of 18; and

2. All driver In or near school crossing zones
Other Ways Distracted Driving Causes Collisions
Here are other possible causes of the distracted driving that may caused this idiotic wreck:

  • Looking at a billboard, road sign, vehicle, or pedestrian;
  • Talking to a passenger;
  • Daydreaming,
  • Fiddling with a control on the dashboard; or
  • Looking at what is in the rear-view mirror, including a passenger.

We were just hired to represent a man who was seriously injured when the woman driving behind him on I-30 at 60 mph was trying to feed her baby in the back seat. Seriously.

When an accident is caused by distracted driving, that at-fault driver can be held responsible to those who are injured in the accident through a negligence claim or lawsuit.

Negligent Driving By Bus Driver or Commercial Truck Driver

It is also likely that this collision was caused by the second driver’s negligent operation. In other words, he was careless or even reckless in his driving. He may have been speeding or suddenly switched lanes. Common carriers are held to higher standards of care in the operation of their vehicles. Their drivers must obey all traffic laws and proceed with utmost caution. If a bus or commercial truck driver has failed to do so and you are injured, he and his company are responsible for your resulting damages. We have successfully handled many of these cases over the years.

Obviously the DART driver was acting within the scope of his employment so the employer should be vicariously liable for the negligence of its employee under the doctrine of respondeat superior. However, many governmental entities are not liable under the concept of immunity. But the Texas Tort Claims Act allows a city to be liable in certain situations, including if a motor vehicle is involved. Before that legal determination can be made, you should consult with an experienced Fort Worth personal injury attorney to discuss your case.

Have You Been Injured in an Accident?

If you have recently been injured in any kind of car, truck, motorcycle or bus accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your injuries. Attorney Bill Berenson has been successfully helping injured Texans recover their damages for over 34 years. If you have unfortunately been injured, pPlease call 817-885-8000 or toll-free at 1-888-801-8585 to schedule a free consultation today.

See More Blog Posts:

School Bus Runs Over And Kills Parker County Child

Why Are We Allowed To Text While Driving?

Injuries And Deaths At Texas Motor Speedway?,

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