As you go under overpasses or into buildings that specify height requirements, you are probably like most people and wondering if anyone has ever ignored or failed to heed those warnings and clipped their tops? Well, unfortunately for one bus company owner, one of his drivers did so in the Boston area recently with a 10-foot-high concrete overpass.
The commercial bus accident which resulted in dozens of injured passengers, and has left one in critical condition at Boston Medical Center, is supposedly the result of a failure on the part of the GPS system to warn the bus driver of the overpass height according to the company’s owner. The owner has great confidence in the driver and has suggested that the GPS device failed to warn of the height restrictions under the Western Avenue Bridge overpass.
According to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (“DCR”), this could be a plausible argument as there have been a number of incidents of vehicles hitting overpasses in that area each year. They plan on contacting the GPS system manufacturers to discuss updating their information.
Whether or not the GPS may have failed to warn the driver, there still may have been some sort of negligence on the driver’s behalf which resulted in the injuries sustained by the passengers in the accident. If so, each individual injured may have a legal claim to some sort of remedy for their injuries and any time off work that may have resulted.
When involved in these types of accidents, an injured party should talk to a skilled personal injury lawyer prior to making any statements to insurance agents as the attorney will have your interests and recovery in mind rather than their company’s bottom line. An attorney practicing in the area of personal injury will be able to deftly guide an individual through the complex legal options that may be available under the unique circumstances that present themselves.
Source: Boston Herald, “Bus owner sorry for accident,” Feb. 5, 2013
