• 24
  • October
    2011

Washington, D.C. is a tourist Mecca. Every year, millions of people from all over the world come to the nation's capitol. That makes for a lot of big tour buses, sometimes on very narrow streets. Anyone who travels regularly knows that usually the big coach buses aren't equipped with safety belts. When motor vehicle accidents involving buses happen, riders can get hurt.

A group of elderly French nationals claims that's their plight. They say they were on a tour bus out in a western state last year when the vehicle they were in ran off the road, apparently veering from one shoulder to the other. When it came to rest, the front end and the undercarriage were found to be damaged. Twelve of the passengers suffered injuries during what was described as the "sudden, abrupt and violent movements" of the bus. Three spouses of the injured were said to have been traumatized.

The incident occurred in Death Valley National Park in Nevada on Sept. 28, 2010. According to the National Park Service, investigators believe the driver of the bus suffered some sort of stroke or other medical issue, causing the bus to go out of control. Victims injured in the accident were airlifted or taken by land ambulance to a number of Las Vegas area hotels. Last week, they filed suit in U.S. District Court.

Reportedly named in the suit are the bus company, the tour company, the driver of the bus and a tour guide. Documents filed in the case specifically note that the bus was not equipped with seat belts. The injured individuals are said to be seeking at least $75,000 each.

Source: UPI, "Tourists sue over bus crash injuries," Oct. 18, 2011