Massachusetts Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation Law Blog
Recent Upstate New York Car Crash Highlights Importance of Safety Rules
More disturbing facts are emerging about the tragic limousine accident that claimed 20 lives on Saturday. The limo driver along with all 17 passengers were killed, as well as two pedestrians. Reportedly, there were a number of safety motor vehicle rules that were violated. Apparently the limo driver lost control while going through a busy intersection, striking an empty vehicle. It is the deadliest US transportation accident in 9 years. This horrible car accident serves as a shocking reminder of just how much damage can be caused when safety rules are ignored. Here are some of the safety rules that reportedly were ignored:
Safety Rules Violated
The vehicle in question was a 2001 Ford Excursion which was converted to a limousine. However, only last month the vehicle was inspected and failed inspection by the New York State Department of Transportation.
Apparently the driver of the vehicle was not properly licensed to operate the vehicle. He did not have the needed Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with a passenger endorsement. Truck drivers are required to have CDL licenses.
There likely were many other state and federal violations that are involved with this case. The investigation and its aftermath will uncover exactly what happened, and what went wrong.
Motor Vehicle Accidents and Lawsuits
In this case, both the driver and limousine company are legally responsible to the victims’ families for wrongful death. The driver is responsible, as is his employer, as it employed the driver who at the time was acting in the course and scope of his employment. A lawsuit would be filed against both these parties, and also any other companies that may have negligently contributed to this horrible event. The limousine company has a commercial liability policy which may or may not have excess umbrella coverage. Whatever the policy limits are are unquestionably inadequate to cover these numerous tragic losses.
Depending on how the accident actually happened, he possibly may be able to collect workers compensation benefits.