Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury on July 27, 2014
Earlier this month, a group of teens from Indiana were involved in a fatal accident when their church bus crashed into another vehicle, killing the driver. According to a report by a local news source, the teens were in Tennessee on a mission trip when the accident occurred.
Evidently, the bus failed to stop at a red light and crashed into a Kia Rio. The driver of the Kia Rio was pronounced dead at the scene. Of the 11 teens on the church bus, two were taken to the hospital. Five other adults on the bus were also taken to the hospital. Thankfully, they are all expected to survive.
Investigators believe that some kind of equipment malfunction was the cause of the accident, preventing the bus from stopping at the red light. While the exact nature of the mechanical failure has yet to be determined, an investigation is ongoing, and results are expected shortly.
Accidents Caused By Mechanical Failure
If you have been paying attention to the news this year, you will recall that the car manufacturer General Motors has gotten into some trouble over a rash of recent recalls. A recall is usually a manufacturing defect that occurs in a significant percentage of vehicles of a certain type. For example, the GM recall focused mostly around the Saturn Ion and the Chevrolet Cobalt.
In GM’s case, it will likely be held liable for many of the accidents and deaths that were caused by the faulty cars. However, there does not need to be a recall in place in order for a car manufacturer to be held liable for an equipment malfunction. Whenever a component or a system aboard a vehicle does not perform up to standards, there may be the potential for liability.
In the case of the church bus described above, the faulty part may have been the braking system. Depending on exactly what went wrong with the brakes, the manufacturer of the bus, the maker of the brake pads, and the shop that installed the pads could all be liable.
This raises another point about vehicle maintenance. The church in this case had an obligation to the people aboard the bus to ensure that the bus was in safe operating condition. Therefore, the church could also be liable if it is discovered that the maintenance records of the bus were not kept up.
Have You Been Injured in a Vehicle Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a Tennessee vehicle accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages to compensate you for your injuries or losses. In many auto accident cases, the fault is divided between several parties. This does not mean that an accident victim must choose one party to name in the lawsuit. Tennessee personal injury plaintiffs may name any party they believe is liable to them in the lawsuit, making sure that all their bases are covered. To learn more about Tennessee accident law, and to speak to a dedicated personal injury attorney about your case, click here, or call 615-200-1111 to schedule a free initial consultation.
See Related Blog Posts:
Chain Reaction Accident in Knoxville Claims Two Lives, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published June 30, 2014.
TDomino-Effect Accident Leaves Three Dead in Tennessee, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published July 15, 2014.
