Texas has history of fatal bus and truck crashes

The latest deadly wreck in Texas claimed the lives of 13 passengers on a church bus. It is one of many fatal bus and truck crashes in the state. The devastation these tragedies engender is often incalculable.

The accident that occurred in late March involved a bus and a pickup truck. Almost all of the passengers on the bus were killed. The latest string of recent tragic accidents started in 2005 when a faulty rear axle on a bus sparked a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 23 victims. They were all residents of a nursing home who were being moved out of the path of a hurricane.

In 2008, another terrible bus accident was reportedly caused by a defective used tire. Seventeen lives were lost in the ensuing wreck after a tire blowout caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. In 2014, four passengers were killed when a big rig crossed over into the opposing lanes of traffic and crashed into a bus. A 2015 Texas prison bus crash resulted in the deaths of 10 people.

There were two other wrecks that involved buses and tractor-trailers. A total of four people lost their lives in those crashes. In most of the these tragedies, there were contributory factors such as defective parts, a missing guardrail or driver error. Surviving family members of deceased victims are typically entitled to file wrongful death lawsuits against the parties who are believed to be responsible for their losses after these horrific bus and truck crashes. When successfully navigated, these lawsuits might help the surviving family to cope with the monetary damages that result from these untimely deaths.

Source: ksat.com, "Timeline, history of major deadly bus accidents in Texas", RJ Marquez, March 30, 2017