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Megabus Accident Kills One 38 Injured In Megabus Crash

One person is dead and 38 have been injured after a serious Illinois bus accident near Litchfield. The Megabus crash happened yesterday afternoon when the tire of a bus blew out, causing it to careen out of control and hit a concrete overpass support. "It felt like we were going to tip over," a bruised bus passenger told reporters. She added that the bus driver "was trying to regain control, but slammed right into the giant concrete post." "I just...

Teen Hit By Driver Suffers Severe Facial Injury

A 14-year-old Illinois girl recently returned to school after recovering from a severe car accident which left every bone in her face broken. The girl and some friends were walking home from a Minooka ice cream shop last October when the girl was hit by another teen in a SUV. The Channahon teen driver did not have a license and his mother has been cited for allowing an authorized person to drive. "This accident never should have happened and was...

More Military Members Involved In Accidents

It is widely documented that many military members have a difficult time adjusting to daily life after they return home from deployment. In addition to physical issues, many suffer PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and other mental issues. Now a recent study shows that military personnel are 13 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident six months after returning from overseas than the six months prior to before they left. A major insurance company that services the armed...

More Information On Litchfield Megabus Accident

Details are emerging after a deadly Megabus accident killed one person and injured dozens of others late last week. We discussed early reports of the accident in our last post and new details have surfaced regarding the maintenance history of the bus. Representatives from the bus company say that the bus passed a safety inspection only days before the bus accident. It is unclear whether the tires were properly checked as part of this inspection or whether underlying manufacturing defects...

6 Months Jail For Driver That Killed 17 YO Girl

A 22-year-old driver who caused the wrongful death of a 17-year-old Frankfort girl was recently sentenced to six months in jail. The Chicago Tribune reports that the man was convicted of aggravated speeding after causing the fatal car accident while traveling 76 mph in a 40-mph zone. The Orland Park accident happened one week after the teen graduated and one week before she was to turn 18. This accident has resulted in "Julie's Law," which imposes tougher consequences for speeders....

Deadly Megabus Crash Prompts Tire Safety Bulletin

In our last post we discussed a lawsuit brought by a 19-year-old DePaul student who was injured in the deadly Aug 2. Megabus crash in downstate Illinois. Another college student also filed a lawsuit against the bus company for injuries that he suffered during the crash. The bus accident caused the 24-year-old Columbia College student to break both of his legs and fractured the student's arm, hip, ankle, heel, and pelvis. Dozens of negligence lawsuits are expected to be filed...

Lack Of Volume From Electric Cars A Concern

Federal officials may force electric and hybrid carmakers to make their vehicles louder. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently proposed a rule that would require car manufacturers to make their hybrids produce more noise when traveling under 18 mph. This is because hybrid and electric car drivers are more likely to be involved in low-speed pedestrian accidents. "We believe that this difference in accident rates is mostly attributable to the pedestrians' inability to detect these vehicles by hearing them...

REPORT: Seat Belts Increase Safety In Collisions

In our last post we discussed a fatal Chicago car crash which killed three people. It is unknown whether any of the occupants of that car were using a seat belt at the time of the crash, or whether seat belt use played a factor in the severity of the accident. Seat belt use is a major factor in surviving a car accident. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, over half of the car accident deaths this year involved...

Cell Phone Use & Commercial Vehicle Regulations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibits the drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) from entering characters into an electronic device or reading from that device. This prohibition includes email, instant messages, instant messaging, and surfing the Internet. It also includes voice communication if it requires pressing more than one button to initiate or end the communication. The penalties for violating these regulations include fines and deductions from the Driver's Safety Measurement System results. CMV drivers may use a mobile...