Sacramento Bus Accident Ends in Motorist’s Death
A bus accident in Sacramento ended in death to a motorist on a main thoroughfare in the city. An investigation into the accident remains underway.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this young man.
What Happened
According to Sacramento Police, the driver of a Honda, Vontae Grant, 21, rear-ended a Sacramento Regional Transit bus in the area of the 65th Street Expressway and Fruitridge Road. The accident, which occurred at four in the afternoon, trapped Grant’s vehicle under the bus. Efforts by emergency personnel to extricate him were successful, but due to the severity of his injuries, he died after reaching the medical facility. There are no reports of anyone else being injured by the collision at this time.
Traffic Slowdown
Traffic was rerouted away from Fruitridge Road in the area of the accident. The results of the initial investigation are yet to be released. There is no word if drugs or alcohol played a part in the accident at the time of this report nor is there word on why the accident happened.
Bus Details
City buses and light rails are common carriers that transport passengers on regular routes at a set price. The Regional Transit District is the agency in charge of public transport in Sacramento and is governed by directors representing the cities it serves, including Elk Grove, Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Folsom. Additional members come from the Sacramento Board of Supervisors. Regional Transit has a total of 68 bus routes covering 418 miles along with light rails that cover 38.6 miles.
Common Carriers
Under California civil code 2168, carriers that transport goods or people from one place to another for a fee include buses, trains, limos, ski lifts, taxis and amusement rides. Common carriers owe a higher degree of care that other transportation methods.
Despite that, if an unforeseen scenario happens, such as someone running in front of the bus illegally causing injury to a passenger, the bus driver may not be considered negligent. Alternately, if a driver has reached a bus stop area and stops without warning lights, a driver behind the bus may slam into the bus’s rear. In this case, the driver of the bus and the vehicle who hit the bus may share responsibility since the car driver should be at a reasonable distance from the bus in order to safely stop when in city traffic.
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end collisions are one of the most common of a variety of different car accident types. The reasons a driver rear-ends the car or truck in front of them as a breach of their duty to drive in a prudent manner are:
- Inattention to what is happening around them
- Failure to remain at what is considered a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them
- Failure to stop
- Speeding
The driver of the lead vehicle may slam on their brakes or fail to give warning they are going to stop. In any case, an investigation into the reasons the accident happened must proceed before assigning liability.
Statutes of Limitation
In most motor vehicle accidents in California, the statute of limitations for personal injury due to an accident is two years from the time of the accident, or you learned of the negligence involved. This is not the case with public transportation. Since bus lines are owned by the state or a municipality, the deadline for filing a claim is different. In California, you must notify the state or municipality in a tort claim notification form or letter within six months of the time you were involved in an accident with a state-owned vehicle. The claim may be accepted or denied. If it is denied, you may file a lawsuit. If you do not file the claim without reason within the time period, you may not be able to file a lawsuit. Sometimes, the time period may be extended for acceptable reasons.
Wrongful Death
When a member of your family is killed in a bus accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. While this does not erase the emotional trauma a family experiences, such claims relieve the decedent’s family from the financial burden associated with their death. These include funeral and burial expenses, the monetary contribution the decedent contributed to the family and possibly medical expenses associated with their death.
If a deceased individual experienced pain and suffering prior to their death with the knowledge that death was probably imminent, the family may also file a survival action against the defendant. This action is taken because the personal injury the decedent suffered survives his or her death.
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer
Hello. My name is Ed Smith. I’m a Sacramento wrongful death attorney. When your family experiences the death of a loved one, you may need to know the options you have. Call me at (916) 921-6400 to get friendly and free advice. You can also reach out on (800) 404-5400.
I’ve worked hard to help my clients alleviate the financial burden a death in the family can bring. I’ve also worked with Sacramento and Northern Californians who suffered traumatic injuries. In all cases, the amount of recovery must be sufficient to compensate victims or their families for their losses. This can include lost income that might have been earned had the accident not happened and the medical expenses that seem to mount every day.
You can get an idea of how I resolved other cases by viewing my settlements and verdicts section on my website autoaccident.com, one I own and created to help clients understand the law.
You can also check out my reviews on Google, Avvo, and Yelp.
I am a proud member of the million-dollar advocates forum, a group of trial lawyers from all over the country who have earned $1 million for clients.
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