Safety on buses has always been an issue in terms of safety and legality in the United States, and this is particularly true on commercial bus lines such as Greyhound. The reason is that when bus accidents occur, several people tend to get seriously injured or worse, and one of the reasons is that most buses do not contain devices that help to provide safety to passengers.

This appears to be the crux of a series of lawsuits that have been filed against Greyhound. Yesterday, a federal judge in Sacramento refused to dismiss these claims against the bus line based on the absence of clear requirements for seat belts in federal law. According to the Colusa Sun Herald:

“A federal judge in Sacramento, ruling in eight Colusa County accident lawsuits, says Greyhound could be liable for failing to put seat belts on its buses.

Judge Morrison England Jr. issued his decision last week in the lawsuits filed after the July 1, 2005, accident on Interstate 5.

The passengers, who were severely injured, claimed that their injuries could have been prevented had Greyhound equipped its buses with seat belts.

Greyhound asked the judge to dismiss the cases, contending that federal law pre-empted the passengers’ state law claims.

And, he wrote, the government’s failure to require seat belts on buses does not prevent injured bus passengers from pursuing claims based on the failure to install seat belts.”

Therefore, these claims can continue, and this highlights an important legal norm – the mere absence of an overt regulation does not remove the question of liability from entities responsible for entities. This is a defense tactic that’s been pursued in countless cases, but the bottom line is that if you or someone you love has been injured or worse in a bus accident, you need to contact the Sacramento personal injury attorneys who understand how to hold large companies responsible. Contact Demas Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation.