Hey, there! Log in / Register
Victims of particularly awful Soldiers Field Road bus crash sue GPS makers
By adamg on Sun, 02/08/2015 - 11:28am
Some of the victims 2013 bus crash that sent 32 Pennsylvania students to the hospital are suing two GPS manufacturers saying the bus driver was led astray by his device and that they devices are hazardous menaces because drivers pay more attention to them than the conditions around them. The suit, filed by the lawyer for a student permanently paralyzed in the crash, seeks $15 million.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
A horrible crash but its the drivers fault not the GPS
There are Truck and Bus GPS systems designed specifically for the purpose of avoiding these kinds of situations. They outline routes that avoid low bridges, parkways, low tunnels etc.
If the bus driver decided to use his cell phone or a cheap garmin, how is that the fault of the GPS company? I can guarantee you that whatever system he/she was using, it had a pretty lengthy terms of service agreement specifically stating how the system should be used. And using it for commercial purposes is not one of them.
Broad Net for Lawsuits
The lawsuits go after any and all possible parties, but some parties will file for summary judgement and dismissal from the suit.
I suspect the GPS company will do this, and, likely, win.
I would also consider the bus company liable, however, as they did not provide a proper GPS in their buses. There were some interesting findings coming out of the various MegaSUCK accidents regarding a clash between what they required of drivers and safe navigation. Calling on drivers at the last minute doesn't leave much room for consulting commercial map atlases, etc. (MegaSuck killed many more people than Fung Wah, but where's the whining?)
Megasuck?
Care to put this in terms a 6th grade graduate can understand, please?
Seconded
Google was no help. In fact, SG's comment here was one of the top search results.
Megabus
https://www.megabus.com/
All apologies
MegaBus has had several fatal accidents, including one where a tall bus was on a parkway in NY and slammed into an overpass.
I hate them for their extremely bad and obnoxious way of not doing anything about late buses, not giving any information to people waiting in the cold (who could head for shelter if they knew it would be another hour or more), and being total and complete assholes about it. The fatal accidents completely closed it for me.
I've never had a problem with Fung Wah or Bolt.
Nuisance settlement
It's the typical "deepest pockets" lawsuit. Shake down every single party tangentially connected to the crash, responsible or not, and a few will settle just to avoid lengthy litigation and lawyers' bills.
I'm suing Dunkins
How many more accidents are caused by DD's weak coffee not containing enough caffeine and therefore not leaving the driver alert?
I'm guessing 1,000s of collisions in New England alone.
I'm suing not just for a whole lot of money but also for the requirement that DD start selling high quality, strong coffee.
You jest, but you know a
You jest, but you know a lightbulb just went off over some lawyer's head, right? ;)
What about DST?
There are documented increases in traffic accidents on the Mondays after the beginning and end of Daylight Savings Time. Why haven't some enterprising barristers litigated on behalf of those victims?
Never mind the coffee there...
.... because it's crap. But the bigger problem to society that DD should be sued for, is all the morons double parking while they go in there.
I also heard a barista (yeah..this didn't happen at Dunkin's) say that the stronger the coffee, the less caffeine it has, on account of roasting it longer takes some of the caffeine out. No idea whether that's true or not.
dark coffee
Yes, I've also heard that darker coffee = less caffeine. And it's really funny how threads on this blog can shift from law-suits to coffee roasting methods.
And oh yeah, liberal big government types ruined coffee. Or maybe rich corporate gun-loving Republicans did. Or both of them conspired...
Feel bad for family, but....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frivolous_litigation