Country Singer Sammy Kershaw Thankful for Surviving Tour Bus Accident

American country music artist, Sammy Kershaw, was reportedly involved in a bus accident in Tennessee last week.

According to news reports, Kershaw was thankful for being alive following a bus accident that occurred last November 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kershaw was one of the passengers in a tour bus that was struck by another vehicle driven by an unidentified woman after he and his band performed in Nocoma, Texas.

As a result of the collision, the woman sustained injuries and hospitalized while Kershaw and nine other members of his band were left a bit shaken up and traumatized. Reports said that the injuries they sustained were not enough to warrant medical treatment.

On the other hand, the tour bus was left with severe damages while the woman’s car was said to be totaled.

The day after the incident, Kershaw took to his Facebook account to inform his fans that he is alright. Moreover, in his statements which were quoted below, he said:

“Thanking the good Lord up above. We were in a pretty bad bus accident last night in Nocona, Texas but everyone is okay including the lady that ran into the side of the bus. The lady’s car is a total loss and the bus is down for an undetermined amount of time, but those are the just things. We can replace those. Amen.”

"I understand she (the female driver) just had a broken ankle in a couple of places and her face bruised up from the air bag and it really could have been a bad situation," Kershaw adds. "I travel with a lot of guardian angels all my life…but cars and buses and all that other stuff is just things and things can be replaced."

Incidentally, the good news is that the country singer has not cancelled any concerts following the incident.

Kershaw has scored major hits in his career as a country singer. He has released ten studio albums, which earned three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications. In fact, among his singles, more than 25 songs have entered Top 40 spots on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, including his number one hit song, ‘She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful.’

Meanwhile, in his statement, a Los Angeles automobile accident attorney here said the female driver is still fortunate for only sustaining non-life threatening injuries considering that she collided with a larger vehicle. That is something to be really grateful for, especially for the music artist’s party, he added.

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Senate OKs Bill to Curb Fatal Bus Accidents

A bill aimed at avoiding fatal bus accidents has been finally approved by the U.S. Senate. Said bill has been applied in line with the fatal accident that occurred on March, 2007 in Atlanta which claimed the lives of five people.

The bill was drafted and introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Said bill is expected to increase safety requirements for motor coach drivers and companies.

The bill would regulate safety by requiring seat belts and stronger systems to protect passengers of such buses, improve driver’s skills and require non–glass or glazier windows to prevent passengers from being thrown out of the vehicle during accidents.

The bill’s concept stemmed from the previous fatal bus accident that happened in Atlanta on March 2, 2007, which killed 5 members of an Ohio college baseball team.

After several years, the Senate finally passed the bill last Wednesday, but it was not yet approved as a law. It will soon be, after some guidelines or rules and regulations have been created. According to rules, it has to be published first before it can be implemented as a new law.

Brown, through his spokesperson, said that he is anticipating that a similar measure will be included in the bill as it moves towards the House for dispute.

Aside from implementing safety and avoiding road traffic incident, this bill is further expected to save lives of thousands of people.

The said bus accident made the Senate realize that there was a strong need for a new and modified law regarding road traffic incidents since the bus driver in question missed seeing a road exit ahead of time. Consequently, the bus he was driving fell to the highway below and killed 5 baseball team members, the bus driver himself, and his wife.

Though the bus driver has had its negligence, the National Transportation Safety Board still blamed the city for its failure to provide proper stop signs at the area.

The state agreed to pay $3 million to the victims of said bus accident. In fact, it is the maximum legal settlement amount for victims of vehicle wrecks.

Though bus drivers could be extra careful in driving, bus accidents and other road traffic incident undeniably still can’t be avoided.

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San Mateo Driver Arrested for Suspicion of DUI

A San Mateo bus driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after she rear-ended a Toyota Avlalon in Burlingame last week.

Sharon Tebo-Davis admitted to the police that she had taken some prescription medication before driving the bus.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the bus accident.

Police reported that Tebo-Davis was arrested after the Avalon driver called 911 because she appeared confused and could not provide basic information about the crash.

A spokeswoman from SamTrans said that Tebo Davis is employed through MV transportation.

The spokeswoman declined to comment on what type of disciplinary measure will be given to Tebo-Davis.

If any of the passengers got injured, they can sue the bus company.

When the liable party are common carriers like taxi, train or in this case, a bus, it is much simpler to prove the liability compared to other vehicular accidents.

As common carriers or companies in the business of transporting people, they are required by law to practice a higher level of care when driving.

Instead of proving negligence, the injured party only needs to prove that the bus driver did not meet the standard of care required of him to prove his and the bus company’s liability.

Driving while under the influence of drugs, even legally obtained from a doctor, falls short of that standard.

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Dead Driver in Bus Crash Suffered Cardiac Arrest

Fifty seven-year-old Lynne Marie Monson who was driving a City of Gardena municipal bus was said to have died of cardiac arrest in a bus accident wherein she hit a fire hydrant and a couple of power poles before crossing the median and stopping in front of a house.

The four passengers onboard were not harmed but some streets had to be shut down because of the accident.

Monson’s supervisor told authorities that she recently went through a physical exam which shows no medical problem.

Accidents caused by heart attacks and other medical emergencies which stops a person from focusing on the road is very unfortunate. So, if a motorist begins feeling dizzy or uncomfortable, he must park the vehicle on the shoulder lane to avoid troubling other motorists on the road.

This type of fatal collision is unpredictable as a motorist may be fine for one moment and be fighting hard to breathe the next.

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Finding Responsible Parties in a Bus Accident

Victims of bus accidents may find it difficult to pursue their claims on their own. Accident laws are often complicated and pursuing claims would require the skills and experience of someone who is familiar with it, more preferably lawyers.

Because accidents of this nature often involve several people – mostly injured passengers and other motorists - obtaining a claim from the responsible parties is more complicated than usual.

According to the article, “Bus Accidents Complicate Your Life”, posted on July 27, 2008, bus accidents may happen due to several factors such as driver’s negligence, road and weather conditions, among others. Finding fault in a bus accident is another thing.

Parties responsible for one’s injuries in a bus accident may include the following:

• Bus Maintenance Companies - for negligent maintenance that causes a bus crash or accident

• State or Local Governments - the cause of the accident was negligence of the driver or of a city worker performing his employment duties.

• Government entities may also be responsible for dangerous road conditions that cause the bus to crash.

• School Districts and School Boards - The school board may be liable to any children involved in a school bus accident or crash that could have been prevented through the creation and enforcement of reasonable safety guidelines.

• Affiliated Cruise Lines and Tour Operators - Owners and drivers of these buses can be held liable for bus driver negligence in a bus accident. When a bus trip is part of a package offered by a tour service, the service itself may be liable for damages to passengers when a bus crash occurs in an affiliated tour bus.

• Bus Driver

• The Bus Company - The bus company's actions in hiring unqualified drivers, maintenance people and other personnel, or in negligently training or supervising them may also contribute to the cause of a bus accident.

• Drivers of Other Vehicles and their employers - Owners and drivers of other cars, trucks and other vehicles may be held responsible for bus accident injuries caused by negligent or reckless driving. A driver's employer may also be held liable for a bus accident if the driver was operating the bus while performing work duties.

• Manufacturers of the Bus and/or its Parts - A bus manufacturer can be held responsible for defective bus parts that may have caused the bus accident could be liable for the injuries to the bus passengers.

After you have been injured in a bus accident, finding an attorney who will help you find all potential responsible parties is crucial.

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