In Sherman Texas a bus crash killed 15 people and injured many others. It is clear that seat belts were not available. Seat belts have VERY little cost and can easily be installed on a bus, but buses continue to be ordered without seat belts. In a rollover, such as the case in Texas, seat belts save lives by keeping the passengers inside the bus. Once a bus turns on its side or rolls over, the chances of passenger death and serious bodily harm increase dramatically. How do I know you ask?

My firm successfully litigated this very issue almost ten years ago. We said in part of our complaint:

COUNT IV – FAILURE TO INSTALL SEAT BELTS
26. Plaintiff hereby incorporates by reference Paragraphs 1 – 25 as though set forth verbatim herein.
27. Defendant _______ Lines, Inc. had a duty to its traveling passengers to provide
a safe and comfortable transport to their destination, including your Plaintiff’s decedent, and as such, Defendant _______ breached that duty by not providing seat belts or other restraining devices to the passengers to ensure their safety in case of an accident or a roll over.
28. As a direct result of Defendant _________’s failure to provide seat belts or other
restraining devices to Ms. _____, Ms. _____ was thrown about the bus and ultimately ejected from the bus during the crash at issue in this lawsuit, which resulted in her death.
29. Plaintiffs allege that Defendant _______’s failure to provide seat belts or other restraining devices was an intentional act of Defendant ________ for the purpose of enhancing and preserving corporate profits at the expense of passenger safety.

There were many other violations of federal regulations by the operator of the bus company and the driver in this case. Given the disclosed violations it was not an issue of whether there was going to be a crash, but only an issue of when. Had there been seat belts, the consequences of the crash would not have been as severe.

People must insist that busing companies and manufacturers install seat belts on buses. If they have seat belts installed on an airplane, don’t you think they would be needed as much, or more, on a bus? Can anyone think of a good reason why there should not be seat belts on a bus?

The busing industry states seat belts are not necessary because buses rarely roll over. They ignore the consequences of what happens in a rollover as "statistically insignificant." I doubt the busing industry will be willing to tell the families of those killed and injured in this most recent in a string of rollovers that their loved ones are statistically insignificant, or that you are statistically insignificant, but that is exactly what the continued failure to install seat belts by the busing industry means.

You can see an article and video of the bus, and the aftermath of the wreck, as well as hear some of the other violations of the FMCSR, at: www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0819399020080808