Following the recent fatal bus accident in Oregon, Seattle lawyer Chris Davis is calling for a higher level of consumer advocacy in the travel industry, particularly when it comes to reporting of company violations and consumers’ ability to access that information.
According to a recent report from CNN.com, Mi Joo Tour & Travel Ltd. – the Canadian travel company involved in the tragic bus accident in Oregon on December 30 that killed nine and injured 38 more – had previously been cited for a variety of serious violations of U.S. motor coach rules and regulations. The company received citations for 11 total violations in 2010 and eight more in 2011.
But the article also suggests that despite nearly 20 violations over just a two-year period, even diligent consumers would likely have been unaware of the risks of traveling with the company. CNN’s report says the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) website showed no history of problems and simply tagged the company with a “satisfactory” rating.
“There’s no telling whether more accurate information about the company would have saved any lives or prevented this crash from occurring in the first place,” says bus accident attorney Chris Davis of the Davis Law Group in Seattle. “But regardless, consumers have the right to know about safety risks when selecting a company to travel with and that was obviously not the case with this incident.”
On December 30, 2012, the driver of a Mi Joo tour bus lost control of the vehicle and crashed through a guardrail before careening down a snowy, 200-foot embankment in Eastern Oregon. Although the investigation is still ongoing, multiple passengers were reportedly concerned about the driver’s speed in winter weather conditions present at the time.
The violations that the company was cited for by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ranged from failure to implement drug- and alcohol-testing programs for drivers to failure to regularly inspect emergency exits. Due especially to the history of rampant violations in the travel company, the Davis Law Group is now accepting cases for victims of the Oregon tour bus crash.
“These are not some small, ticky-tack violations,” says American Bus Association spokesman Dan Ronan. “[The FMCSA] let them off the hook. It really cheapens the rating.”
With nearly 20 years of experience as an attorney in Washington state, Davis has seen how injury victims can suffer from being unsure about their legal rights after an accident. To help bridge the gap and better inform those unfamiliar with the personal injury legal process, Davis has published a series of books on injury law called the Washington Accident Books.
Those interested in ordering any of the Washington Accident Books should visit www.WashingtonAccidentBooks.com or call the Davis Law Group at 206-727-4000.
About Chris Davis
Christopher M. Davis, founder of the Davis Law Group, has been a licensed personal injury lawyer in the state of Washington since 1993. He has tried dozens of personal injury cases to verdict and has successfully handled and resolved hundreds of accident claims. He has been a Washington ‘Super Lawyer' for seven years in a row for his expertise and success in litigating personal injury claims. You can learn more about the firm by visiting: http://www.DavisLawGroupSeattle.com.