Mississippi Crash Heads To The Courtroom

A deadly bus crash took place in Mississippi last month, taking the lives of four people and injuring 35. A CSX freight train was traveling east when it collided with the north-bound bus. The collision pushed the bus nearly 300 feet down the tracks. Now, fifteen of those passengers are filing lawsuits that are collectively seeking more than $250 million in damages. The lawsuits have been filed against Echo Transportation, Inc., Diamond Tours, Inc., TBL Group, Inc., CSX Transportation, Inc., and ABC Companies.

CSX is a Class I railroad transportation company. It is headquartered in Florida and owns approximately 21,000 route miles across 23 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario and Quebec. The company was founded in 1986 after combining with Chessie System and Seaboard System Railroad.

Diamond Tours is the largest bus travel company in North America. The company offers bus tours for senior citizens.

Echo Transportation has been in business for the last 30 years. The company operates and maintains a fleet of new and late-model buses and other transportation vehicles. The company is headquartered in Illinois and has over 30 locations across the United States.

The bus that was carrying more than 40 passengers between casinos became stuck on the train tracks which caused the deadly crash. However, the issue is that the crash was not the first of its kind at that exact location. In fact, at least seventeen such incidents had occurred at that crossing, including two within the last two years. Documentation from one of the lawsuits alleges that two months prior to the crash, a different CSX train hit a Pepsi delivery truck at the same crossing.

A preliminary investigation has shown that CSX knew that the crossing needed attention. It remains to be seen whether the train’s conductor had sufficient time and distance to stop the train once he became aware that the bus was stuck at the crossing.

It is also being alleged that CSX failed its duty to maintain the crossing in a condition that was not hazardous or dangerous. Plaintiffs allege that CSX chose to put up a sign warning that vehicles could get caught rather than putting in the time and expense necessary to fix the issue.

Bus accidents can have catastrophic results for victims, leading to significant medical expenses and long periods of recovery. If you are considering a civil suit for wrongful death or injury, no decision may be more important that the legal counsel you choose for representation. An experienced attorney can help you review your options. Call trial attorneys Charles Gilman and Briggs Bedigian today at (800) 529-6162 or contact them online to get started on your case.