A wrongful death lawsuit against Greyhound Lines Inc. is back on, after a California court of appeals ruled that the trial judge wrongfully dismissed the case. The court ruled that there remain questions of fact for the plaintiffs and Greyhound to present to a jury.
According to The Sacramento Bee, the original lawsuit accused Greyhound of substandard safety regulations on its buses. The bus in question was built to Greyhound’s specifications but did not belong to the company at the time of the 2008 accident which killed 11 passengers and injured 21 more. The bus was carrying 41 people on a “gambler’s special” trip to a Colusa casino when it overturned into a drainage ditch.
The bus lacked seat belts or other safety restraints for passengers. In granting Greyhound’s motion for summary judgment against the wrongful death suit, the trial judge claimed the sole issue in the case was whether Greyhound should have installed seat belts on the bus while it owned the vehicle from 1993 to 2005.
But the 3rd District Court of Appeal disagreed. The three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the plaintiffs’ claims were broader, including allegations that Greyhound should have installed grip bars, air bags and/or warning signs on the bus.
