ABC 6 10-15-2014

Four Megabus Passengers File Lawsuit Over Crash

December 15, 2014

Four passengers on the Megabus that crashed on Interstate 65 on Tuesday morning filed a lawsuit against the bus company Wednesday.

The four plaintiffs include two men and two women who were among the dozens of passengers on the bus that was traveling from Atlanta to Chicago.

The driver swerved to avoid another car that had crashed, which caused it to tip on its side.
At the time of the accident, police placed part of the blame on the driver of the first car that had crashed, but a Chicago attorney said he is looking into whether the Megabus driver’s view was obstructed.

“The passengers reported hearing the bus driver complain that the windshield wipers were not working, and it was difficult to see the road in the rain. We suspect a malfunction in the windshield wipers prevented the bus driver from adequately seeing the road, and contributed to the crash,” attorney for the plaintiffs Thomas A. Zimmerman, Jr. said in a news release.

Zimmerman said the plaintiffs were Chicago Bears fans heading home from Sunday’s game in Atlanta. He said they suffered injuries, financial damages and medical expenses and he expects more passengers to join in the lawsuit.

Zimmerman said he also asked for an emergency protective order to preserve evidence. He wants to examine the bus data recorders, any video or radio transmissions and he wants to look at the bus driver’s cellphone.

Of the passengers injured in the crash, only one person remained in the hospital Wednesday evening, officials confirmed.