A blowout in the driver’s side rear tire led to death and injury of 14 members of the Joy Fellowship Christian Assembly Church after the extended van flipped multiple times Saturday afternoon, ejecting passengers and luggage across the New York State Thruway, the New York Times reports.
Our New York car accident attorneys are familiar with multiple safety issues that have long been associated with full-size vans outfitted to transport 12-15 passengers. According to the State of Washington, requiring all passengers at all times to wear seat belts only minimizes a portion of the risks associated with riding in older model extended van vehicles. They are top heavy, have a rollover risk, and some studies indicate the structural integrity lacks sufficient support, leading to crush injuries in the event of an accident. There are weight-distribution issues and accommodations for size that must be considered when turning or slowing or stopping – concerns that may be unfamiliar to a driver more accustomed to a passenger car.
Often, drivers operating such vehicles – most commonly seen being used by church groups, schools, hotels, by airport shuttle services and the like – lack large-vehicle operator experience. The kind of experience required to safely navigate through a hazard such as a blow-out, the Journal News reports. And, not surprisingly, when accidents involve inexperienced drivers in full-to-capacity 12-to-15 passenger vans, multiple fatalities and injuries are often reported.
Given the community nature of the vehicle, where does liability rest? Who picks up the hospital tab, the funeral expenses? Who pays for the repairs? Does that burden fall on the congregation of the Joy Fellowship Christian Assembly, a close knit community already reeling from the van accident that has claimed or injured perhaps a quarter of their membership?
Frequently an organization’s umbrella liability policy, often in the amount of several million dollars, will pick up where a car insurance policy leaves off, providing adequate compensation for those injury victims who make legitimate claims in a timely manner. In such cases, competing claims are often after the same resources, making the hiring of an aggressive and experienced New York injury lawyer all the more critical.
The New York City car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC, would like you to know we are available for a free and confidential consultation if you have been injured in car accident. To schedule an appointment, call us at 1-877-313-ROSE (7673).
