An unidentified 19-year-old woman was killed and seven other people were injured when a bus drove off a steep embankment on State Route 96 late Friday night, according to a California Highway Patrol press release issued Saturday.

Around 9:50 p.m. a 1993 GMC former school bus driven by Lorenzo Jackson, 42, of Washington state, drove off the right of the highway for unknown reasons approximately four miles north of State Route 299, according to the release. The bus rolled a short distance down a steep embankment, and came to rest against some trees.

Jackson broke his leg exiting the bus, according to the release. Two other passengers exited the bus and remained nearby while two passengers walked up to State Route 96. Three people remained in the bus, including a woman who was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Deputy Coroner Roy Horton said the woman’s identity is currently unknown, and that the passengers on the bus did not know very much about each other.

During investigation of the crash, it was determined that both Jackson and 35-year-old Joseph Forcier of Florida had driven the bus under suspicion of alcohol intoxication prior to and during the collision, according to the release.

Both men were arrested and remain at medical facilities to be treated for their injuries. Forcier received major head trauma and was transported to Mad River Community Hospital, according to the release.

Five other accident victims were transported to St. Joseph and Mad River Hospitals.  The deceased victim’s name has not been released.

Cause of the Humboldt County Crash

As  passengers, the deceased  and the injured likely could have done nothing to prevent this fatal roll over collision that ultimately took her life and seriously injured several others. The California Highway Patrol  will surely look at the speed of the vehicle, witness reports, and other factors to determine what occurred and who was responsible. roll over collisions such as this one can have countless causes, including unsafe passing maneuvers, swerving to avoid an object in the road, falling asleep at the wheel, driving under the influence, or driver distraction. No other vehicles were involved and alcohol is suspected to be a factor.

According to the California Highway Patrol the crash was “due to the Bus driver’s state of intoxication, the driver failed to maintain effective control of the vehicle, which ran off the left side of the roadway”.

Bus Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability

Demand accountability from those responsible for the bus accidents.  A bus driver is a “common carrier” who owes you the “highest duty of care!”  Many times the insurance companies for the bus companies (i.e., many times they are “self insured”) will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex bus case.  We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have twenty years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage.    We are prepared to front all costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial as well as file all government claims.  Unfortunately, the reality is that most bus accident victims usually sustain serious/catastrophic injuries which many times results in death.  Over the past twenty years attorney Gary A Kessler has a proven successful track record demanding accountability from the responsible parties and obtaining outstanding results for his clients.

The laws regarding bus accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law.  It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced bus accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.

The California bus accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with serious injuries associated with a bus accident.  Such bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and bus accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your bus accident case.

The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case.  As in all bus accident and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf.  Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery.  If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm.  Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today so we can preserve the evidence and demand compensation and accountability from the responsible party.

If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained fatal injuries involving a bus, you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence.  Claims for damages against a public entity or governmental entity are complex and they have “strict time limitations”.  So do not delay and contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today!