Houston bus wreck lawyers note that Alam and Cesar Hernandez closed their state-certified bus inspection station after federal authorities cited the business for failing to notice defects in a bus involved in one of the worst bus crashes in U.S. history. The bus crash in North Texas killed 17 passengers.
Alam and Cesar Hernandez have since opened another state-certified bus inspection station in the same Houston neighborhood where they operated the first one. Their new station also has the approval of the Texas Department of Public Safety to conduct its inspections. But Texas DPS has apparently sought the suspension of Cesar Hernandez for conducting inadequate passenger vehicle inspections.
The ease with which the Hernandez brothers move from station to station and continue to receive state certification to conduct bus and commercial vehicle inspections highlights a long-term problem that shows no immediate signs of going away. Our Houston bus wreck lawyers point out that the problem is a chronic lack of oversight of the businesses that conduct state inspections of buses and other large commercial vehicles. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) lays some of the blame on the doorstep of the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). The FMCSA turns right around and indicates that the NTSB would quickly shut up if it occupied the FMCSA’s shoes. That might be correct. However, it’s not helpful, and it doesn’t resolve the problem.
Federal regulations require that state authorities annually inspect commercial vehicles like busses. The FMCSA claims that additional oversight of state inspection programs in unnecessary. A spate of high-profile, deadly bus accidents in recent years argues otherwise. Houston bus wreck lawyers mention that a Senate highway transportation safety bill that would require additional oversight has stalled in the House.
Private garages, state inspectors, or even the companies that operate the commercial vehicles can conduct the currently required annual state inspections. (If you were in charge of inspecting your passenger vehicle each year, would you be inclined to note violations that would require expensive repairs?)
In the North Texas bus crash involving the bus inspected by the Hernandez brothers’ company, NTSB investigators found that a blown tire caused the bus to leave the highway and crash. They found that the Hernandez brothers passed the bus for inspection even though it illegally carries a retread tire on the front axle and had grease contamination in a brake. The NTSB investigation stemmed from concerns expressed by a DPS trooper that the Hernandez brothers’ inspection of the bus had been compromised.
Nonetheless, the DPS agency approved the Hernandez brothers’ application for a new inspection business in 2010, and according to an AP report, the business remains in good standing.
Current inspection procedures, lack of oversight, and multiple fatality bus wrecks should serve as a “red alert” that all is not well with the state inspection system and that your safety is at stake. Our Houston bus wreck lawyers emphasize that even if you do not ride buses yourself, a bus careening out of control due to inadequate maintenance and inspection could easily impact your vehicle and your safety.
Learn about your options and solutions if you’re injured in a bus accident. Contact the experienced Houston bus wreck lawyers at Denena & Points for a free and confidential legal consultation. Call 877-307-9500 toll free or use our convenient online contact features to schedule your complimentary consultation.