What are Broward County Bus Passengers Saying About the Drivers of These Vehicles?

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It’s been about a year since the case involving 14-year old Jerry Cunningham, now 18, has settled in Broward County, FL but, over the course of the past year, many more accidents involving buses have occurred. Back in 2013, Cunningham and his mother were walking to the bus stop at East Sample Road and Northeast 12th Avenue. The teen was on his way to school and when his mother was having trouble with her shoe and fell, but urged her son to catch the bus so he wouldn’t be late. According to the Sun-Sentinel, a passenger shouted to the driver that “runners” were coming and Cunningham stuck his hand in the door to try and get on. But the bus driver proceeded on by closing the door and pulled away.

After a few seconds of having his hand stuck in the door, he fell. Then came the thump. As a result of being partially run over by the bus, Cunningham was placed in a medically induced coma for a month and missed a year and a half of school. He was diagnosed with “neurocognitive disorder, adjustment disorder with depression, central auditory processing disorder, neuropsychological impairment in processing speed and memory, motor dexterity impairment, and various physical limitations.” When the family decided to take legal action, the city refuted their claims saying that Cunningham ran with the bus and the bus driver claimed he never saw the boy attempting to board.

Luckily, for the family, the courts eventually settled in their favor and they were awarded $850,000, $640,000 to cover medical bills alone.

While it is clear in this case that the bus driver simply disregarded Cunningham and thought he could just drive away from a teen who was merely trying to get to school, Broward County residents actually had some complaints of their own regarding the bus drivers operating these vehicles.

 

What are some of the complaints bus passengers have about the drivers?

 

Based on information provided from transit logs, we highlight below some of the complaints submitted by passengers who have ridden a bus in Broward:

 

  1. Many bus drivers are accused of being rude. Some don’t want to answer simple questions or even give directions.
  2. One bus driver was accused of nearly running over a flock of geese. The driver who witnessed the act followed the bus driver and then confronted him.
  3. A mother took matters into her own hands when she claimed the bus driver closed the door on her toddler’s arm as she folded her stroller outside the bus. When she boarded, she slapped the driver across the face.

 

In 2016 alone, Broward County Transit received 7,743 log entries, not all of which were complaints. Some were actually praising the bus drivers they encountered. The fact of the matter is, some bus operators are negligent and others disregard the motorists and pedestrians who share the roadways with them.

And if you are ever injured by a city bus driver or even a school bus driver in Broward County, don’t hesitate to pick up your phone and call USAttorneys.com. You will likely want to learn what your rights are as a victim and the Broward bus accident attorneys we can connect you with are capable of providing you with this information and much more.