According to a news report posted on kansascity.com, the victims and the families of the victims of a severe truck accident filed a lawsuit alleging the at-fault driver was wearing noise-canceling headphones at the time of the crash. The accident tragically killed five people and severely injured dozens of bus passengers. The wrongful death and negligence lawsuit that was filed last week alleges a FedEx truck driver’s use of the noise-canceling headphones prevented the truck driver from hearing warnings that he was going to collide with a bus wreck. The suit also includes a photograph taken of the FedEx driver in the truck’s cab wearing the headphones.
According to the report, the FedEx truck crashed into a bus at around 3:30 in the morning. The complaint states that one of the victims, a child, was decapitated in the accident. The plaintiffs consist of 18 victims or families of the victims.
FedEx published a statement maintaining that safety is their top priority, and they expressed their “our thoughts and condolences” to the people affected. However, FedEx stated that the company intended to “defend our position should this matter proceed,” and that the “allegations against FedEx Ground and Mr. Stowers (truck driver) are without merit.”
The lawsuit complaint states that the victims needed a spectrum of medical treatment for injuries as a traumatic brain injury, multiple broken ribs, and broken neck. The suit seeks damages and demands FedEx to establish a workplace policy that prevents its truck drivers from wearing headphones.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated two bus passengers, the bus driver, and two passengers in a truck were all tragically killed. The preliminary NTSB accident report also stated that the bus swerved toward the highway’s median, swept-back through all travel lanes, struck an embankment, rolled over onto the bus’ side, and settled in the travel lanes. The bus was then hit by the FedEx tractor-trailer that was also struck by a UPS truck. The UPS truck driver and co-driver were tragically killed. At least one additional lawsuit has been filed over the tragic accident.