11 Mar NEW LIMOUSINE SAFETY BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN NEW YORK
Posted By Gruenberg Kelly Della || 11-Mar-2020
New York politicians have agreed to pass new limousine safety bills to target unsafe limos and lenient regulations. The bills were proposed and passed after two deadly New York limo crashes in 2015 and 2018.
The legislation includes the following new regulations:
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- GPS and customer service resource requirements
- Removal of defective limos
- Creation of a passenger task force
- Validation of vehicle and driver safety information
- Drug and alcohol testing
One bill requires cars that are converted into stretch limos to have at least two safety belts for the front seat and one safety belt in the backseat for each passenger by January 2021. The bill also requires all current stretch limos to include the seat belts by January 2023.
The bills were proposed after two devastating limo crashes in 2015 and 2018 that resulted in multiple deaths in New York. A 2015 accident in Long Island killed four women on a winery tour when their limo was T-boned making a U-turn, and a 2018 crash involving an SUV-turned-stretch limo that ran through a T-intersection killed 20 people, including 17 passengers. According to authorities, none of the 17 passengers in the crash were wearing seat belts.
The legislation was passed three months after the National Transportation Safety Board recommended tighter safety belt standards for new cars that have been altered into stretch limousines.
Who Is to Blame in a Limo Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a limousine accident, it can be tricky to establish liability, especially because limousines involve private companies, outside maintenance companies, hired drivers, and more.
Liable parties in a limo accident can include:
- Limo companies: Companies are responsible for the safety of their operations, which includes training staff and making sure vehicles are fully functional.
- Limo drivers: Individual drivers can be held negligible if the accident was caused by violating traffic laws, speeding, or another form of reckless driving. Because limo drivers are generally company employees, however, they are covered by their company’s insurance provider.
- Limo maintenance companies: Limo companies will sometimes contract out vehicle maintenance work. If limos are dysfunctional and cause a crash, the companies who are responsible for performing regular maintenance work may be considered negligent.
- Limo manufacturers: Manufacturers and retails are responsible for making sure the vehicles they distribute have no defects and are safe. If a limo defect is responsible for the accident, a lawsuit may be filed against the manufacturer.
Diligent Car Accident Attorneys
Whether you’re suffering from a sprained ankle or a serious brain injury, you can depend on Gruenberg Kelly Della’s car accident attorneys to recover the damages you’ve accrued as a result. We understand that accident victims may not always know whether or not the at-fault driver was negligent, which is why our team has the resources needed to conduct our own investigations and consult with medical professionals. If there’s a chance you were harmed due to carelessness, we want to pursue the compensation you deserve. You have may have medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more that you can’t afford to pay – our lawyers can help.
Call Gruenberg Kelly Della at (888) 305-6372, or contact us online if you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident. Our personal injury lawyers have dedicated their careers to helping victims recover, and to holding negligent groups responsible for their actions.