Navistar, Inc., is recalling 2011 models of IC BUS / CE and IC BUS / RE that have passenger flip seats because the welding that secures part of the seat back frame could fail. This means the seats do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 222, which regulates school bus passenger seating and crash protection. Furthermore, in the event of a school bus crash, the seats may not be secure and this increases the risk of serious injury to children and passengers on the bus in the event of an accident.

Navistar will notify owners and dealers will make necessary repairs.

Avoid Injury with School Bus Safety Tips from the NHTSA

An estimated 23 million students in the United States ride the school bus each day, according to NHTSA. Here are guidelines parents can share with children to avoid a school bus injury:

Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.

Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.

If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.

Use the handrails to avoids falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.

Never walk behind the bus.

Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.

If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.

School Bus Rear-End Collision Risk Recall

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling almost 7,000 Thomas Built SAF-T-Liner C2 school buses, including model years 2005 through 2011, according to the NHTSA. The brake lights may not be properly illuminated in certain situations during which the brakes are applied. This could lead to a rear end school bus collision. Daimler Trucks North America will notify owners and perform free repairs.

Freightliner Bus Rear End Collision Risk Recall

The brake lights on almost 7,000 Freightliner and FCCC buses could be defective and pose a rear-end bus collision risk, according to an NHTSA announcement. Model numbers involved in the recall are as follows:

Bus accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm have represented victims of bus accidents and rear end crashes. After a bus accident injury or death, victims and their families can recover monetary damages for medical expenses or funeral expenses, and Pritzker Olsen attorneys work to ensure families receive the maximum amount of compensation they deserve.

Glaval Bus Division is recalling several 2007-2010 model transit buses with wheelchair lift defects. The recalled defective buses are equipped with certain Ricon S-series and K-series L-model wheelchair lifts that have a software defect which could cause the lift platform to stop at an angle, which could cause a person in a wheelchair to tip over, posing a fall hazard to that person and bystanders.

Bus Accident Injury Lawsuits

The bus accident lawyers and defective product attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm have the skills, resource and experience to win product liability and bus accident cases. They have recovered millions of dollars for victims injured in accidents and by defective products.

How do lawyers evaluate product liability cases?

• There must be a defect in the design, manufacture or marketing of the product
• The product must have been defective at the point in time when it left the manufacturer’s control
• The defective product must have caused the injuries in question

Bus Wheelchair Lift Defect Information

The defective wheelchair lifts were manufactured between October 2007 through December 2009 and include the following models:

• New Flyer industries Ltd. is recalling certain model year 2009 GE40LFR transit buses due to a potential seat belt defect that could increase the risk of a car accident injury. According to the NHTSA, these defective seatbelts, supplied by American Seating are the subject of “Defect Report 09E-065.” According to the announcement the seat belts:

“MAY NOT PROPERLY LOCK UP AND AS RESULT MAY NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN THE MOBILITY DEVICE WHEN THE BUS DECELERATES. THIS MAY CAUSE THE MOBILITY DEVICE TO ROLL FORWARD UNTIL THE FULL LENGTH OF THE WEBBING IS EXTENDED WHICH CAUSES POTENTIAL FOR MOBILITY DEVICE TIP-OVER RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.”

New Flyer and American Seating will replace the belts free of charge.

Some of the 39- and 45-inch seats on the buses were installed with only one leg in the bus aisle. This does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 222, which regulates school and bus passenger seating and crash protection. In the event of a crash, these seats may not absorb enough impact to restrain the passenger, thus posing a higher risk of bus accident injury. Girardin has not provided the NHTSA with a remedy plan for this recall; bus owners may contact Girardin.

The recalled models include:

• Model year 2003-2010 EZ-Trans
• Model year 2006-2010 IC-LC

The recalled vehicles were built on an International 3200 IM chassis and under certain conditions the brakes can overheat. According to the NHTSA:

“If the overheating becomes excessive, it could result in a fire located at the brake area. A fire may result in personal injury, property damage or death.”

A remedy for this recall has not yet been defined, but owners may contact General Coach for more information.

Certain 2010 models of the IC/FE and IC/RE school buses wires in the headlight electrical harness may have been incorrectly installed, which affects the intensity of the headlights. Therefore, the bus headlights do not meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, which regulates lamps and reflective devices. Decreased headlight intensity can reduce visibility, therefore increasing the risk of a bus accident and bus accident injuries to drivers and passengers. The recalled school buses were manufactured from June through August 2009. Navistar will alert owners and dealers will inspect the headlight electrical harness connector wiring and make necessary repairs.

If the weld does not hold, the plate may become separated, which could result in a loss of steering control to the driver and therefore increasing the risk of a crash. NABI will notify owners and repair the vehicles for free.