Megabus passengers suing over Indiana crash

Four Megabus passengers who were among two dozen people injured when a double-decker bus rolled over while en route to Atlanta from Chicago last December have filed lawsuits against the company.

Johnathan Miller, Ernest Young, Glen Malcom and Tamika Hymon each filed a suit in Cook County Circuit Court in connection with the Dec. 20, 2014, crash in Seymour, Indiana, which is about 250 miles southwest of Chicago.

The bus carrying 70 passengers was traveling southbound on Interstate 65 about 5:30 a.m. when it struck a median and rolled onto its side, according to the suit. It was snowing and “the roadway conditions were quickly deteriorating,” the suit said.

The bus driver lost control of the bus while he was changing lanes on an overpass over a railroad, the suit alleges. At least 24 passengers were injured.

Each suit claims negligence against the bus driver, as well as Coach USA Inc. and its subsidiaries, Megabus USA LLC, Megabus Southeast LLC and Coach Leasing Inc.

“Megabus is aware of litigation that has been filed regarding the incident on December 20, 2014, in Seymour, Indiana,” spokesman Sean Hughes said in a statement Friday evening. “Safety is our number one priority.”

Miller, Young and Malcom are all seeking $150,000 in damages. Hymon, who claims her minor daughter was also on the bus at the time of the crash, is seeking $300,000.