The Federal Motor Carrier Administration put a Dallas-area based bus operator, Autobuses Rio Verde, out of service on August 22, 2008. A bus operating under the USDOT number and Motor Carrier number of Autobuses Rio Verde was involved in a fatal bus crash accident on July 3, 2008, just south of the U.S. / Mexico border. Since the accident occurred in Mexico, it escaped investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. However, Texas residents were on the bus and several passengers had purchased round-trip tickets from a location on Telephone Road in Houston, Texas.
One of these passengers was Yani Mendoza, a 19-year-old Houston resident who was also pregnant at the time of the accident. Yani died by being crushed under the overturned bus when she was ejected in the accident. Yani’s parents retained [email protected], Jr., and Mo Aziz of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner to investigate the accident and preserve the bus wreckage. During the course of the initial investigation, it came to light that the bus was operated by Autobuses Rio Verde and its sister company Green River Buses, LLC. Suit was filed against Autobuses Rio Verde and Green River Buses, LLC and is currently pending in Harris County District Court.
Although, federal law requires a minimum five millions dollars in insurance coverage, it is anticipated that the insurance carrier for Autobuses Rio Verde will deny coverage in this matter because the accident happened in Mexico. Green River Buses, LLC was involved in another accident in Mexico where coverage was denied. However, Green River Buses, LLC shut down operations and started to do business as Autobuses Rio Verde.
Press Release:
[email protected], Jr.
Mo Aziz
Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner (713) 222-7211