Two survivors of a bus crash in eastern Oregon that killed nine people have filed suit against their tour company, Mi Joo Tour & Travel. Among the claims in the lawsuit is that the busdriver was overworked: the allegation is that the busdriver worked 90 hours within 8 days without relief when federal regulations limit drivers to 70 hours over 8 days. The crash occurred when the bus went through a guardrail and plummeted some 200 feet down a hill. In addition to the nine fatalities, 38 other people were injured.
Source: Associated Press
The essence of this suit is negligence, that the driver was negligent in driving the bus safely. That the driver exceeded federal regulation limits on his hours obviously contributes to a finding that he was negligent. Also, the regulatory violation would under Kentucky law contribute to an award of punitive damages, because the willfulness behind such a violation would support punitive damages.
