Saudi Arabia coach crash

National Solicitors, Irwin Mitchell repeated their calls for improved safety standards to protect passengers on coaches travelling abroad following the recent coach crash in Saudi Arabia which tragically claimed the lives of three British Muslims and injured many others on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

It was reported by the Saudi police that the coach driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit a road barrier in the early hours of 9th December. Clive Garner, head of International Travel Litigation at Irwin Mitchell says,

This is a tragic accident which has ruined the lives of many innocent families and one which could have been avoided if better care had been taken.

Mr Garner, believes that these circumstances are sadly all too common.

In recent years, my colleagues and I have acted for several hundred English coach passengers killed or seriously injured in accidents overseas. Most of these accidents were caused by driver error and several involved coach drivers who had lost concentration or fallen asleep while driving. It is regrettable that this crash occurred near Jeddah despite all the publicity following the previous accidents and our repeated calls for heightened coach safety standards. It is particularly tragic that the accident occurred during the Hajj.

Coach crash could have been avoided

With stricter licensing and monitoring of coach drivers and operators, this tragic accident could and should have been avoided. I hope that all tour and coach operators will continue to improve their systems of driver selection and monitoring and ensure that all possible safety steps are taken to protect passengers in the future.

This accident follows recent coach crashes in the USA, Austria, France, Spain, Germany, South Africa, and Bulgaria involving British tourists and in which Irwin Mitchell have acted for passengers and the families of those killed or injured.

If you or a loved one has suffered an accident or illness abroad as the result of a road traffic accident while on holiday, we could help you to claim the compensation you deserve. See our Road Traffic Accident Abroad Claims page for more information.