Tour operator in Las Vegas faces legal action over a man's demise due to heat exposure
In July 2023, a tragic incident occurred during a tour to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Jeffery Volkar, a 66-year-old retired bricklayer from Pennsylvania, fell unconscious and died of hyperthermia while stranded on a broken-down bus in the Arizona desert.
Two years later, on July 1, 2025, Volkar's family filed a lawsuit against several parties, including American Transportation (bus owner), Robert LaRoche (bus driver), Kenneth Pontone (Canyon Tours owner), and Gray Line Las Vegas. The lawsuit was filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada by Shook & Stone, representing Volkar's wife, two daughters, son-in-law, and grandson.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants are accused of failing to properly inspect the bus, dispatch a replacement vehicle promptly, or instruct passengers on how to deal with the heat. The bus, it is alleged, had no ventilation, no operable windows, and no timely relief.
The incident left Volkar and 38 other passengers stranded for three hours in extreme desert heat. The legal documents have not revealed the specific details of the wrongful actions claimed by the family. However, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants' wrongful actions led to Volkar's death.
The lawsuit seeks damages for funeral and medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and punitive damages for wrongful death, but no specific amount is specified. The family is seeking justice and accountability for the loss of their loved one.
As of now, there are no recent updates available regarding the progress of the lawsuit. Those interested in the latest developments may want to check court records from the relevant jurisdiction, news outlets covering legal cases in that area, or official statements from the involved parties.
- Jeffery Volkar, a retired bricklayer from Pennsylvania, died of hyperthermia during a canyon tour from Las Vegas in July 2023, leaving his family to file a lawsuit two years later.
- The lawsuit, filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, accuses American Transportation (bus owner), Robert LaRoche (bus driver), Kenneth Pontone (Canyon Tours owner), and Gray Line Las Vegas of failing to properly maintain the bus, dispatch a replacement vehicle promptly, or instruct passengers on coping with the desert heat.
- The defendants are alleged to have provided a bus with no ventilation, no operable windows, and no timely relief, leading to Volkar and 38 other passengers being stranded for three hours in extreme desert heat.
- The lawsuit, represented by Shook & Stone, seeks damages for funeral and medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and punitive damages for wrongful death, with no specific amount stated.
- The family is seeking justice and accountability for the loss of their loved one, with no recent updates available regarding the progress of the lawsuit.
