Las Vegas Tour Company Sued for Man’s Death from Heat

• A Las Vegas tourist on his way to the Grand Canyon died from heat exposure in a broken-down bus
• Two years later, his family is suing the tour company, bus owner and bus driver, among other parties

Jeffery Volkar was a retired bricklayer from Pennsylvania who thought he was headed from Las Vegas for a fun-filled day at the nearby Grand Canyon. Instead, he ended up dying of heat stress on an overheated bus.

Two years later, his family is suing several parties for what they claim was his wrongful death. Those parties include bus owner American Transportation, bus driver Robert LaRoche, Canyon Tours owner Kenneth Pontone and Gray Line Las Vegas, according to legal documents.

While on a bus that broke down in the Arizona desert in July 2023, Volkar, 66, fell unconscious and died of hyperthermia, according to the lawsuit. The breakdown stranded Volkar and 38 other passengers for three hours “in extreme desert heat, with no ventilation, no operable windows, and no timely relief.”

The lawsuit seek damages for funeral and medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and punitive damages for wrongful death, though no amount is specified.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants failed to properly inspect the bus, dispatch a replacement vehicle promptly or instruct passengers on how to adequately deal with the heat.

The lawsuit was filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada by Shook & Stone, the Las Vegas-based attorney representing Volkar’s wife, two daughters, son-in-law and grandson.