A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the widow of a bus driver has come to a close a month before it was scheduled to go to trial. The terms of the settlement are unknown.
The facts here are sad, as the accident could have completely been avoided. The story goes that a bus driver was traveling with a bus load of people when it struck a tractor-trailer that had overturned on the interstate. The driver was killed instantly, while 29 passengers were taken to the hospital.
The lawsuit accused the tractor-trailer driver of failing to use flares or emergency triangles to warn drivers that his truck was partially blocking the highway. The driver’s employer was also named in the suit, alleging that the employer hired the driver with the knowledge that he had multiple traffic citations in his past.
The defense maintained that the driver of the tractor trailer, who had been driving for 11 straight hours, wasn’t able to set flares or emergency triangles because he was still trapped in the tractor trailer. The driver claimed to have swerved to the left to avoid deer on the highway, though an investigation showed that two troopers walked the area, but did not find any tracks in the snow.
Several passengers have also filed lawsuits, in which some have stated that the bus driver was driving too fast for the road conditions and appeared distracted during the drive.
Of note, the tractor-trailer company is no longer in business.