$3.1 MILLION in Bus Accident Case Truck Lawsuits

An Illinois man recently received a $3.1 million verdict in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against a bus company. The man’s wife was walking on Ewing Avenue in Chicago when a school bus driver ran over her and dragged her. The woman suffered catastrophic personal injuries and died later that day.

The bus company originally denied any involvement in the fatal hit-and-run bus accident, but a jury returned a substantial award for the woman’s pain and suffering and her husband’s loss of consortium claims.

A loss of consortium claim is a type of tort claim unique to a person’s spouse. The claim is premised on the wrongful deprivation of the benefits of a familial relationship. The basic assumption for these claims is that it is reasonable for a person to assume that an adult will be married and that killing that adult will result in an injury to his or her spouse.

Bus accidents are relatively common in the Chicago area. Many fatal bus crashes involve commercial bus services such as Mega Bus, which operate in heavily populated areas of the city.

Typically both a bus driver and the bus company are liable for wrongful death litigation arising out of an accident. The bus manufacturer may also be held liable for a bus accident if a design flaw or defect contributed to a fatal accident.

If you have been injured in a bus accident, contact the auto accident lawyers at GWC today. Ph: 1-312-464-1234.

Source: Valadez v. Davis, 2012 WL 5416445 (Ill.Cir.Ct.) (Verdict and Settlement Summary)

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