Bus Accidents Attorney in Renton, Washington
Bus Accidents: The Case of the Careless Bus Driver
Bus Accidents: The Case of the Careless Bus Driver
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Not too long ago I had a foreign exchange student, just 17 years old, come into Seattle to study abroad. The bus driver for King County Metro let that child off right in the middle of the road. One lane between her and the sidewalk, and he just opened the door, let her out. Of course soon as she stepped off the bus, she got hit by a car and all sorts of bones got broken in her body and she was put in the hospital. Her parents had to drop everything and come to the United States on emergency. We had to help them a visa to get into the United States on a last minute thing, and bring them in to be with the daughter because it looked like she wasn’t going to survive.
Luckily for her she did survive and we was able to work the case and we was able to eventually convince the county that they was going to lose. And so they eventually paid a seven figure type money for her injuries, because what the bus driver did was just totally uncalled for. And this bus driver was just a horrible person. He had sometime slowed down for a stop, and then speed up and leave people on the side of the road. Somebody in a wheelchair trying to get to the bus, and just at the last minute he’d just pull off and leave the person there. Went around corner, the bus gets up on two wheels almost.
So I was able to get into his background and I was able to do that because having the experience and knowledge as to what it was going to take and what was out there. They were able to claim that the videotape was lost, and that they couldn’t produce them when I asked for them, because all of these busses have videotape on them. So we didn’t get that evidence, but the patrol just happened to, the investigator came there with his lights on and he had in camera dashboard, a dashboard cameras, so we was able to show that the bus driver was lying when he say oh there was too much snow in the curve lane and I couldn’t get over that far, so I had to let her out in the middle of the road. So we was able to get all of that dispensed with and prevail for her.
Seattle, WA personal injury attorney James Buckley talks about a memorable case involving a negligent bus driver. He explains that not long ago, we encountered a distressing incident involving a 17-year-old foreign exchange student who had arrived in Seattle to study abroad. The bus driver employed by King County Metro committed a grave error by letting the student off in the middle of the road, with just one lane separating her from the sidewalk. Tragically, as soon as she disembarked from the bus, she was struck by a car, resulting in severe fractures throughout her body and necessitating hospitalization. The gravity of the situation prompted her parents to immediately travel to the United States on an emergency basis, and we worked tirelessly to expedite their visa process to ensure they could be by their daughter’s side, as her survival initially hung in the balance.
Fortunately, she managed to pull through, allowing us to initiate legal proceedings and ultimately convince the county of their impending defeat. Recognizing the undeniable negligence displayed by the bus driver, they eventually reached a settlement that amounted to a significant seven-figure sum, justly compensating her for the injuries she sustained. The bus driver’s behavior was inexcusable, as we uncovered numerous instances of him callously disregarding passenger safety. On several occasions, he would slow down for a stop, only to abruptly accelerate and abandon individuals by the roadside, including wheelchair-bound individuals whom he would leave stranded at the last possible moment. There were even instances where the bus teetered precariously on two wheels when maneuvering around corners.
Delving into the bus driver’s background was instrumental in building our case. Drawing upon our experience and knowledge, we pursued all avenues to gather evidence. Although they claimed the video recordings from the bus had been lost and were unable to produce them, we fortuitously discovered that a patrol investigator had arrived at the scene with his dashboard camera capturing crucial footage. This invaluable footage directly contradicted the bus driver’s false claims that excessive snow in the curbside lane prevented him from pulling over, forcing him to discharge the student in the middle of the road. Armed with this evidence, we successfully refuted the driver’s fabricated account, ensuring justice prevailed on behalf of our client.
In summary, this case stands as a testament to the importance of experience and diligence in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges posed by missing evidence, we persevered and secured a favorable outcome, providing the student and her family with the compensation they deserved for the bus driver’s reprehensible actions.
