California’s Largest Jury Award for Minor’s Wrongful Death
What started out as a Sweet 16 party took a tragic turn when one of the birthday party guests sustained a brain injury that led to his wrongful death.
Background of Wrongful Death Case
It was a summer day in July 2014 when a 16-year old boy rode on a tour bus upon the invitation of a female friend who was celebrating her 16th birthday with other teen-aged friends. On board the bus were the bus driver, a tour guide, the birthday celebrant, her parents and 35 teenagers.
The teens stayed on the upper deck, standing and dancing to loud music played on the bus speakers while the bus travelled along several streets around Hollywood. The bus passed beneath two underpasses and approached a third one when one of the teen-aged guests struck his head against the pedestrian bridge and immediately became unconscious. The bump on his head led to a severe brain injury from which the boy never recovered and died two days after.
Defendants in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The boy’s parents filed a wrongful death case against the:
- Tour bus company
- The bus driver
- The tour guide
- The parents of the girl who was holding a party
The plaintiffs won the case and were awarded $26 million in damages. The jury apportioned fault for the injury to the bus company who was found to be 70% at fault, the birthday girl’s parents who was 25% at fault, and the decedent who was 5% responsible for his own death.
If you recently lost a loved one due to the negligence or recklessness of another person, a wrongful death lawsuit may not be able to bring back the life of your loved one but it may serve as a deterrent for similar accidents in the future. Talk to an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney about your situation.
In California, bus and tour drivers have the legal duty to exercise utmost care when transporting passengers to their destinations. Failing this duty, bus and tour drivers may be held liable to the families of persons who are killed or seriously injured. Owners and tour bus operators as well may be liable if it can be shown that they failed to properly train their bus driver and tour guide. Owners may also be vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees in the performance of their work.
Contact the Bedford Law Group by calling telephone numbers (310) 507-7900 today. Our lawyers are prepared to work immediately on your case from the moment you consult us about your situation. All wrongful death claims and personal injury cases are handled on a No Recovery, No Fee basis.
