Families and Survivors of Church Bus Accident that Killed 8 Finally Reach a Settlement in Their Cases
After three years of litigation, a settlement has finally been reached in a church bus accident case involving eight individuals who were killed as a result of the crash. The collision occurred back in 2013 when a church bus was returning from the 17th Annual Fall Jubilee in Gatlinburg carrying members from the Front Street Baptist Church Young at Heart Seniors Ministry. As the bus was traveling on the interstate, it careened across the median, it hit an SUV and then slammed into a tractor-trailer.
Moses Farmer of New Orleans was the truck driver who was killed and Trent Roberts of Knoxville was a passenger inside the SUV who died as a result of the collision. He was thrown from the back seat of the vehicle despite the fact that he was wearing his seatbelt. Those who were riding on the bus that didn’t survive include the bus driver and his wife, Randy and Barbara Morrison, Cloyce Matheny, Marsha McLelland, Brenda Smith and John Wright. The families of those who died filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hankook Tire Co. Ltd., a South Korean tire manufacturer who they claim was responsible for the accident.
A forensic examination of the remains of the tire was conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol showing that it failed from within as there were no indicators on the outside of the tire that showed a defect. The accident likely occurred after the tire came in contact with some road hazard, possibly a curb or a pothole, which caused the belts inside to break. Air then must have seeped into space between the belts and tread, causing the tire to heat up from the road friction. When the air expanded, it blew the tread outward, according to The Charlotte Observer.
In the lawsuit filed against Hankook, it was claimed that “the tire was “negligently and defectively manufactured and designed,” failing “to meet the reasonable expectations of an ordinary consumer as to its safety.” After a settlement was finally reached, the family and surviving passengers were able to gain some sort of closure after going through the litigation process for three years. Some lawsuits that were brought on by the estates of three others who were killed in the bus accident are still pending in court.
Although this case took a great deal of time to settle, because the parties were represented by a dedicated and determined bus accident attorney, they were able to obtain an outcome in their favor. At USAttorneys.com, we always encourage bus crash victims to obtain legal representation for themselves or on behalf of those they lost in an accident simply because you are going to need and want a professional working by your side.
Proof and evidence are key things that need to be provided in these types of cases and the average person isn’t aware of how to obtain either one nor present it to the courts properly. So, if you or someone you know was recently involved in a bus collision in New Orleans, LA and are in need of legal aid, the bus accident lawyers at Smith Stag are ready and available to help you. As you can see, personal injury cases can take some time to settle so the sooner you contact this firm, the sooner you can be on your way to getting closure from the traumatic incident that changed your life. You can contact Smith Stag now by calling 504-593-9600 or feel free to visit their website at www.smithstag.com to learn more about the benefits you get when you elect to hire a bus crash lawyer through this firm.
