$1,490,000 Settlement for Client Hurt in School Bus Crash

A 39-year-old man was driving home from the grocery store when he collided with a school bus at an intersection. As a result of the crash, he suffered serious neck and back injuries requiring two surgeries. Represented Block O’Toole & Murphy, he received a $1.49 million settlement.

Court and County
Supreme Kings

Age and Occupation of Plaintiff
Plaintiff was 39 years old, and working as a construction laborer and livery car driver at the time of the accident.

If you’ve been hurt by a school bus, whether as a passenger, pedestrian, cyclist, or driver, it’s important to understand your legal rights after a serious crash. To speak with an attorney, call 212-736-5300 today. The Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy offers free legal consultations to victims hurt in school bus crashes.

Description of Case
After shopping at a local grocery store, the Plaintiff was driving his Ford Windstar minivan back to his Brooklyn home, when he was involved in a collision with a school bus. Prior to the collision, the Plaintiff and Defendant vehicles were both traveling along 20th Avenue in Brooklyn, and driving toward each other in opposite directions. The intersection where the accident occurred contained no traffic control devices, such as a stop sign or traffic light, for vehicles in either direction. The Defendant bus turned left at the intersection, and collided into the driver’s side of Plaintiff’s minivan, as Plaintiff attempted to drive straight through the intersection.

The defense vigorously disputed its fault for the accident. A passenger on the Defendant bus testified that she saw the Plaintiff’s minivan quickly and unsafely jump out of a parking space on the far corner of the intersection moments before the impact, not giving the bus driver enough time to observe Plaintiff’s minivan and avoid striking it.

Injuries/Damages
Plaintiff sustained neck and back injuries, for which he underwent physical therapy and ultimately two spine surgeries. The first surgery involved a non-invasive laser ablation of the L3/L4 level of Plaintiff’s lower back. The second surgery involved an anterior discectomy and fusion at the C5/C6 level in Plaintiff’s neck. Plaintiff claimed damages for past and future medical costs and his pain and suffering. Plaintiff had no claim for lost earnings.

The Defendants argued that Plaintiff’s spine injuries existed before this accident, and were mainly the result of his obesity. The defense disputed that the spine surgeries undergone by Plaintiff were necessary. The defense neurologist, after examining the Plaintiff, found that Plaintiff had no objective sign of neurologic injury, and was fully capable of working and living his life with no restrictions. A radiologist retained by the defense, after reviewing all of Plaintiff’s MRI films, concluded that any damage to Plaintiff’s spine was degenerative and longstanding in nature, and was not caused by this collision.

Settlement Amount
$1,490,000

Attorneys
This case was handled by Partners Stephen J. Murphy, Esq. and David L. Scher, Esq.

Strong Legal Representation for Those Injured in School Bus Crashes

The Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy offers quality legal representation for clients in auto injury cases. Our firm is recognized for landmark verdicts and settlements, which include $110 million and $32 million jury verdicts for clients catastrophically injured as a result of negligence. To date, we recovered over $1.5 billion for accident victims.

Select results in school bus injury cases include:

• $2,925,000 settlement for a driver who was hit by a school bus at an intersection in Queens, New York
• $1,750,000 settlement after a Bronx rear-end accident caused by a school bus which was following our client too closely
• $1,350,000 settlement for a victim in a school bus crash who suffered spinal injuries requiring a decompressive laminotomy/facetectomy
• $1,350,000 settlement in a Brooklyn case for a pedestrian who was crossing the street when she was hit by a left-turning school bus

To learn more about our car accident results, please visit our Motor Vehicle Results section of our website. For a free consultation with a qualified school bus injury attorney, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our Contact Form. We serve clients in New York and New Jersey.