In a turn of tragic events last week, a deadly bus accident in upstate New York involving high school marching band students led to a lawsuit filed against the bus company and its driver. As per judicial records, Lawrence Doreson, whose adolescent daughter was one of the numerous students injured in the crash, initiated the legal action on Thursday.
The incident unfolded when a bus, owned by Regency Transportation Ltd., crashed on its journey, leading to the untimely demise of two teachers and leaving many students wounded. Carelessly veering off Interstate 84, the bus slammed through a guard rail and flipped into a ravine in Wawayanda, New York. The students aboard, all members of a marching band from Farmingdale High School, were en route to a band camp function in Pennsylvania.
The father alleges both negligence and recklessness on part of Regency Transportation and Lisa Schaffer, the bus driver, in his lawsuit. He contends that their heedless actions resulted in the fatal accident, causing injury to numerous innocents. It further states that Schaffer lost control of the bus, driving at such speeds that resulted in the bus losing its direction.
Moreover, the allegations against Regency Transportation suggest the company’s negligence in dutifully maintaining their transport vehicles. It implies that the failure on the company’s part to regularly service, repair, and inspect their fleet allowed for the bus to be driven in unsafe and hazardous conditions.
Records from the New York State Department of Transportation reveal a concerning pattern of safety inspection failure by Regency Transportation, with five out of fifteen violations during the state’s 2023 fiscal year.
The repercussions of the bus crash have been particularly devastating for Doreson’s daughter; the young student was left with grave physical injuries and mental trauma, leading to permanent disability, disfigurement, and functional loss. She was discharged from the hospital recently, bearing multiple fractures and facial scars.
Andrew Finkelstein, the family’s attorney, underscored that this lawsuit is intended to hold both the bus company and its driver accountable for a catastrophe that was entirely avoidable. He stressed that its aftermath left not just his client, but every passenger, with profound injuries. The family aims to achieve full recovery of all medical expenses, including the costs of extensive facial surgery and potential brain damage evaluations for their daughter.
According to Finkelstein, this lawsuit is the first against the bus company and its driver since the horrific crash. He is reportedly keeping in touch with several other affected families. Regency Transportation Ltd. and Schaffer have not yet offered a response.
Finkelstein’s anticipation may translate into more lawsuits to follow, uncovering the extent of the negligence that led to such a dreadful disaster.
