Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Brian Panish of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP reached a record $10.5 million settlement with AC Transit shortly before the lawsuit was set for trial.
Three years after its occurrence, a bus accident that severely injured a pedestrian will cost AC Transit $10.5 million dollars, according to news sources. The bus agency reached a settlement last week and $10.5 million is the largest personal injury settlement reached with AC Transit.
The accident occurred in Oakland as a 23-year-old woman was legally crossing Telegraph Avenue at a marked crosswalk. A bus hit her as it was turning right, trapping the young women underneath for 15 minutes. The bus driver did not know how to operate the bus hydraulic system to free her.
The victim, who will need a cane to walk for the rest of her life, sustained a crushed hip, pelvic fractures, and a dislocated shoulder.
The bus driver was fired after the accident, according to an AC Transit spokesperson. He added, “This was a terrible tragedy. AC Transit has always recognized its role in the incident.”
AC Transit will pay $1 million of the settlement, while insurance will cover the remainder.