Lawsuit claims bus driver, school were negligent in Magoffin Co. bus crash
SALYERSVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) — A lawsuit filed Wednesday by parents of two children injured in the Magoffin County bus crash alleges the bus driver and school were negligent.
Billy Johnson with Johnson Law Firm filed the lawsuit on the parents’ behalf about a month and a half after the crash. Johnson said he expects other families to join the suit.
The bus had 19 people on board at the time of the crash; 18 students and the driver.
Three students and the bus driver were critically injured and multiple other students were seriously injured, though an exact number wasn’t given for those seriously injured. The remainder of the students had non-life-threatening injuries.
Johnson says the suit was filed for a couple of reasons, one of which was that parents claim complaints were made against the bus driver who was involved in the crash. The other was so they could “properly conduct discovery and have control over the investigation.”
We reached out to the Magoffin County school system for comment on the lawsuit.
Attorney Donald McFarland, who represents the Magoffin County Board of Education, issued the following statement to ABC 36:
“Neither the Magoffin County Board of Education or the Superintendent have received any officially filed suit papers from any attorney. Eighteen students were on the school bus that was in the accident. Multiple students are currently represented by attorneys from all areas of the Commonwealth and from what I understand, out-of-state attorneys as well. I assume that multiple lawsuits will be filed that allege negligence on the part of almost anyone attached to the school system. The Magoffin County school system maintains that it properly trains, monitors, tests, and oversees all its employees, including bus drivers. This bus crash was a devastating accident and was an extremely unfortunate event that was beyond the control of the Magoffin County School Board. The Superintendent and Board of Education have always and will always look after the safety, the education and the well-being of our students and we deeply regret that this tragic accident occurred.”
The last update ABC 36 received from the school was that the bus driver and one student were still hospitalized. That was on Nov. 25.
