Jury Awards $14 Million in School Bus Crash Lawsuit | Ohio Personal Injury Attorney

A Pennsylvania jury awarded $14 million to Ashley Zauflik, 22.  Ashley lost her left leg when she was struck by a school bus when she was in high school.  However, it is probable that the reward will be reduced due to state law.  Zauflik spent a month in a medically induced coma and had her left leg amputated after the January 2007 accident that occurred in the Philadelphia suburbs.  According to the National Transportation Safety Boards found that the driver had stepped on the accelerator, rather than the brake, before crashing in to a crowd of students during dismissal at a high school.

 

It is expected that the trial judge will reduce the award to $500,000, the cap allowed under a 1980 Pennsylvania law that protects municipalities and school districts. 

 

Ashley testified that the crash left her “disfigured” and struggling with depression.  She also claims that she has had trouble using a prosthetic leg and relies instead on crutches or a wheelchair to move about.

 

The award includes $11 million for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages, and about $3 million for past and future medical expenses. 

 

If you or someone you know has been involved in a school bus accident, call our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys at 800.637.8170 for a free case evaluation or to request your free copy of The Ohio Accident Book.