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A 2014 school bus crash in California that left 5 children injured has resulted in a $10 million settlement for the families of the young victims. The students were riding in the school bus in the Orange Unified School District in Anaheim Hills, Calif., on April 24, 2014 when the bus veered off a road and struck several trees, according to a Jan. 24, 2017, story by The Orange County Register newspaper. At least 5 of the 11 students who were on the bus were injured, including 1 student who suffered a traumatic brain Injury, the report states. The driver of the bus, Gerald Rupple, was transporting the students to their homes from El Rancho Charter Middle School following an after-school activity, the paper reported in an earlier story.

The driver had allegedly passed out while driving due to a medical condition called pulmonary hypertension, which can cause blackouts, the paper states. The plaintiffs argued that the school district ignored “clear warning signs” about the driver’s medical problems and should have been “held accountable for having a medically impaired driver behind the wheel,” the report continued. The lawsuit alleged that the district had not adequately investigated prior concerns about the driver’s health.

The driver continues to face felony charges of child abuse and endangerment, inflicting great bodily injury, and perjury in connection with the case after he allegedly lied to the California Department of Motor Vehicles and school officials about his medical condition, the paper reported.

The school district had received a report of Rupple’s potential health issues about three months before the bus crash, the story reported. The driver underwent a drug test but the district did not investigate his potential health issues after the drug test came back negative, the story reports.

The most seriously injured student, Tyler Taing, who is now 16 years old, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash and will receive $4 million of the settlement, the story states. Another student, JoHanna Iversen, now 15, suffered a broken clavicle in the crash. Three other students, Rasneek Singh, Juliana Larosa and Delaney Yourstone, were also part of the lawsuit.

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States.

We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-920-0352 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.