Wrongful Death Claim against School Bus Company is Dismissed

In Iowa, a wrongful death lawsuit that was filed by the family of a slain girl against a school bus company has been thrown out of court.  Judge Jon Foster ruled that the company, First Student, had no way of knowing that 13-year-old Donnisha Hill was going to be killed when the school bus driver left her off on the wrong stop on October 27, 2006.  The girl's body was later found in Illinois.

The judge ruled in favor of the company's request for a directed verdict.  However, Adonis Hill, the father of the girl, says that he plans to file an appeal.  He said, "It's terrible. If the laws were designed to protect the children, we weren't protected. Donnisha wasn't protected."

In their lawsuit, the parents said that the bus company ignored safety procedures after leaving their daughter at the wrong bus stop. However, it has been reported that Donnisha got off at the wrong stop as part of a plan to meet with a man by the name of David Damm, a neighbor who had been accused of sexually abusing her and who have promised to run away with her to Chicago.

Police say that Damm took her to Bruce Bart, who ended up driving her to Illinois and then killed her to cover up allegations of sexual abuse.  Damm was convicted of murder and sentenced to death and Burt pled guilty to murder and is serving a life sentence.

If you have plans to file a wrongful death claim in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus today to speak with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney.