The families of twenty-three nursing-home tenants who were killed when the bus they were riding in caught fire, then exploded, have settled their suit with the nursing home.
On September 23, 2005, a busload of tenants was being evacuated from the Brighton Gardens nursing home in the shadow of Hurricane Rita when their bus caught fire. Initially, police thought one of the bus’s brakes caught fire, but now it seems it was the rear axle, which was inadequately lubricated, that caught fire. The suit against the bus maker charges this is due to design and manufacturing defects.
The bus filled with smoke as the driver, sheriff’s deputies, and good Samaritans rushed to remove the tenants, many of whom could not walk and had to be carried or dragged from the bus. Then, suddenly, the bus was rocked by a series of explosions, which police believe were likely the result of oxygen cylinders on board the bus.
The explosions and the fire left only a charred skeleton of the bus. Fifteen people were able to escape the bus before the explosions. The survivors suffered minor physical injuries—cuts, bruises, and smoke inhalataion—and serious psychological trauma as they called out for loved ones and worried that the person sitting next to them “didn’t make it.”
The families of the dead filed two suits, one against the nursing home, the other against the bus manufacturer. The suit against the bus maker is pending.
If you or a loved one has suffered from the neglect or carelessness of a nursing home, you need a lawyer not only to recoup your losses, but to try and ensure that it does not happen again. Contact Salt Lake City personal injury attorneys at G. Eric Nielson & Associates to expose negligent nursing home practices.
