Sep 25, 2007 11:06 am US/Central
Rita Bus Fire Families Settle With Nursing Home
HOUSTON (AP) ―
The families of 23 nursing home patients who died in a bus explosion as they fled Hurricane Rita have settled their lawsuits against the nursing home that evacuated them, lawyers said.
Lawyers for the families and for Sunrise Senior Living Services Inc., of McLean, Va., said terms of the settlement were confidential.
Brighton Gardens, a Houston-area assisted living community, bussed residents north as Hurricane Rita approached the Texas coast two years ago. A rear wheel of the bus caught fire in the early morning of Sept. 23, 2005, on a freeway near Dallas. Within minutes the vehicle was engulfed in flames and smoke.
Those who died in the fire were too frail to escape the bus on their own. Fourteen passengers survived.
"I would say our differences have been amicably resolved, and both sides are happy to put those issues behind them," said attorney Randy Sorrels, who represents some of the victims' families. "Our agreement prohibits me from discussing any of the details of our resolution."
Attorney Richard Mithoff, who represents six victims who died in the fire and a seventh resident who died later, also confirmed the settlement.
Spokesman Jamison Gosselin said Sunrise Senior Living had settled all claims against it.
"This has been a heart-wrenching time for many people, and we certainly share their sadness," he said. "Resident safety is always a top priority for us."
A federal investigation found the bus fire started when poorly lubricated wheel bearings overheated in the right rear well, igniting a tire. The fire spread to oxygen canisters in the bus's cabin, causing them to explode.
Victims and relatives of victims last year reached an $11 million settlement with the bus company, Global Limo Inc., and BusBank, the travel broker that hired it.
Federal regulators shut Global Limo down after the accident. Its owner, former NFL player James Maples, was convicted last year of maintenance and inspection charges -- poorly managing his fleet and not requiring drivers to fill out vehicle inspection reports. None of the charges were directly related to the deadly bus fire.
Sorrels and Mithoff said other lawsuits are moving forward, including a claim against the bus manufacturer. The plaintiffs are focusing on possible design and manufacturing defects in the axle lubrication system on the 1998 bus.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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