$144M
Wrongful Death, School Bus Accident, Truck Accident
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Case Details
On September 21, 1989, a Valley Coca-Cola Bottling Company semi-truck struck a Mission CISD school bus on Bryan Road in Alton, Texas. The Coca-Cola truck ran a stop sign at 45 mph, hitting the bus and pushing it into a 40-foot caliche pit filled with water. 21 children drowned. Driver negligence, corporate failures (Coca-Cola's lax hiring and training), bus flaws (minimal exits), and infrastructure gaps (TxDOT failed to guard a known hazard pit) contributed to the tragedy.
Additional Notes
Civil lawsuits resulted in $144 million in settlements. Valley Coca-Cola paid $4.5M per death. Blue Bird Bus Company paid $23M. TxDOT paid millions for roadway negligence. Alton Memorial Park and annual butterfly releases at local schools honor the children lost. The Alton bus crash 1989 remains a landmark case in Texas trucking negligence law.
More Results from Ried Pecina Trial LawyersThe results shown are not necessarily representative of all results obtained by this firm.
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