Students hurt in West Virginia school bus crash file $10 million suit

By Jim Greene

Published on April 11, 2006

The suit, filed in Mingo Circuit Court against Asplundh Tree Expert Co. and employee Bruce Collins, claims the company knew Collins was using drugs and alcohol before he was allowed to drive a commercial truck that crossed the centerline and hit a Mingo County school bus head-on April 4 near Lenore.

After the accident, Collins was jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail, charged with causing injury while driving under the influence.

The lawsuit claims that Collins failed drug tests at a hospital after the accident and was under the influence of cocaine, marijuana, and prescription drugs. It also claims Asplundh ignored complaints by other employees that Collins often arrived at work under the influence of drugs and alcohol and used them while at work.

The bus was carrying mostly high school students and few third and fourth-graders. Most were treated at a local hospital and released.

Plaintiffs' attorneys, who have requested a jury trial, said the amount of the claim was not only to provide compensation to the injured, but also to punish the defendants and help ensure a similar incident wouldn't happen again.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury.

Comment on this article →