The OC Register reported today that the Orange County Transportation Authority has reached a $7.25 million settlement with a man who was seriously injured when he fell under a bus while attempting to board it on December 14, 2007. The settlement was reached late Tuesday night for a case that was scheduled for trial the next day.
The victim, Ronald E. Cunningham, was a former heating and air conditioning specialist who was already on disability at the time of the accident. The accident occurred at the intersection of Main and LaVeta in Orange. According to news reports, Cunningham had tried to board the bus while it was pulling away from the bus stop. Cunningham reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of .27 and was carrying two 18-packs of beer when he fell under the bus and was run over by the right rear tire.
A spokesman for OCTA said the agency will pay $3.1 million and the rest of the money will come from OCTA's insurance company. The spokesman said that while the OCTA would have rather seen the case go to trial, the insurance company chose to settle the bus accident lawsuit. Cunningham will receive the settlement funds within 30 days.
Source: OC Register
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