WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A jury has awarded a west palm beach resident nearly $1 million for injuries caused by an inattentive school bus driver who may have caused her lifelong spinal injuries following an auto accident at an intersection in West Palm Beach.
It seems the old adage stands, you never know if tomorrow you’re going to be hit by a bus.
The case details are as follows. On May 17, 2016, 23-year-old Sedonna Rainford, was driving and proceeding through the intersection of 45th Street and Windsor Avenue when her car was hit by a bus. Rainford states she has suffered ongoing trauma to her spine and neck as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
Rainford contacted a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer and sued the bus driver as well as the Palm Beach County School Board and the Palm Beach County School District.
The lawsuit asserted that the bus driver was negligent in his operation of the vehicle and that the county should be held accountable for the bus driver’s actions.
Both Rainford and the business driver have conflicting stories.
According to Law.com, Rainford claimed that she had been traveling on the northbound side of Windsor Ave., ahead of the bus. She then claims, she moved forward to the intersection, pass eastbound traffic, where she was waiting for westbound traffic to clear so she could proceed westbound. Rainford then claims that while stopped she was struck by the school bus.
The bus driver claims that Rainford was in fact traveling Eastbound originally and suddenly began U-turning which caused him to collide with her car. He ultimately claims the accident was unavoidable.
Using video footage, the defense claimed that the bus driver and witness were not paying close enough attention to their surroundings to provide credible testimony.
Although the Palm Beach School Board offered a total of $10,000, a jury eventually awarded the plaintiff damages and recovery for past and future medical bills, all totaled to a settlement amount of $977,861.
About the Author
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients.
He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels.
Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients. He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels. Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.