David* contacted William G. Pintas & Assoc., Ltd. after his wife had been killed in an accident in Arkansas involving an Indian Trails Bus. The bus struck the car that David's wife was in, killing her and the three other passengers in the car. William G. Pintas & Associates, in association with local co-counsel, proved that not only was there negligence on the driver's part, but there was also a case against the bus company for negligent entrustment. This proof opened the gate to a punitive damage claim for negligence on multiple levels, including requiring the driver to operate the bus longer than the limit allowable by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act. Our attorneys pursued the theory that the bus driver suffered from a sleeping disorder and the employer did not perform a sufficient medical background check that would've kept the driver from getting behind the wheel. Our lawyers gathered enough facts and evidence to show that this negligence existed, and the judge agreed, ruling that two separate claims could be pursued. Attorney Pintas believes that the threat of our punitive damage claim facilitated the settling of the case. Indian Trails settled out of court for $7.5 million that we believe exceeds any verdict for a wrongful death case in Arkansas to date.

*True name withheld for confidentiality purposes.