WILLIAMSON — A Dingess couple is suing the Mingo County school board, alleging a school bus caused a crash that injured the wife.
Michelle Murphy and Shawn Murphy filed a complaint March 31 in Mingo Circuit Court against the Mingo County Board of Education, alleging school board members breached their duty to instruct a bus driver to act reasonably and use due care on the road.
According to the complaint, on Aug. 17, 2016, Adam Adams was operating a school bus for the defendant when he obstructed Michelle Murphy's lane of traffic on county Road 5/04 in Dingess. As a result, the suit says, Murphy was forced to drive off the roadway and crashed to avoid hitting defendant's school bus.
The suit states Murphy sustained injuries resulting in pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses in excess of $265,000. The plaintiffs allege the driver failed to pay attention to traffic and to maintain proper control of the school bus he was driving.
The Murphys seeks trial by jury, damages in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of the court, plus interest and court costs. They are represented by attorney Bruce L. Freeman of Freeman & Chiartas in Charleston.
Mingo Circuit Court Case number 17-c-61