School District To Spend Nearly $250,000 To Settle Two Claims. More Pending.
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Palm Beach County School District is expected to approve nearly $250,000 in payouts following two school bus crashes.
The first claim is for $140,000 and is made by Donald Vitucci who was hit by a school bus on September 18th, 2019. The crash occurred when a bus driver rammed Vitucci’s car.
Vitucci was stopped due to a car becoming disabled in front of him. Vitucci “was admitted to an ICU with a traumatic hematoma of the right thigh with concerns for possible compartment syndrome, anemia, and acute pain. He underwent surgery to evacuate the hematoma. He ultimately had several blood transfusions because of internal bleeding, and several incidents of atrial fibrillation. Claimant was hospitalized for 13 days,” according to the Palm Beach County School District.
Medical expenses alone topped $93,594.
In a second crash, a school bus collided with a vehicle on Benoist Farms Road near Belvedere Road on August 31, 2017. Several people were injured. In this claim, passenger Ja’Darian Perkins sustained critical knee injuries leading to a partial permanently disability. His medical expenses are recored as $28,904. The school district plans to settle with him for $100,000. That includes payment for future loss and medical issues.
It was not immediately clear what happened to the two bus drivers allegedly responsible for the crashes.
The Palm Beach County School Board is expected to approve these expenses at a meeting on Wednesday, October 20th.
