Republished from Richmond Times Dispatch
GRTC fires bus driver in fatality; victim’s family sues for $10 million
By Bill Mckelway
Published: November 26, 2009
Richmond Times Dispatch
GRTC Transit System yesterday announced the firing of the driver in a fatal bus accident less than an hour after the family of the pedestrian killed in the incident filed a $10 million wrongful-death suit.
A company spokesman declined to comment about the suit. News of the firing of 46-year-old Teresa L. Jones came in the form of a four-sentence news release that does not mention her by name.
The suit, filed by the family of Loucendia Reed Lambert, 55, of Disputanta, claims Lambert’s death Sept. 30 “was directly . . . caused by carelessness, recklessness and negligence in the operation of the bus.” Jones and GRTC are listed as defendants.
The lawsuit, filed by lawyers P. Christopher Guedri and Jason W. Konvicka, seeks $10 million for sorrow and mental anguish, loss of income and reasonable funeral expenses.
Lambert was crossing North 14th Street when the westbound bus made a right turn from East Franklin Street onto 14th. It was not clear whether Lambert was in a crosswalk or was crossing with a green light. She had been a longtime employee of the state Department of Health.
According to GRTC, Jones, who lives in South Richmond, had been on paid administrative leave since the incident and had been a company bus operator since July 2005. Jones is facing a reckless-driving charge in Richmond General District Court.
The filing of the suit comes less than two weeks after a Richmond jury awarded $8 million to a Library of Virginia research librarian who suffered severe injuries when she was struck by a GRTC bus crossing North Eighth Street two years ago. Both suits are being handled by the Richmond-based law firm of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen.
Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or bmckelway@timesdispatch.com .