Mark Werbner Wins Texas Verdict for Colorado Bus Crash Victims
FORT WORTH – Dallas trial attorney Mark Werbner recently won a jury verdict against Fort Worth’s Gotta Go Express Trailways Inc. and a company driver following a 2010 bus crash in Colorado that injured more than 35 members of a church group from Denton, Texas.
Werbner and fellow attorney Robert L. Sayles successfully represented four of the injured victims during a two-week trial heard in Tarrant County’s 236th District Court before Judge Tom Lowe. The firm’s clients were awarded significant financial damages for their injuries, including one passenger who suffered a fractured skull in the crash.
“Our clients are thankful that the men and women on this jury saw fit to hold the responsible parties accountable for this senseless crash,” says Werbner. “We hope this verdict sends a clear message to the defendants and other bus operators that they must make sure their drivers are licensed properly and operating their vehicles safely.”
Werbner is widely recognized for his work in bus crash cases and other high-profile courtroom trials. In 2004, he represented the family of a 15-year-old boy who suffered brain damage following a bus crash in Terrell, Texas. Jurors returned with a $71 million verdict for 17 victims, including a $36 million award for Werbner’s client.
In this latest case, more than 45 passengers were en route to a ski trip coordinated by the Trinity United Methodist Church when their bus crashed on Highway 114 outside Gunnison, Colo., on the night of Dec. 18, 2010. Driver Fred Kornegay lost control of the bus before it overturned. More than 35 victims were transported to local hospitals with various injuries.
The Fort Worth jury of six men and six women heard how Kornegay was operating the bus without a proper performance certificate, which was required under federal statutes because the driver previously had lost a portion of his right foot. Witnesses described how Kornegay was speeding past as many as three vehicles at a time on a two-lane road despite dangerous icy conditions and decreased visibility due to snow and darkness. When he attempted to negotiate a curve, the bus overturned, sending passengers crashing against each other. Investigators later cited Kornegay for careless driving.
Five additional clients involved in the Colorado crash settled their claims prior to or during trial. The case is Patricia Davidson, et al. v. Gotta Go Express Trailways Inc., et al., No. 236-251135-11.
Mark Werbner has an international reputation as a “go to” trial attorney in multifaceted business litigation, intellectual property, patent litigation, life-altering personal injury cases, product safety lawsuits and other areas of the law.
