A Lynnwood, Washington woman injured in the Dec. 30 bus crash that killed 9 people, has filed a lawsuit against the bus company that organized the trip.
The federal lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, was filed on behalf of Eun Sook Uhm, 74, and her husband, Do Sung Uhm, who was not on the bus when it crashed.
The accident occurred hours after the bus took off from an overnight stay in the Boise area on the ninth and final day of the roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C. to the Los Angeles area.
Nine people died and the 38 others onboard were injured, including the driver, Haeng-Kyu Hwang, when the bus slid in icy conditions on Interstate 84 east of Pendleton, crashing through a guardrail and rolling down a steep, snowy hill.
The suit seeks unspecified damages from the tour company and the driver, as well as the driver’s wife who is identified as Jane Doe Hwang in the lawsuit.
The company, Mi Joo Tour & Travel, Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia, has $10 million in liability insurance but could be eligible for $1 million each under Canada's underinsured motorist insurance plan.
Eun Sook Uhm remains hospitalized at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of broken bones, as well as “severe and permanent injuries…alleged to be permanent, progressive and disabling in nature.”
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The suit claims the tour company allowed the driver to drive without the proper rest, and did not verify the accuracy of the driver’s log.
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, claiming the bus had inadequate or defective brakes and tires, was not properly serviced and had inadequate lights, windshield wipers and warning devices.
It also accused the driver of speeding, failing to stop, ignoring traffic rules and knowingly driving a defective vehicle.
Four survivors, a family member and the estate of one person killed in the crash also j
earlier this month.
That lawsuit, filed in Pierce County Superior Court, accuses the tour operator, Mi Joo Tour & Travel of Vancouver, B.C., and the driver of willful and reckless disregard for the safety of others.
Oregon State Police are still investigating the accident, and the tour company has been barred from operating in both the United State and Canada.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said the driver violated the U.S. limit of working a maximum of 70 hours in eight days. Public records obtained by The Oregonian also show the company had a history of safety violations.