Crowd incident

NY State

Last year while waiting for shuttle transportation at a festival, a girl was run over by the arriving bus. This was the last shuttle of the evening, and there were clearly more people (probably a hundred+) waiting for this shuttle than were seats available.

Trying to do the good deed, I stayed and gave law enforcement officials a statement of what I saw and occurred.

The girl lived, and subsequently filed suit against the driver of the bus, the bus company, and the festival organizers.

Now, almost a year later myself and four other individuals were served papers and are being sued by the bus driver and the bus company! They also listed in the summons/complaint, their intention to name everyone in the crowd as being responsible.

I wasn't anywhere near this girl when she became trapped under the rear-wheel of the bus. In fact, I was at the front of the bus' door getting ready to board.

The claim states it was the crowd's fault she was "pushed, kicked, tripped or otherwise forced under the wheels of the arriving bus."

So, how can I be found at all liable? I was just waiting for the bus. And, because I gave my name and statement to police, I am now caught up in this ridiculousness.

oneuglyincident said:

So, how can I be found at all liable?

Click to expand...

If it happened as you say, you won't.

Thanks JETX for your prompt reply.

Obviously, my concerns now shift to the legal costs incurred by me.

Can I make the plaintiff (bus driver, bus company) pay for any/all costs I have to pay for a lawyer?

Consult an attorney. I am sure that you can file a countersuit, which can include attorneys fees, etc. This just might be a scare tactic to get you and the others to change your stance.

If you have homeowner's insurance you may want to contact them about the lawsuit. You may be entitled to have an attorney hired by your carrier to defend you. It all depends if your carrier determines you may be covered under your policy for the "negligence" alleged against you.