Trial Begins In Dangerous Double Decker Bus Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES, Ca. (Oct 30, 2015)— Opening statements begin today in LA Superior Court in a civil trial involving a woman who’s suing Starline Tours Inc. for eye injuries she suffered while riding on the upper deck of a chartered, open-air tour bus. In 2013, a tree branch struck Lauren Guerra in the eye, which caused permanent vision problems and disfigurement. Ms. Guerra stood up on the top deck of the open-air bus that was chartered for a Halloween event. When Ms. Guerra’s face collided with the tree branch it broke her left eye socket resulting in multiple surgeries. Her attorneys will argue that Starline personnel failed to provide safety warnings to Guerra and the other passengers or supervise the party. “Starline has done nothing we’ve seen to mitigate these injuries. It’s almost like they don’t know the routes,” said Guerra’s attorney, Brian Kabateck. “There has to be more training and an understanding of the routes they are going to be on,” said Kabateck. One year after Guerra’s accident, a Manhattan Beach teenager died while riding on the top deck of the same bus, chartered for a birthday party. 16-year old Mason Zisette died while standing up on the top deck and his head hit a freeway overpass sign. “My client feels that after her incident, Starline should have done something to change what was happening on the bus,” Kabateck said. “This trial is about accountability and ensuring public safety,” said Kabateck. The trial is expected to take two weeks. Attorneys Brian Kabateck, Joseph Barrett, Terry Bailey and Benjamin Hakimfar of Kabateck LLP represent Ms. Guerra.