Choctaw Nation offered settlements in fatal casino bus accident

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Choctaw Nation owns and operates the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. Photo from Facebook

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The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma offered to settle two lawsuits that were filed in connection with a fatal casino bus crash in 2013.

Attorney Spencer Brown told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the tribe offered $25,000 to the family of a Texas woman who died in the accident. Another $50,000 was offered the family of another victim, the paper said.

Those amounts pale in comparison to the combined $10.9 million that a jury said the tribe must pay to both families. The Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant was held responsible even though the accident involved Cardinal Coach Line, an independent bus company.

“It is Cardinal’s bus and Cardinal’s driver,” tribal attorney Tom Fee told the paper. “Legally, the accident was caused by driver error, and that driver was an employee of Cardinal.”

Cardinal paid $5 million to all of the people who were on board during the accident, including the driver, the paper reported.

Fee said the tribe plans to appeal but is waiting to see if the judge accepts the jury's verdict.

Get the Story:
Choctaw Nation will appeal if judge OKs jury judgment, lawyer says (The Fort Worth Star-Telegram 5/4) Related Stories:
Choctaw Nation ordered to pay $11M for casino bus crash deaths (5/3)