WMC-TV 5 - Memphis, TNLawsuit filed in deadly Tunica bus crash

Lawsuit filed in deadly Tunica bus crash

Three people died and more than a dozen were injured when a Harrah's shuttle bus left the road and overturned in Tunica, Mississippi, on August 10. Among those injured are five plaintiffs named in a new lawsuit filed Friday.

"A lot of broken bones, a lot of facial cuts, and scrapes and scarring," said attorney Kevin Dean.

Dean's law firm in Charleston, South Carolina, filed the suit. Most of the passengers on the bus were from there. 

The lawsuit targets Harrah's Tunica, the bus manufacturer, and Larry Williams, the man behind the wheel at the time of the wreck. 

"We want to make sure this casino that flies its jets into Charleston, South Carolina, and takes 127 of its citizens to Tunica treats those passengers with respect, and provides them with safe transportation," said Dean.

He claims the bus itself was poorly designed, made and maintained.

"This is a 2007 bus," said Dean. "It had no seat belts on it, the side windows popped out, and it was clearly in an unsafe condition."    

Otherwise, he says neither the damage not the injures would have been so severe.

"People are marred for life because of this incident -- in addition to the three deaths," he said.

Dean's clients claim they're in continuous pain and mental anguish and need money for past, present and future medical expenses.

This is only the first lawsuit filed, others are expected to follow.  No one from Harrah's was available for comment Friday night.

Click here to e-mail Jason Miles.