BRANSON MO NEWS: Three years after a Ride the Ducks vehicle crashed into a tour bus carrying international students on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, more than 40 victims are ramping up for their day — or rather their months — in court.
The King County Superior Court judge overseeing the civil suit filed on behalf of Phuong Dinh and 42 other victims of the crash that killed five and injured more than 60 people is slated to hear pretrial motions this week.
Under consideration by Judge Catherine Shaffer are motions by plaintiffs to unseal prior settlements with other victims. Defense attorneys are asking the judge to bar victims’ attorneys from talking in front of jurors about things they say are irrelevant to the crash, such as the Ride the Ducks maintenance department’s staffing and funding prior to 2013 or the salary of Ride the Ducks Seattle owner Brian Tracey.
Presentation of evidence and arguments on the motions could take several days, according to the clerk’s office. Jury selection could begin by the end of the week and last at least a week as the court attempts to find potential jurors who can absorb the hardship of sitting through a complicated trial that may last six months.
Most Read Local StoriesUnlimited Digital Access. $1 for 4 weeks.Opening arguments by attorneys for the victims of the crash and the defendants, Ride the Ducks Seattle, Ride the Ducks International, the City of Seattle and the state of Washington are expected to begin mid-month, according to court officials.
Earlier this year, the City of Seattle agreed to pay more than $2 million to the families of 12 victims, although the city had argued that it should not be held liable in the suit because the state, and not the city, bore responsibility for bridge safety.
The 2016 suit claims that Ride the Ducks Seattle, …
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