2 years after Westboro bus tragedy, city has settled $5M in claims

Two years after a double-decker OC Transpo bus slammed into Westborostation, killing three passengers and injuring scores more, the City of Ottawa says it has paid out more than $5 million to the victims and families who filed lawsuits in the wake of the tragedy.

Judy Booth, Bruce Thomlinson and Anja van Beek diedin the crash on Jan. 11, 2019. Other passengers suffered life-altering injuries.

• Shattered lives, shattered faith
• Bus crash survivor Marcie Stevens is walking again and eager for the next challenge

The City of Ottawa has been served with 18 statements of claimincluding one class-action lawsuit. The courts have not yetissued a decision on whetherthat class action should be certified, according to city solicitor David White. Another dozen notices filed could eventually bring the total number of lawsuits against the city to30.

White said claims involving two of the three deceased passengers have now been settled, and he expects more claimsto be settledthis year. The city and its insurers have advanced partial payments tosome victims who needed the financial assistance, he said.

A year ago, the city formally stated it was civillyresponsible for the crash. The focus then shifted tofiguring out how much claimants should receive, rather thandeliberating over legal responsibility.

• City accepts responsibility in Westboro crash lawsuits

"The City and its insurers continue to work diligently to resolve the claims that have been advanced, though there is work yet to be done in this regard," White wrote in an email ahead of the second anniversary of the tragedy.

"The objective is to ensure that the victims and their families are adequately and appropriately compensated."

• Driver in fatal OC Transpo bus crash facing 38 criminal charges
• Westboro bus crash driver goes on trial in 2021

As for criminal proceedings, the trial of bus driver Aissatou Dialloremains scheduled for eight weeksbeginning March 22. Diallo faces more thanthree dozen chargesincludingthree counts of dangerous driving causing death.

When theyannounced those charges back in August 2019, police said the City of Ottawa and OC Transpohad been cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the crash.