A Manhattan appeals court has thrown out an $11 million verdict against the maker of a bus involved in a 1994 crash that killed one person and injured 19 others, ruling that state tort claims are preempted by federal standards that do not require passenger seatbelts on buses.
The unanimous ruling by a panel of the Appellate Division, First Department, in Doomes v. Best Transit Corp., 4717, is the latest setback for five plaintiffs who in 2006 secured a $26.5 million award for pain and suffering before a post-trial ruling cut down the sum.
