The first lawsuit has been filed in the deadly crash involving a ‘duck tour’ amphibious vehicle in Seattle.
Korean student Na Ra Yoon, 21, is suing the tour operator Ride the Ducks and maintenance contractor of the vehicles for failing to repair an axle which is thought to have been the major cause of the crash.
Yoon was on a bus filled with students when it was hit by the duck tour vehicle, killing five.
She suffered fractures in both hands.
The lawsuit is claiming against Ride the Ducks International, which was responsible for retrofitting the vintage vehicles and local affiliate Ride the Ducks of Seattle, which operated the tours.
"In 2013, Ride the Ducks International became aware that the axle housings on duck boats such as Duck 6 could be dangerously defective; they needed to be thoroughly checked and repaired. Ride the Ducks International published a warning to its own operators in the form of a service bulletin, but it failed to successfully inform its franchisee-Ride the Ducks Seattle," the complaint stated.
The suit said the wheel came off the vehicle just prior to impact with the bus, according to witness accounts.
The Seattle franchise of Ride the Ducks posted a statement on its website, saying it ‘continues to fully cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board, the city of Seattle and others to find the cause of this accident.’
