City pays out $8M in bus-train crash lawsuits

The City of Ottawa has so far paid out $8 million in lawsuits related to the September2013 crash between a double-decker OC Transpo bus and a moving Via Rail train in Barrhaven that killed sixand injured many others.

• Ottawa bus-train crash kills 6 in commuting horror

The city has been served with 39 lawsuits claiming $26 million in relation to the fatal accident, according to an email from city solicitor Rick O'Connor. Asof Tuesday, the city had settled 31 of them.

The individual settlements are confidential, O'Connor said.

CBC News has previously reported thatundisclosed settlements were reached with the families ofMichael Bleakney, 57, andRob More, 35, who were both killed in the crash.

The families of passengersKarenKrzyzewski,and Carleton University studentsConnor Boyd and Kyle Nash all killed in the crash had also filed lawsuits againstthe city, but it is unknown if their suits have beensettled, or remain outstanding.

• Monitors to stay on OC Transpo double-deckers despite federal report

A December 2015 report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said bus driver Dave Woodard, who was also killed in the crash, waslikely distracted by a video screen he was required to monitor to ensure no passengers were standing on the upper deck while the bus wasmoving.

The report also cited the speed of the bus, the curve inthe road ahead of the crossing,company practicesand the vehicle's crashworthinessas contributing factors.