LOS ANGELES _ The family of a California autistic teenager who died in 2015 after being left alone for hours on a sweltering bus has reached a $23.5 million settlement with the bus agency, attorneys said.
Hun Joon "Paul" Lee, 19, was found on the floor of a bus parked in a Whittier bus yard on Sept. 11, 2015 _ a 96-degree day _ and the non-verbal teenager was pronounced dead after lifesaving efforts failed. The bus driver, Armando Abel Ramirez of Rialto, did not check the rear of the bus to ensure Lee had left.
In December 2015, Lee's parents filed a lawsuit against the bus agency, Pupil Transportation Cooperative, and the Whittier Union High School District. The district was later dropped as a defendant when it became clear "the evidence was overwhelmingly against the bus company," Brian Panish, the family's lawyer, said.
Ramirez was sentenced to two years in prison in January for felony dependent adult abuse resulting in death.
On Monday, lawyers for the family and the bus company confirmed the settlement.
"It has been our priority to reach a resolution with the family of Paul Lee," read a statement from Steve Bui, the chief executive officer of PTC. "Though nothing will ever ease the pain they have endured, we have worked diligently to refine our policies to ensure that something like this never happens again. PTC remains dedicated to providing safe, high-quality transportation services to the children and families in our communities."
In 2016, Lee's parents lobbied the state to pass regulations aimed at improving child safety on buses. Last fall, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law requirements that all buses in California be equipped with child-safety alarms to be deactivated by a driver before leaving the bus.
The law, which will go into effect in the 2018-2019 school year, will also mandate that drivers receive annual training for child safety to renew their bus driver safety certificate.
Panish said Lee's parents are relieved to have "some sort of closure now."
"They are very happy and hopeful that no other family will not have to go through what they did," Panish said, adding that the family can now "privately continue their grieving."
After what Panish described as a "long effort," the family will pursue no further litigation.
"Really it's about a lot more than money," Panish said.
