The victim’s attorneys alleged today that the bus driver was on his way down from cocaine when he ran into and paralyzed a British tourist in Malta.
During a family vacation to Malta in 2018, history teacher Rob Butt, 48, from Glastonbury, received life-changing injuries when the open-top car he was traveling in collided with low-lying tree branches.
Rob’s wife Kathy and their three children, all of whom live in Glastonbury, were also injured in the collision, which rendered him tetraplegic and requiring round-the-clock care.
According to Mr Butt’s attorneys, the incident was caused by breaches of duty of care, such as the driver’s inability to keep a good watch, driving too quickly, and driving too near to the edge of the road.
His attorneys filed a lawsuit against the bus driver, City Sightseeing Malta Ltd, and its insurers in London’s High Court.
His attorneys claim that a Magisterial Inquiry in Malta has now determined that the bus driver had taken cocaine previous to the tragedy.
According to them, the investigation discovered that he may have been suffering from comedown symptoms at the time of the incident.
According to Irwin Mitchell lawyers, it was the bus driver’s first day on the job with City Sightseeing in over a year, and he had received no training in the interim.
They claim that a number of factors contributed to the accident, including the driver’s inability to maintain a sufficient lookout, driving too quickly, and driving too near to the road’s edge.
A hearing has been held in the High Court in London, and the case has been scheduled for trial in 2023.
It will establish how much insurance coverage is available to pay for all of the people who were injured in the incident.
‘It’s been more than four years since Rob and his family’s life were utterly flipped upside down,’ Jennifer Lund of Irwin Mitchell said.
‘They’re still dealing with Rob’s injuries, what they’ve all gone through, and what the future holds, which is understandable.
‘The accident has had a significant impact on them, notably Rob, who is now confined to a wheelchair and is reliant on attendants to care for him.
‘Rob’s 75-year-old mother relocated and now oversees most of the day-to-day operations, since consistency is essential with caregivers moving frequently and Kathy working long hours to support the family.
‘She also co-parents, effectively having come out of retirement to take over Rob’s role as parent.
‘The children, the youngest of which was nine at the time of the accident, have had to deal with a huge amount of trauma.
‘The family, and everyone else affected by this devastating accident, has spent the last few years waiting for clarity about what happened on that fateful day and whether the defendants have enough funds to pay damages – we’re pleased that they’re now one step closer to obtaining these answers.
‘Nothing will change what the victims have been through, but we will continue supporting Rob and his family throughout this process so he can access the specialist support and therapies he requires to live as independently as possible.’
Rob was the Head of the History Department at Downside School in Radstock before the event.
He was also a licensed coach in a variety of sports and was heavily involved in outdoor education, including the Combined Cadet Force, Gold and Silver D of E.
Before the tragedy, he and Kathy, who is also a teacher, were looking forward to starting new teaching careers abroad.
‘Our life flipped upside down little over four years ago, and we have continued going since then, attempting to find our way through what has been the worst experience of our lives,’ Kathy added.
‘It’s been especially painful to watch Rob go from being a fit and active father to requiring care 24 hours a day and unable to embrace or do anything for his children.’
‘He has, however, been incredible, a real inspiration to us and to our local community, and tries to remain positive through everything.
‘We know we’ll face many challenges as a family as a result of Rob’s health issues, which will worsen as time goes on, but we’re all so grateful he’s still here.
‘It’s also been tough not getting the answers from those who were responsible for the crash about what could have been done to prevent it and whether they can even pay our damages so that Rob can have as normal a life as possible, so we’re pleased that progress is now being made on that front.
‘Of course, nothing will change what we’ve been through, but we feel we deserve answers, as do all the families affected. We wouldn’t want others to suffer like as we have.’