King Lion sued for $500 000 over bus disaster
A Masvingo pharmacist, Isaac Madungwe is suing King Lion Buses for a record $500 000 following the death of his wife in a disaster that killed 43 people near Nyamakate in Hurungwe in June this year.
Madungwe’s wife Tendai Pedzisi was a nurse at Masvingo General Hospital.
The lawsuit was filed at Masvingo High Court on September 5 and King Lion Motors was given 10 days to respond to the application.
Madungwe is jointly suing King Lion Motors together with his five children; Samuel, Isaac, Grace, Gracious and Blessed for loss of income. The plaintiffs are being represented by Charles Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Hwacha Legal Practitioners.
The bus was on its way to Zambia when it apparently burst one of its tyres thereby killing the dozens of passengers including the driver.
Madungwe was paid $3 000 by the bus company’s insurers; Insurance Company of Zimbabwe and the plaintiff contends that the money is too little considering what Tendai would have earned had she not died in the accident and worked until her retirement age.
The plaintiffs also said that they made their demands to the insurance company and this was spurned.
The plaintiffs said Tendai was on September 5, 2017 gives 10 days to respond or the case would be heard without them at Masvingo High Court.
The plaintiffs said Tendai was employed as a nurse and she earned $563 a month and this would have translated into $195 000 had she worked she worked for 29 years until her retirement age at 60.
They also said that Tendai earned over $1 000 through her cross border business and this would also translate to $348 000 at the retirement age of 60 years.
The family used $4 000 for funeral expenses and she lost $2 000 cash that she was carrying on her when the bus was involved in an accident and she lost a bag she had on her and some valuables whose to total value was $50.
The total amount owed minus the $3 000 that the insurance company paid comes to $549 974. The plaintiffs also demanded payment with full interest from the date that the summons were served.
The family accused the bus driver of over speeding, carrying excessive passengers, having failed to keep the bus under control and failed to act reasonably when the accident was imminent. Masvingo Mirror
