SFGATE has reported that First Student Inc.has agreed to pay $11.5 million to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming that the firm used unsafe buses to transport San Francisco students.
Two mechanics with the school bus company filed the lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, claiming that the company’s buses had threadbare tires, worn brakes and other problems because of improper maintenance.
The San Francisco Unified School District will receive $3.5 million of the settlement, and the mechanics and their attorneys will receive the rest.
The lawsuit claimed that the alleged safety violations happened from 2006 through 2011. The mechanics provided records that showed the company misrepresented the safety of the vehicles, attorneys said.
