Elliot J. Bush v. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Case No. C2011-13320

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction will pay a Gambier man $2 million to settle a claim over a head-on collision caused by one of its employees that left the man with “catastrophic” injuries. The Court of Claims of Ohio approved the settlement agreement on September 13.

DRC employee Douglas A. Schlefer crossed over the centerline on County Road 6 in Knox County on January 7, 2010 and struck Elliott J. Bush’s car, according to the December 28, 2011 complaint. Bush sustained nearly 30 injuries including numerous fractures. The complaint cites “carelessness and negligence,” attributing them to “driver inattention, driving too fast for the conditions then and there existing, failure to control, failure to yield.”

The complaint notes the indefinite future of medical and hospital expenses for Bush and the “life-changing circumstances” for his wife Trudy.

The Court of Claims is given original jurisdiction to hear and determine all civil actions filed against the State of Ohio and its agencies.

To access information on other cases visit the Court of Claims website.

Please note: Opinion summaries are prepared by the Office of Public Information for the general public and news media. Opinion summaries are not prepared for every opinion, but only for noteworthy cases. Opinion summaries are not to be considered as official headnotes or syllabi of court opinions. The full text of this and other court opinions are available online.