A wrongful death lawsuit and a personal injury case stemming from a fatal Greyhound bus crash last year were heard in Santa Maria courtrooms this week and are moving ahead.

Three civil lawsuits, including two wrongful death lawsuits and a personal injury lawsuit, were filed against Greyhound Lines following a Nov. 27, crash that happened when a Greyhound bus driven by Samuel Bishop swerved off northbound Highway 101, tipped onto its side and struck a tree near Betteravia Road.

Killed in the crash were Martha Contreras, 23, of Santa Maria, who was seven months pregnant; and Faro Jahanian, 50, of San Francisco. Contreras' fetus was later determined to be viable under California law.

Attorneys for the parties involved in a lawsuit filed by injured bus passenger Keith St. Clare against Greyhound appeared in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria Tuesday, either in person or by phone.

St. Clare filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and two children he cares for who were also injured in the crash.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office determined in June that Bishop may have suffered an epileptic seizure, which could have caused the crash.

Neither Bishop nor Greyhound Lines have been criminally charged. However, Bishop has exercised his constitutional right against self-incrimination, and has asked not to be deposed until the statute of limitations expires in the criminal case on Nov. 27, according to attorneys in the Greyhound lawsuits. Nov. 27 marks the one-year anniversary of the crash.

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Staffel set the next court date in the case for Dec. 5, and ordered attorneys to agree on an evidence schedule by that date.

He said there will be another case management conference in January, when a trial date may be set.

On Monday in Santa Maria court, Judge Rodney Melville set an April 23 trial date for a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Greyhound by the family of Contreras.

Melville also upheld Monday a ruling he made two weeks earlier that Bishop's deposition not be stopped or stayed per the request of attorneys for Bishop and Greyhound, said plaintiff's attorney on that case, Esteban Valenzuela.

Information on the status of a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Fresno court by the family of crash victim Jahanian could not be obtained Tuesday.

Samantha Yale can be reached at 739-2159 or syale@lompocrecord.com.

September 27, 2006