Family from village near Somerton hire lawyers after Malta bus crash in April 2018

Rob Butt, 47, of Barton St David, near Somerton, sustained a severe spinal cord injury when a city sightseeing open-top bus in Zurrieq, Malta, crashed into low-lying tree branches in April 2018.

His wife, Kathy, and three children were also on the bus.

Mr Butt, who the head of history at Downside School in Radstock, is now tetraplegic and wheelchair-dependent.

The pair had secured teaching jobs in Malaysia before the crash and were looking forward to starting a new life there.

“Both Rob and I had recently secured teaching jobs in Malaysia and we were looking forward to a new adventure overseas together as a family,” said Mrs Butt, a teacher at Millfield School in Street.

“This had been our dream for years and we were finally about to realise it.

“Rob was fit, healthy and independent before the crash. He was a successful head of department, highly qualified to coach several sports and he was also a highly experienced outdoor education teacher.

“Now he can’t do anything for himself and we all live with 24-hour carers.

“Rob has been utterly amazing. His incredible mental strength and positive outlook has guided us and we have all worked really hard to remain positive at all times, led by him.

“There will be many challenges ahead that Rob and we must face as his health gradually deteriorates.

“The long-term effects on the mental wellbeing of our children after seeing so many injured people, and the effects of Rob’s injuries on their lives, is something that troubles me greatly.”

The family have asked serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate what happened in Malta.

The double-decker tourist bus, which formed part of the popular City Sightseeing service, was being driven by a 24-year-old Maltese national when it crashed into the tree and failed to stop.

After initial police investigations a Maltese Magisterial Inquiry was set up, but this Inquiry is held behind closed doors and the families of those injured and killed do not yet have answers about how and why the crash happened.

Irwin Mitchell have issued legal proceedings against City Sightseeing Malta Limited, the bus driver and the insurers.

They argue that breaches of duty of care led to the incident, including the drivers failure to keep a lookout, driving too fast and too close to the edge of the road.

Jennifer Lund, a partner and specialist international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “More than two years on, Rob, Kathy and their family still await answers from the Maltese Magisterial Inquiry.

“The last few years have been incredibly difficult for them as they have struggled to come to terms with Rob’s injuries and the impact the accident has had on them as a family.

“Whilst nothing will change what has happened, we’re determined to support the family throughout this process.

“Our thoughts are also with the many other families across the world affected by this tragic incident. We hope that the Maltese Magisterial Inquiry bears in mind the impact of the delay in providing answers to all of those who were injured and to the families of those who were killed on that fateful day, and rapidly moves the Inquiry along.”

A close friend and former colleague, Simon Briston, ran six marathons in six days to help raise money to buy an exoskeleton for Rob, which would allow Mr Butt to do complete basic movements, such as raising a cup to his mouth.

To donate visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SimonBriston