BOYNTON BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A Palm Springs couple has sued the School Board of Palm Beach County, alleging a school bus driver rear-ended their vehicle in Boynton Beach last year and caused ongoing injuries.
The complaint was filed Jan. 29, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, under Case No. 502026CA001116XXXAMB, naming Edgar M. Pimiento and Maria A. Rubio as plaintiffs and the School Board of Palm Beach County as the defendant.
According to the complaint, the alleged crash happened on or about April 9, 2025, at or near Gateway Boulevard and I-95. The filing claims a 2021 ICBU bus owned or co-owned by the school board was being operated with the board’s permission by its employee, Lonnie W. Owens.
The lawsuit alleges Owens “negligently operated and maintained” the bus when it crashed into the rear of the plaintiffs’ vehicle while they were stopped at a red traffic signal. The complaint further claims Owens was acting within the course and scope of his employment at the time, and that the school board is vicariously liable for the alleged negligence.
The case seeks damages above $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney’s fees, and includes a demand for a jury trial.
In Count I, Pimiento alleges the school board’s negligence in the maintenance and operation of the bus caused him to suffer injuries and losses. The complaint lists categories of alleged damages including pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, medical and related care expenses, lost earnings, diminished earning capacity, and aggravation of a pre-existing condition. The filing claims his injuries are “permanent and ongoing,” and that he will continue to incur damages in the future.
Count II brings similar negligence allegations on behalf of Rubio, with the complaint likewise claiming she sustained significant bodily injuries and the same general categories of damages and future losses.
The lawsuit also includes two loss of consortium claims. In Count III, Pimiento alleges he has been deprived of the aid, support, services, society, companionship, and consortium of his spouse as a result of the defendant’s alleged negligence. Count IV asserts the same type of consortium claim on behalf of Rubio. The complaint states the couple has been and remains married.
The filing also alleges the plaintiffs provided statutory notice under Florida’s waiver of sovereign immunity law. The complaint states notice pursuant to section 768.28, dated April 22, 2025, was sent to the school board by certified mail with a copy sent to the Florida Department of Financial Services, and it lists receipt dates reflected on return receipts. The complaint claims all conditions precedent to filing suit have been met, satisfied, or waived.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Kelsey Burke Arrieta of Personal Injury of Florida, according to the signature block on the complaint. No defense counsel is listed in the filing.
The original complaint, Edgar M. Pimiento, Individually and as Spouse, and Maria A. Rubio, Individually and as Spouse v. The School Board of Palm Beach County, Case No. 502026CA001116XXXAMB, as filed January 29, 2026, with the Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.
Learn more about how auto negligence lawsuits typically unfold in Florida.
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