were taken to Atlanta-area hospitals, including Grady, Atlanta Medical Center, and Piedmont Hospital. Baseball coach James Grandey, 29, and four players were reported in serious or critical condition, one of whom later died. As of March 15, 2007, Grandey was reported in good condition and released. Many of the others were treated and released. Investigation Allegedly poor design of the exit itself soon became the primary source of blame. The Atlanta Police Department and National Transportation Safety Board investigated. Meanwhile, preliminary tests ruled out the possibility of a mechanical failure, as well as driver intoxication as blood and urine samples from Niemeyer later showed the presence of ibuprofen, therapeutic levels of the antidepressant Sertraline and the anti-hypertensive drug Atenolol, and concluded that he had no alcohol in his system. A preliminary report was issued about a week after the crash, according to the NTSB chairman. A final report was released in July 2008. Regarding cause, the NTSB stated: Of particular interest in the investigation is the design of the exit itself. Several factors played a possible role, including the fact that the exit was an atypical left exit; inadequate advance notice was given of this setup; the HOV exit was signed differently than standard exits; the arrow on the exit sign misled drivers about where the HOV lane continued; and the exit ramp itself had poor signage. Legal Several lawsuits were filed by the families of deceased players and by those injured in the crash in the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia. Judge Susan Forsling entered case management orders that included a provision for mediation of all claims in Ohio. Wrongful death and personal injury claims arising from this crash were settled in phases for a total of $25 million, which was allocated among all claimants by agreement through a joint prosecution group. First, the insurer for Executive Coach paid its policy limits of $5 million required under the Federal Motor Carrier safety regulations. Second, the state of Georgia paid $3 million to the crash victim due to claims of negligent design of the ramp, intersection and signage. The Georgia State Tort Claims Act limits the liability of state governmental entities to a maximum of $1 million per person and $3 million per occurrence, no matter how many were hurt. Third, after the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that the university's liability insurance policies were applicable to the bus