Family of Hazing Victim Offers to Settle Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Florida A&M
Sep 18, 2015
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) September 18, 2015 – The family of Robert Champion, the Florida A&M drum major who died after a hazing ritual, has offered to settle their wrongful death lawsuit against the university for $8 million.
The position of the university has been that Champion participated in the hazing activities voluntarily. The university must accept or reject the settlement offer within 30 days. The Florida legislature must approve any settlement greater than $300,000. In 2012, Champion’s family rejected an offer by the university to settle the case for $300,000.
“It is always tragic when a loved one is lost before their time, and even more so when the death was preventable,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa wrongful death attorney with Joyce & Reyes, who is not involved in the case. “When someone dies as the result of another’s negligence, the family has the right to seek compensation for their loss through a wrongful death lawsuit.”
Proposed legislation in the form of a “claims” bill was introduced in the Florida Senate on July 30 to compensate Champion’s family. The bill alleges that Champion was forced to participate in the hazing ritual and that Florida A&M permitted an “entrenched culture of hazing” to thrive in the university’s famed marching band, the Marching 100. The amount of the settlement was left blank in the bill.
Robert Champion died Nov. 19, 2011, after being beaten during a ritual following the Florida Classic football game, which took place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. A medical examiner ruled that the beating caused Champion’s death. Felony charges were filed against 15 former band members, and six others accepted plea deals with sentences of community service.
Learn more at http://www.joyceandreyespa.com
Joyce and Reyes Law Firm, P.A.
307 S Hyde Park Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Call: 813.251.2007
- Florida NASCAR crash leads to traumatic brain injury for fan
A NASCAR fan who was struck by shrapnel after a crash at Daytona International Speedway in Florida is pursuing legal remedies for his traumatic brain injury. On the last lap of the 2013 race, a collision sent Kyle Larson’s No. 32 car flying, and shrapnel was hurled into the stands, injuring fans. Allen Davis was […] - Florida appeals court rules against some medical malpractice damages caps
In a victory for the rights of injured people, a Florida appeals court ruled that limits on certain damages for pain and suffering in personal injury cases are unconstitutional. In 2003, the Florida legislature set limits of $500,000 in “non-economic damages,” such as damages for pain and suffering, in personal injury cases. In 2014, the […] - Administration proposes new rules to help prevent nursing home abuse
The Obama administration has proposed modernizing federal safety rules that nursing homes must abide by in order to receive Medicaid and Medicare payments. Sylvia Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, said that the proposed changes set high standards for safety and quality in nursing homes. The proposals were announced as part of the […] - Father and son hit by boat propeller settle brain injury lawsuit for $12 million
A father and son who were seriously injured when a boat backed over them while they were scuba diving have settled their lawsuit against the scuba diving center for $12 million. Jared Adkins and his son settled the lawsuit against the Florida Keys Dive Center in Tavernier, after the dive center initially argued that it […] - Final pill mill suspect arrested
The final suspect accused of crimes related to a now defunct pain clinic has been arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Presmil Masson Jr. was arrested June 1 on six counts of manslaughter and two counts of racketeering. Pam Bondi, the Attorney General of Florida, had announced previously that eight people had been charged in […]
