PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA – A jury heard opening statements last Wednesday in a civil trial that is seeking $30 million in damages. The incident sparking the suit was a bus crash that killed a 9-year-old boy. An attorney for the family of Aaron Beauchamp asked the jury, “What are you going to do about it?”
The crash occurred on March 26, 2012. The bus driver, Albert Hazen, was ultimately charged with failure to yield. The man was fined $1,000 and given a six-month license suspension. Lance Ivey, the attorney of record for the Beauchamp family, told jurors that Hazen gave conflicting statements during the investigation. The attorney also claims that the St. Lucie school system has a culture of adding routes and rushing bus drivers.
Allen Sang, attorney for the school district, said, “Hazen let the parents know he would be late, he wasn’t in a hurry. He pulls into the left hand turn lane and he began to make his turn. Why Mr. Hazen did not appreciate the truck coming would be a problem for him, we may never know.”
Sang also said that the trucking company, Cypress Trucking, should bear some of the responsibility for the accident as well.
The jury was privy to a video of the crash thanks to the four cameras inside of the bus. Each recorded a different view of the crash, one showing Hazen looking in the rearview mirror and not at the road.
The Beauchamp family settled with Cypress Trucking earlier this summer.
If you have been injured in a vehicle collision, our experienced personal injury attorneys are here to represent you in court. We want to help you put the pieces of your life back together. Contact our Port St Lucie car accident law firm, today so we may review your case. Your first consultation is free.
About the Author
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.
Michael Steinger
MICHAEL S. STEINGER, founding partner of Steinger, Greene & Feiner, believes in representing real people, not big businesses. Since the firm’s creation in 1997, Steinger, Greene & Feiner has never represented an insurance company or large corporation, and he vows to keep this promise. Over the course of his career, Michael has handled thousands of Florida accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and earning him membership into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Staying up-to-date on the ever-evolving laws protecting injury victims and their families, Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Palm Beach, and St. Lucie Bar Associations, and sits on the Auto Insurance Committee of the Florida Justice Association.