Attorney(s): Michael Feldman, Andrew Finkelstein
Settlement: $5.7 Million Jury Verdict
A Brooklyn jury has awarded $5.7 million to a Jacoby & Meyers’ client for the tragic death of an 8-year old girl in a 2006 runaway school bus accident.
Trial attorney and partner Michael Feldman represented the parents of the victim, Amber Sadiq, and her 20-year old brother, who was with Amber at the time of her death and narrowly avoided injury or death himself, in the wrongful death trial against Jofaz Transportation.
Only 8-years old at the time of the tragedy, Amber and her brother had just crossed the street in Crown Heights when she was rundown by an out of control and unattended school bus operated by Jofaz Transportation. She was pinned under one of the bus wheels and died. Her brother at her side escaped physical injury. The bus was set loose by an 8-year old boy who broke into it through an unlocked emergency exit door. Getting behind the wheel of the bus, the boy released the emergency brake. He jumped off the bus when it began to move.
Feldman argued that the bus company was negligent in the training of the driver as he failed to turn the wheels of the bus to the curb when he parked the bus.
“But for a matter of thorough driver training by Jofaz Transportation, Amber might still be with her family today, a grown woman, if the bus driver had properly turned his wheels to the curb, as required by Vehicle and Traffic Law,” said attorney Feldman. “Instead, Amber’s parents must live a lifetime coping with her senseless death and her brother suffers from severe psychological disorders stemming from the incident. In awarding damages to the Sadiq family, the jury recognized that the accident could have been avoided if the driver and bus company had been diligent in their responsibilities,” added Feldman.
The jury awarded damages of $5 million to the estate of Amber Sadiq, represented by her parents, and $700,000 to her brother for past and future pain and suffering.
“My congratulations to Mr. Feldman on his outstanding work in obtaining a positive outcome for our client,” said Andrew Finkelstein, managing partner. “His dedication to meeting the needs of his clients exemplifies our firm’s commitment to success for those we serve.”