The parents of Robert Champion, 26, the Florida A&M marching band student who was killed during a suspected hazing that occurred on a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel where Champion and his band-mates were staying, have filed a wrongful death suit against the owner and driver of the charter bus claiming the company’s managers told drivers to ignore hazing. According the lawsuit, the bus driver “stood guard” outside the bus during the hazing and forced the 26-year-old drum major back on the bus after he had exited to vomit.  The owner of  Fabulous Coach Lines, the company that owns the bus, said he needed time to prepare a statement but had previously stated last year that the bus driver was helping students unload their instruments when Mr. Champion collapsed, reported the New York Times.

Champion’s death is being investigated as a homicide after he suffered blunt force trauma and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the authorities. It is unclear why Champion, who had been a vocal opponent of hazing and held a leadership position as a drum major in the marching band, was on the bus at all. According to the suit filed, a fellow pledge said that band members on the bus treated Mr. Champion more brutally then others.

The lawsuit names defendants Ray Land, the owner of Fabulous Coach Lines, and Wendy Mellette, the driver of the bus on which the incident occurred.  The New York Times reported that Personal Injury Lawyer for the Champion family made the following statement regarding the case:  “Am I suggesting that this bus driver hit him? No,”  “Am I suggesting that she knowingly aided and abetted? She opened a bus, it was running, the air condition is on. If that’s not participation, then I don’t know.”

If you or someone you know has been killed due to the negligence of a company or one of its employees, you should immediately seek advice from a personal injury attorney that is experienced in handling wrongful death cases. For a free consultation with such an attorney, complete the form to the left or call 212-566-1000. Based in New York City, Sullivan & Brill, LLP represents clients throughout the United States, as well as in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County and other upstate New York counties.