Founder and Managing Partner
Q: Is a school responsible for training its workers in how to properly work with the special needs population?
The future looks anything but bright for a privately-operated, publicly-funded special needs school barred by the California Department of Education from taking on new students a few months after an alleged wrongful death occurred involving a student on the bus ride home.
The action against Bright Futures was reportedly based on a finding that the school’s Riverside campus was among other things “harmful to the health, welfare or safety of an individual with exceptional needs”. It was not clear if this suspension was related to the death of an 18-year-old autistic student reportedly at the hands of his bus driver and aid during an altercation on the bus ride home from the Riverside campus last December.
A wrongful death action is reportedly forthcoming against the school based on what the victim’s family contends was “inadequate staffing and improper training”.
In addition, sheriff’s deputies reported receiving numerous calls involving incidents at the school’s Apple Valley campus including “assault on employees by students, student on student assaults, sexual battery (inappropriate touching) between students, gang activity, theft, and rioting.” These allegations prompted attempts to close that campus as well.
A wrongful death action may be instituted against a person or entity whose negligence, recklessness or intentional actions or inactions caused the death of another. The closest surviving relatives of the victim may be entitled to compensatory damages including in the victim’s final medical and burial expenses, loss of income or support from the victim, loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and more depending on the family members’ relationships to the victim and the particular circumstances of the case.
If a loved one has been killed as a result of the negligence of another, the skilled personal injury attorneys at J&Y Law Firm can help you navigate the complex process of a wrongful death lawsuit. While it won’t bring your loved one back, legal action can help you ease the tremendous financial burden of your unexpected loss and allow you to focus on the emotional aspect of your recovery.
Call us today at 888-806-6722 for a free consultation. With headquarters in Los Angeles and 21 offices throughout the state, compassionate and experienced and help is close by. We serve clients throughout California as well as those injured while visiting California.