Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has represented the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and more. “All we’re trying to do is get people to see the humanity in people of color,” he says.
Dr. Phil welcomes the man some refer to as “Black America’s Attorney General” to the “Phil in the Blanks” Podcast. It’s an episode not to be missed!
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Documentary Film on Netflix: Civil
Began as a collaboration between Crump and Kenya Barris (“black-ish”), who considered working on a scripted series together.
But as Crump puts it, Barris felt people would want to see “this real-life superhero,” so they asked director Nadia Hallgren (“Becoming”) to make a documentary about Crump himself.
Follows Crump as he attends church, debates the merits of getting a dog with his adorable daughter and talks respectfully to his loving mother. He meets distraught clients who have lost loved ones to racially-motivated violence, leads mock-trial exercises and holds press conferences when his team at Ben Crump Law wins a civil case. As we learn, he is exceptionally good at his job; he has won record millions, multiple times.
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Ben Crump:
Attorney Ben Crump is referred to as “Black America’s Attorney General.”
Through a steadfast dedication to justice and service, renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben has established himself as one of the nation’s foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice.
His legal acumen has ensured that those marginalized in American society are protected by their nation’s contract with its constituency.
Listed amongst the Most Influential People of 2021 by TIME100
Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, and the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year,
Crump’s tireless advocacy has led to legislation preventing excessive force and developing implicit bias training and policies.
ADDITIONAL WINS IN CATEGORIES: SOURCE: https://bencrump.com/
Car Accidents
$8.7 Million: An honor student at Florida A&M University was paralyzed when the rental van he was riding in flipped over on the interstate. The rental car company failed to verify the age of the driver of the van, who was under the minimum age required by law. The case was settled during the course of federal litigation for $8.7 million.
$5 Million: A popular church leader in Southern Georgia was killed by a drunk driver in a company car. The company told the victim’s family that the life of an African-American man in South Georgia wasn’t worth more than $1 million. The widow was eventually awarded $5 million, the largest recovery for a single wrongful death case in Southern Georgia County.
Confidential (Seven Figure Amount): The head usher of a Central Florida Baptist church was driving with her pastor and his wife to a church conference on Interstate 95 when the vehicle they were in collided with a rental van driven by a college lacrosse team. Everybody in the crash was injured, but the head usher died from her injuries. Liability between the two drivers was heavily contested. An eyewitness said that the college driver was speeding and that the pastor did seem to change lanes suddenly. The day before jury selection, both the church insurance company and the rental car company entered into a confidential seven-figure settlement with the head usher’s family.
$875,000: Mr. Crump recovered $875,000 on behalf of a 19-year-old whose mother was killed at an intersection when another motorist made a left-hand turn and hit the side of the pick-up truck, where she was sitting as a front seat passenger. Liability was contested.
$800,000: Two young women were driving home from Atlanta, Georgia, to Tampa, Florida, for a holiday. While driving on I-75 South, a tractor-trailer truck came over the middle line into the two young women’s lane, causing the first of several collisions. Both young women were killed. The case went to trial in federal court in Tampa. Because liability was disputed, and there were no witnesses to speak on behalf of the decedents, the parties reached an agreement for $800,000.
$650,000: A woman was driving a school bus and came to a complete stop to let one of her students off the bus. There was one car that was stopped behind the bus when a man driving a tractor-trailer truck fell asleep, causing his truck to run into the car and the bus. The bus driver was ejected from her seat and was thrown to the back of the bus, hitting her head on the roof of the bus. After the lawsuit was filed, the parties reached a settlement at mediation for $650,000.
$550,000: A woman and her two daughters were returning home from church when another vehicle suddenly pulled out in front of their vehicle. The woman did not have time to stop and the two vehicles collided. The other driver claimed the woman was speeding. The woman suffered a fractured wrist and one of her daughters suffered a mild head injury. The case settled for $550,000.
$424,000: A man sustained injuries when a UPS truck ran into his car. The company said the damages were worth no more than $600. Mr. Crump took the case to trial, and the jury awarded his client $424,000. Confidential: A middle-aged gentleman who worked in the Volusia County, Florida school system for approximately 35 years as a classroom teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, area director, and area superintendent, was instantly killed when his car was struck by a speeding vehicle. The speeding vehicle was allegedly being pursued by the police in a high-speed chase. After years of complex litigation, the case settled for the statutory limits.
Burn/Fire Injuries
$2 Million: A house fire claimed the life of a father and his son, while his wife received third-degree burns to 30 percent of her body. Mr. Crump joined a co-counselor and sued a furniture manufacturer for using non-fire repellent material that easily caught fire. Lawyers for the manufacturer claimed the fire started due to a space heater placed too close to the curtains. The case settled for $2 million.
Civil Rights
$10+ Million: The case of Martin Lee Anderson captured headlines around the world when the 14-year-old teen was killed at a Florida boot camp hours after he arrived. When Mr. Crump took the case, a videotape was uncovered and revealed several camp guards beating the teen to death while a nurse watched. Mr. Crump generated widespread public outcry in this case with marches and demonstrations. The teen’s family ultimately received over $10 million from various governmental entities.
$4.9 Million: One of only two African-American patrons in a nightclub of over two hundred patrons was wrongly accused by the police of starting a fight. When the first officer arrived, the African-American patron defended himself and took the baton from the officer, and pushed him to the ground. Subsequently, the nightclub security and other police officers took the African-American patron to the ground hard, paralyzing him from the chest down. Mr. Crump interviewed hundreds of witnesses that confirmed the African-American patron was trying to break up the altercation. The city and the nightclub settled for $4.9 million.
Medical Malpractice
$1.475 Million: Mr. Crump handled a medical malpractice lawsuit in Miami involving a 48-year-old woman who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and bled to death postoperatively. The hospital settled prior to trial for a confidential settlement amount worth seven figures. Mr. Crump proceeded to trial against the physicians, and the jury awarded a verdict in the amount of $1.48 million to the surviving spouse and children
Negligent Security
$1.2 Million: In central Florida, an 18-year-old high school senior was shot and killed outside of his car as he waited for his friend to pay for gas at a Circle K, which was known as a popular after-club hangout spot. Mr. Crump sued Circle K alleging the teenager’s death was due to their unwillingness to provide adequate security for their store and/or to take proper measures to make sure loiterers did not hang out around the property. During litigation, it was discovered that the police department had been called to that location over 89 times the month before the tragic killing, yet Circle K still didn’t hire security as neighboring businesses did. The case was settled out of court for $1.2 million. Nursing Home & Elder Abuse
$750,000: A senior citizen living in a nursing home was taken to her doctor in a company van. On the way back to the nursing home, the senior fell out of her chair because she was not properly strapped into her seat. When a worker reported the incident to the nursing home, he was instructed to bring the senior back to the nursing home and not take the senior to the emergency room. The senior was not analyzed by anyone upon her return to the nursing home. She was merely placed back in bed. Later, it was uncovered the senior had suffered a fracture and because she was not properly treated, she ultimately died a few days after the incident. Settled in pre-suit for $750k.
Personal Injury
$641 million: Beginning in 2014, more than 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan were exposed to harmful levels of lead in their drinking water. Ben Crump is fighting for justice for thousands of these children who were poisoned by the water, giving them hope for a better future.
$33.5 Million: The family of a nine-year-old boy who became quadriplegic as a result of a horrendous electric-cart accident came to Ben for help. He stood alongside them, securing the family a multi-million dollar settlement to help care for their son.
$5 Million: Four young girls were playing in their grandmother’s yard when a drunk driver drove his car across the yard, striking all four girls and killing one of them. The drunk driver tried to flee the scene, but after complex litigation, a settlement was reached for $5 million.
$3.5 Million: A 27-year-old Georgia woman was injured after being hit by the president and general manager of an auto dealership, who was driving a company car. Mr. Crump took the case to trial, and a jury awarded the woman $3.5 million.
$1 Million: A 25-year-old woman who was confined to a wheelchair was run over and crushed by the trailer of an eighteen-wheeler while she was crossing the street. The defendant in the case denied that the woman had the right of way. The case settled for $1 million.
$1 Million: A police officer was killed by a drunk driver during his daily morning jog. The drunk driver left the scene and claimed he thought he hit a deer. The case settled for the $1 million insurance policy limits. $1 Million: An eight-year-old boy was riding his bicycle with his friends when he was struck and killed by a Coca-Cola truck making a right turn at an intersection in a residential neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. Maryland Statutes held that motorists owed a greater duty to pedestrians, especially children, in residential areas. A lawsuit was filed and the case was settled out of court for $1 million.
$10 Million: Largest pre-trial Police Brutality Settlement in Ohio.
Product Liability
Confidential: An eight-month-old infant suffocated after a defective baby crib disengaged and trapped the child between the crib railing and mattress. Mr. Crump settled with the crib’s manufacturer for a confidential amount.
Premises Liability
$1 Million: An eight-year-old boy drowned in a pool of water located within an unfenced construction company’s sandpit, which was closely located near a residential community. After filing a lawsuit based on the attractive nuisance doctrine, the case settled for $1 million.
Slip and Fall
$250,000: A 12-year-old cheerleader fell and was injured inside a Wal-Mart store in Tallahassee, Florida. The company refused to settle for $5,000 and the case went to trial. The jury awarded the girl $250,000.
Workers’ Compensation
$10+ Million: A man was severely burned while working at an industrial plant when one of the worksite units exploded. Mr. Crump successfully appeared before the Florida Supreme Court and won a landmark ruling.
Confidential (Seven Figure Amount): A 25-year-old plumber’s assistant went to a call with his boss to install a bathroom facility at a church. While his boss was upstairs, he got stuck as he tried to exit the church basement between the air conditioning unit and the hot water heater. He was electrocuted and died a horrific death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) cited the church and plumbing company for several violations. The plumber’s assistant first and only child was born one month after the tragedy. The case was settled out of court for a confidential seven-figure settlement.
Wrongful Death
$2.4 Million: Two-year-old Zaniyah Hinson died after being left inside a scorching hot van for more than two hours by employees of a church-run day care center in Daytona Beach, Florida. The case was eventually settled for $2.4 million.
$1 Million: A 17-year-old high school senior drowned on a field trip to an area lake where no lifeguards were posted. The contract between lake officials and the county school board stated that if the lake didn’t have a lifeguard on duty, the guest group may not use the waterfront or related activities unless the Guest Group provided one person with a current advanced life-saving certificate for every 50 people in the water. The school should have required three lifeguards for the 134 students. The case was settled out of court for $1 million.