Tragedy struck a Dade County family, when a 13 year old girl was shot in the neck by another student on a school bus last week. According to reports by the Miami Herald and CNN, an unidentified, teenage boy was charged with manslaughter, after allegedly accidentally firing a concealed weapon on a school bus shooting Lourdes Guzman. The young girl was airlifted to Miami Children’s Hospital where she died the same day. (The Miami Herald) Lourdes Guzman was an innocent victim of a violent crime and the possible negligence of a bus company and driver, who took no action to prevent this senseless death. The crime victim’s younger sister, age 7, and seven other children were eye witnesses on this fateful day. The school bus was transporting children to 3 different schools. Guzman attended the Palm Glades Preparatory Academy.
This incident has shaken the community, and has made national news this week. Wrongful death cases should be litigated, and responsible parties should be held accountable. . The bus company owned and operated by Yelimar and Portieles might be to blame for this act, which could be judged as preventable and avoidable. Regulations for school buses should be improved, including video surveillance and possibly metal detectors are on board and other protections. Training school bus drivers how to manage children in a crisis such as this one would be helpful. Teaching school bus drivers how to intervene in potentially life threatening situations could save children’s lives. A child should never be allowed to bring a deadly weapon on board a school bus and action should be taken by the drivers in order to prevent this from ever happening! Hand gun owners and parents should be accountable too. There is no excuse for underage school children to leave home armed with a deadly weapon.
Personal injury attorneys can help victims and their families in seeking damages in a court of law. Settlements for death cases, sometimes can result in millions of dollars paid to a victim’s family. If a bus company is found to be a responsible party and is insured, attorneys for their clients can seek damages, for crimes committed against children being transported in these vehicles. Experienced attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, PA are highly trained at handling wrongful death cases. Negligent school supervision and careless firearm safety have been the basis for successful recoveries for clients of the firm.
A teenage girl on her way to school, traveling with her sister and other children on a school bus should never have to fear being shot by a fellow student. Other students, who were riding on the bus that day, may have escaped with their lives; but they will forever live in fear that something like this could happen again. The post traumatic stress that the children and the victim’s sister and family will suffer is undeniable, and is also an injury which should not be overlooked.
The grieving family of Lourdes Guzman will never get their daughter back, and will struggle to make sense of this incident forever. Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. , knows how to assist families who are grieving the loss of a loved resulting from the negligent behavior of another. For over 40 years, experienced attorneys like Philip and Nicholas Gerson have assisted crime victims successfully and are available to help you, too. Contact the law firm of Gerson & Schwartz, PA today for a free consultation.
Contact (305)371-6000 or for an appointment today.