Jury gives family $910,000 in lawsuit against Department of Education for death of girl killed crossing the street to catch bus

Jurors took 2 1/2 hours to decide that the South Carolina Department of Education was to blame for the 1996 traffic death of an 8-year-old Beech Island girl, reported Kathy Steele of the Augusta Chronicle (GA). The jury awarded $910,000 in damages.

“This is a case of a girl (being) killed because of the negligence of the schools and the bus driver,” said Richard Harpootlian, attorney for the girl’s family.

Brittany’s parents filed the wrongful-death lawsuit against the Education Department; Vincent Bussiere, the driver of the truck that struck their daughter; and T.F. Anderson and Sons Inc., the truck’s owner. Mr. Bussiere and T.F. Anderson settled with the Smalls family before the trial.

Contact The Augusta Chronicle for the full article.

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