Jeunelle Robinson: Family plans to sue for $100M as South Carolina teacher dies after being struck by utility pole
WAGENER, SOUTH CAROLINA: Jeunelle Robinson, a teacher at Wagener-Salley High School in South Carolina, lost her life after being reportedly hit by a utility pole.
Now, her devastated family has been seeking compensation while accusing the company to which the pole belonged.
According to Daily Mail, Robinson's family is planning to sue for $100 million in compensation as well as seeking $20 million for local power infrastructure and a $10 million trust in Robinson’s name for an annual scholarship to fund students pursuing careers as teachers.
South Carolina Senator Brad Hutto said, as per WIS News 10, “These big companies come and they make profits off of our utility bills just like they do everybody else’s but when it comes time to monitor and replace, we don’t seem to be getting the attention that we need.”
How did the freak accident happen with Jeunelle Robinson?
On August 23, Robinson was walking down a Main Street intersection in Wagener during her lunch break when a tractor-trailer knocked down eight power lines, leading to the fall of multiple poles.
One pole hurt the 31-year-old social studies teacher. Soon she was taken to Aiken Regional Medical Centers before being transferred to Augusta University Medical Center, The New York Post reported.
However, she could not be saved.
Jeunelle Robinson’s family lawyer slams officials
Robinson’s family lawyer, state Rep Justin Bamberg (D-Bamberg), took to Twitter to share the footage of the tragedy.
He also wrote, “Wagener-Salley High School teacher Jeunelle Robinson was walking down the street during lunchtime last Wednesday when her life was senselessly taken after she was hit by a defective utility pole whose rotten wood snapped after the utility lines were hit by a semi.”
Pt 1: Wagener-Salley High School teacher Jeunelle Robinson was walking down the street during lunchtime last Wednesday when her life was senselessly taken after she was hit by a defective utility pole whose rotten wood snapped after the utility lines were hit by a semi. pic.twitter.com/dxFGxG9C8p
— Justin Bamberg, Esq. (@JustinBamberg) August 29, 2023
Bamberg claimed, “Approximately 8 poles in downtown Wagener fell that day, many of which suffered from extreme core and shell rot, and some that were more than 60 years old.”
Pt2: Approximately 8 poles in downtown Wagener fell that day, many of which suffered from extreme core and shell rot, and some that were more than 60 years old.
— Justin Bamberg, Esq. (@JustinBamberg) August 29, 2023
Pt3: This is the absolute worst case scenario where the lack of maintenance and attention by companies worth more money than South Carolina herself left loving parents, siblings, relatives, friends, students, teachers, and administrators with a void that can never be filled.
— Justin Bamberg, Esq. (@JustinBamberg) August 29, 2023
He added, “This is the absolute worst-case scenario where the lack of maintenance and attention by companies worth more money than South Carolina herself left loving parents, siblings, relatives, friends, students, teachers, and administrators with a void that can never be filled.”
What is Jeunelle Robinson’s family saying?
Robinson's father Donovan Julian called her a "light". He said, "She was a light. She was a light, taken too soon."
Besides, through their lawyer, the family of Robinson has now reportedly been appealing for a $100 million compensation.
WIS News 10 citing the family’s demand stated that they want $20 million as "an investment in the power and utility infrastructure of Salley and Wagener” along with $10 million "for an annual scholarship in Robinson’s name for Aiken County students.”