The Mikel Knight Trial

I had no idea who this guy is, but apparently, he is a “country rap” star with a history of worker abuse. In 2014, his street team, which helped Knight distribute CDs and promote performances, reported several workplace abuses amid a terrible vehicle accident that left one man paralyzed. In another case, two street team members died in a car accident.

The families have been litigating the matter for the past 8 years. The process was held up after Knight switched legal teams. The three causes of action, two wrongful deaths and one catastrophic injury have been rolled into one claim against the embattled star and the matter looks ready to head to trial.

Knight is facing at least 8 counts in this lawsuit. His company is accused of negligence and recklessness, negligent entrustment, negligent training and supervision, fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The allegations 

Employees contend that excruciating working conditions and impossible demands led to the driver falling asleep at the wheel ultimately resulting in two deaths. In the case of the individual who was left with paralysis injuries, driver fatigue was also cited as a major contributing factor. A third accident involved a street team member. The police chief who interviewed him said that he appeared relieved that he had lost his job after the accident. This was the third accident caused by street team members.

Part of the problem for the defendant is that the conditions that the former street team members were expected to work under were egregious violations of labor standards. Today, there is a Facebook group set up for former street team members and their families detailing accounts of abuse by supervisors and Mikel Knight. Some stated that street team members would be left behind unpaid if they did not sell enough CDs.

Mikel Knight’s response 

As you can imagine, Knight’s response was aggressive. He has threatened lawsuits against Facebook and former street team members for allegations made against him in public. He claims that the reason there were so many problems is that Knight was prone to hiring those with difficult pasts or former convicts, giving them a second chance. Knight has filed or threatened lawsuits against the families of deceased plaintiffs and a country music magazine that reported on the abuses.

On the other hand, Knight has an extensive criminal history and has faced felony counts in multiple counties. This has not helped him stop the wave of negative publicity surrounding his operation. Now, the matter is a national headline, and even someone who is completely out of touch with the country music scene has a reason to know his name.

Talk to a Miami Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

Payer Law represents the interests of injured plaintiffs in lawsuits against negligent defendants. Call our Miami personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin discussing your options immediately.

Source:

savingcountrymusic.com/mikel-knight-finally-facing-wrongful-death-lawsuit-trial/