Ben Crump Teams Up With Fellow Attorney, Seek Justice for Black Man Who Died in Paramedic Care

On Thursday, January 19 at 1:00 PM CST, at the NAACP Office located at 901 S. 11th Street in Springfield, IL, nationally renowned personal injury attorney Bob Hilliard, of Corpus Christ, TX-based firm Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP (HMG), along with nationally known civil rights lawyer, Ben Crump of Tallahassee, FL, will be holding a press conference to announce the filing of a civil suit in response to the negligent actions that led to the tragic death of Earl Moore, Jr., age 35.

Crump and Hilliard have been retained to represent the family of Earl Moore, Jr., according to a press release.

According to reports, on December 18, 2022, at around 2 am, police responded to a 911 call alleging people inside the residence with firearms. Upon arrival, police found no firearms, but saw a resident, Earl Moore, Jr. in bed and in need of medical assistance. Police called for an ambulance and stayed with Mr. Moore until they arrived. Body camera footage shows the arrival of the paramedics, with Paramedic Peggy Finley aggressively instructing Mr. Moore to walk to the ambulance on his own, despite his inability to do so. At no point did Finley or her colleague, Peter Cadigan, assess his medical condition or evaluate him in any way. Police assisted Mr. Moore out of the house, where he was then incorrectly strapped to the stretcher – face down – and transported to the hospital. After his arrival at the hospital, it was determined that Mr. Moore died from compressional and positional asphyxia. Both paramedics have been charged with murder.

“The treatment of Earl Moore, during a clear medical emergency, is heartbreaking to witness. He was clearly a man in need. As humans, we trust and believe that first responders, such as EMS workers, will provide medical assistance along with compassion and care. Mr. Moore received none of that and, ultimately lost his life because of their lack of duty to care,” said attorney Bob Hilliard.

Attorneys Bob Hilliard and Ben Crump have a long history of fighting for justice for their clients, dating back to 2018 when the team was hired by the family of Danny Ray Thomas, an unarmed Black man who was unarmed and shot by the police. The lawsuit is still proceeding against the shooting officer in Houston.

The duo partnered again in 2018, bringing legal action against the NBA, the Detroit Pistons, the Grand Rapids Drive, and the DeltaPlex Arena in a wrongful death suit, filed on behalf of Zeke Upshaw‘s mother, Jewel Upshaw. Long Island Nets player, Zeke Upshaw, collapsed during a game and subsequently died. Hilliard and Crump made headlines when a deal was reached in December 2019 with the NBA and the Pistons.

In 2019, Hilliard and Crump filed a civil lawsuit against the NCAA, Board of Regents, and Coach Robert Davie, Jr. in the U.S. District Court, for the District of New Mexico. The ongoing lawsuit alleged nine claims, including wrongful death, and asserted that 21-year-old University of New Mexico football player, Nahje Flowers, was discriminated against by defendants, leading to his untimely death.

More recently, Hilliard and Crump took on systemic racism in the banking industry, winning a large settlement against a financial institution that imposed unreasonable standards on its Black customers. The sizable settlements represent victories against the widespread, racist phenomenon known as “Banking with Black.” The settlements provided funds to the victims of discrimination in the banking industry.

In this most recent case, Crump and Hilliard will once again seek to hold the responsible parties accountable for the senseless and tragic death of Earl Moore, Jr.