LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. () — The family of a teenage baseball player who suffered a catastrophic brain injury in a LaPorte County crash is suing Amazon, claiming the company did not adequately screen the truck driver involved in the collision.
More than a year later, 17-year-old Lucas Bradshaw is still in rehabilitation several days a week, working to rebuild his mobility, vision and cognitive skills. He was thrown from a school minibus carrying junior varsity baseball players and coaches when the crash happened.
“He would like to play baseball again,” his mother, Kelley Bradshaw, said. “I don’t foresee that happening as a parent. But he has a goal and if we can help him with it we’re going to.”
Investigators said the truck driver, Shawn Akison, tested positive for fentanyl after the crash. Akison, who struck the minibus, is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence in Indiana.
Attorneys for the Bradshaw family argue the collision was preventable, saying Amazon should have identified concerns in Akison’s background before allowing him to haul a load for the company that day.
“Mr. Akison had accumulated almost two decades of serious driving violations prior to being authorized to haul for Amazon, including things like hit and run and leaving the scene of an accident,” said Nick Kamenjarin, a partner at Lane Brown LLC.
The family’s attorneys also said Akison had most recently been arrested for heroin possession while driving for Amazon.
With medical bills now exceeding $1 million, the Bradshaw family has filed suit against Amazon. The lawsuit also names a Naperville-based third-party company that formally employed Akison.
According to the family’s attorneys, Akison, while not formally employed by Amazon, worked as an Amazon Relay driver; hauling freight between Amazon hubs and accepting jobs through the Relay app.
“Amazon demanded and exercised complete control over these drivers from beginning to end,” said Scott Lane, a partner at Lane Brown LLC.
The crash has had a lasting impact on the entire family. Lucas’ father, Bradley Bradshaw, was driving the school minibus when it was struck from behind.
“Everytime I look in the rearview mirror if I’m driving anything I see the truck,” Bradley Bradshaw said. “It’s the one thing I’m never going to get out of my mind.”
Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit. In a statement regarding the crash, the company said: “This was a tragedy, and our hearts are with the families affected as they recover.”
Lucas recently completed his junior year of high school at home while continuing rehabilitation. His goal is to return to school in person for his senior year next month.
