Every week in Georgia, millions of children wake up and walk to school. An unspoken agreement exists where parents rely on crosswalks, flashing lights, and school zones to keep their children safe. Parents accept this bargain because they must. Yet the bargain fails with unsettling regularity.
Federal data makes the point bluntly. As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports, “data shows that 104 people died in school-transportation-related crashes in 2022.” Over the past decade, “more than 1,000 people died in school-transportation-related crashes, and 198 of those were children age 18 and younger.”
For the families involved – and for the lawyers who represent them – there is nothing abstract about these statistics. They represent the lives of real people who are forever changed.
At Butler Kahn, the figures make it clear why fighting for families is so important. They believe strongly that skilled legal advocacy can help make victims whole after a tragedy and help drive meaningful, systemic change.
A Life Forever Changed by Negligence
For one Georgia family, the dangers created by unsafe driving in school zones became painfully real. Kendall Thomas was fourteen years old. She was crossing a marked crosswalk on her high school campus. A bus driver had stopped and waved her through. Moments before she reached the opposite side of the road, she was struck by a student driver.
The impact left Kendall with a catastrophic, permanent brain injury. Before the collision, Kendall loved playing with friends, swimming, and being an active member of her church. She was also the only girl on the school’s football team. After, she spent months in the hospital, where surgeons performed multiple life-saving surgeries. They said she likely would never speak again, let alone walk.
Kendall’s family didn’t accept it. They both stopped working and caring for Kendall became their full-time jobs.
Demonstrating Fault for the Collision
From a legal standpoint, the mechanics of the crash were simple.
Butler Kahn retained two experts: one in accident reconstruction, another in human factors. One applied math and physics to the scene. The other evaluated what the driver could have seen, and how much time a reasonable person would have had to react.
The conclusions were uniform. Had the student driver been traveling at the posted speed limit, the collision would not have happened. The driver would have had sufficient time to see Kendall and slow down. Even the defense’s experts ultimately agreed: speeding caused the crash.
This mattered not just for liability, but for principle. School zones are engineered environments. They exist precisely because children cannot be expected to protect themselves from vehicles.
“This was a preventable collision in an area that should be safe for all children,” said Matt Kahn. Civil litigation, he noted, is one of the few mechanisms available to enforce that expectation after the fact.
The Strategy of Deflection
The defense, despite conceding speed, denied responsibility.
They argued that Kendall had been running. They suggested the school was at fault for not providing a crossing guard. They even argued that Kendall’s injuries meant she would not live long enough for damages to matter.
They sought dismissal by claiming Kendall bore more than 50 percent of the blame – an argument Georgia law explicitly reserves for juries to decide.
One defense expert attempted to shift responsibility to the school itself. Under cross-examination, it became clear that she had reviewed safety procedures from the wrong school. After the deposition, the defense withdrew both the expert and the apportionment claim shortly thereafter.
Other experts were prepared to argue reduced life expectancy. Importantly, each also acknowledged that Kendall would require round-the-clock care for the rest of her life. The jury never heard that testimony because the case was resolved.
“When defendants try to shift blame onto victims or third parties, it only strengthens our resolve,” said Jeb Butler. The task, he explained, is to make courts and juries see the human consequences behind technical arguments.
The broader lesson was familiar: even when fault is clear, families often have to fight relentlessly for recognition of it.
The Bigger Picture
Pedestrian crashes are often preventable. Speeding, inattention, and failure to scan the roadway account for most of them. And while driver behavior is central, infrastructure decisions matter too.
Available safety measures include installing traffic-calming measures, placing additional stop signs, hiring crossing guards, and strictly enforcing traffic regulations.
The relative cost of keeping pedestrians safe is minimal compared to the ongoing costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation to correct life-altering injuries. When schools and cities fail to prioritize pedestrian safety, everyone is placed at risk–because at some point in the day everyone is a pedestrian.
Kendall’s Progress
Kendall’s recovery defied early medical expectations. Her family provided continuous, around-the-clock care, restructuring their lives entirely around her needs. Through sustained therapy, patience, and constant support, Kendall began to regain abilities doctors once believed were permanently lost.
She learned to communicate again – first through writing, then through speech. Over time, she progressed further, eventually relearning how to walk with assistance. Each milestone represented not only physical improvement, but the result of unwavering commitment and resilience.
For the Thomas family, faith and perseverance transformed a devastating injury into a story of growth and possibility. What began as tragedy became proof that progress, even against overwhelming odds, is possible.
Community Response
Kendall’s story led to a strong response from the community. School faculty and families rallied to offer support for the Thomas family in their time of great need. The North Paulding High School football team led a 43-second moment of silence to honor Kendall, which corresponds to her jersey number and lasting impact at the school.
This support of the Thomas family led to a formal request to rename North Paulding Drive in honor of Kendall. On January 16, 2026, that request became a reality when Paulding County officially renamed the road “Kendall Thomas Way.”
This road is significant because it leads directly to Burn Hickory Elementary School, Sammy McClure Middle School, and North Paulding High School. Now, “when we pass by here, we don’t think of Kendall lying here unconscious,” her mother Shanna Thomas explained. They wanted to turn what started as a tragedy into something positive. When asked how she was feeling, Kendall said, “excited.”
The changing of this street to Kendall Thomas Way is a powerful way to honor her legacy. It also serves as a lasting warning of the consequences of speeding.
Butler Kahn remains committed to standing up for families and supporting local communities affected by preventable accidents. Its work through the civil justice system is a means of creating accountability and advancing lasting change
