Attorney Ben Crump: The Cases, and What They Changed
We are not affiliated with Ben Crump or his firm. This page explains what his best-known cases established and what that means if you are looking at a similar situation.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
Who He Is
Ben Crump is a American civil rights attorney best known for representing families in cases where someone died in an encounter with police or in a racially charged incident. He has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin, and residents of Flint, Michigan in the water contamination litigation. His practice combines civil litigation with public advocacy — the two are not separable in his method, and that is a substantive point rather than a stylistic one: the visibility of these cases is part of what moved the defendants.
Case Details
If you are trying to reach his office, do so through his firm's own website. This page is informational and independent; we have no relationship with him or his practice, cannot pass a message to him, and cannot tell you whether he would take a case. Any site suggesting it can sign you up with a specific named attorney is not describing how legal representation works.
The Cases Most People Are Searching For
Breonna Taylor — $12 million. Settled with the City of Louisville, described at the time as one of the largest payouts in the United States for a Black woman killed by police.
His firm also cites a $641 million settlement for the children of Flint, Michigan, a $411 million verdict in a truck accident case, and over $200 million in “banking while Black” matters. Those three figures come from the firm's own published account of its results rather than from independent reporting we could verify, and we present them on that basis.
What These Cases Have in Common
Understanding the pattern is more useful than the names. Nearly all of them are civil claims brought alongside, or instead of, a criminal process — a civil case has a lower standard of proof and does not depend on prosecutors bringing charges, which is why a family can recover even where no conviction follows. Most involve a government defendant, which brings a specific set of obstacles: qualified immunity for individual officers, municipal liability rules requiring a policy or custom rather than a single bad act, and — critically — notice-of-claim deadlines that can be as short as a few months, far shorter than the ordinary limitation period. And most turned on evidence that existed independently of official accounts: bystander video, body-worn camera footage, autopsy findings obtained independently.
If Your Situation Looks Similar
The Cases That Built the Reputation
- 1
Trayvon Martin (2012)
Representation of the family in the case that first brought Crump to national attention.
- 2
Flint, Michigan
Representation of residents in the water contamination litigation; the firm cites a $641 million settlement for the children of Flint.
- 3
Breonna Taylor — $12 million
Settlement with the City of Louisville, reported as one of the largest for a Black woman killed by police in the United States.
- 4
George Floyd — $27 million (March 2021)
The Minneapolis City Council approves the settlement, reported as the largest pre-trial civil rights wrongful death settlement in US history, including $500,000 for the surrounding business district.
- 5
Ahmaud Arbery and continuing work
Representation of the Arbery family and continued involvement in police shooting and civil rights matters across multiple states.
Three Things to Be Careful About
A well-known attorney's name attracts sites that trade on it. These are the patterns worth recognising.
Sites offering to “connect you with Ben Crump”
No third-party site can retain a specific attorney on your behalf. A firm decides which cases it takes. Contact any firm through its own website.
Treating headline settlements as a benchmark
The $27 million and $12 million figures reflect exceptional cases with extraordinary evidence and enormous public attention. They are not a guide to what a civil rights claim is generally worth, and no honest lawyer would price your case against them.
Waiting because the criminal case is ongoing
The civil claim has its own deadlines, and against a public body those can be months rather than years. Waiting for a prosecution to conclude is one of the most common ways a civil claim is lost.
Common Questions
How much did the George Floyd family receive?
$27 million from the City of Minneapolis, approved in March 2021, reported as the largest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in US history. It included $500,000 for the business district where Floyd died.
What was the Breonna Taylor settlement?
$12 million from the City of Louisville, described at the time as one of the largest payouts in the United States for a Black woman killed by police.
Can I hire Ben Crump for my case?
That is entirely his firm's decision, and you would approach them directly through their own website. We have no affiliation and cannot refer you to him. For most claims, what matters is finding a lawyer experienced in litigation against public entities in your state.
Do I need a nationally known lawyer for a police misconduct case?
No. What matters is experience with municipal liability, qualified immunity and the short notice deadlines that apply to public bodies — a specialism that exists in every state. National attention changes the pressure on a defendant, but it is not what makes a claim legally viable.
How long do I have to bring a claim against a police department?
Often far less time than for an ordinary injury claim. Notice-of-claim requirements against government bodies commonly run 60 to 180 days, and missing that deadline can bar the claim entirely regardless of merit. Check this first, in your state.
Can I sue if no one was criminally charged?
Yes. A civil claim is independent of the criminal process and uses a lower standard of proof. Several of the settlements above were reached without criminal convictions of the individuals involved.
Are these settlement figures typical?
No, and it would be misleading to suggest otherwise. They are among the largest of their kind, arising from cases with exceptional evidence and national attention. Most civil rights claims resolve for a small fraction of those amounts.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.