Family of FAMU football Hall of Famer Dennis Jefferson seeks justice after dad's fatal fall on a city bus

The family of FAMU football Hall of Famer Dennis Jefferson, is suing the City of Tallahassee alleging negligence and a failure to ensure passenger safety after their dad fell while on board a city bus in 2022.  Jefferson was 88 years when he died.

Jefferson, a US Army Veteran, played football at FAMU and coached alongside legendary head coach Jake Gaither.

The incident
Surveillance footage from the bus, provided by the family’s attorney, Cynthia Myers, shows the driver accelerating before Jefferson—who used a cane and carried a bag—could sit down. Moments later, Jefferson fell backward, striking his head. A passenger is heard exclaiming, “Oh my!” before the driver pulled over to assist him.

Antonio Reddings, Jefferson's son, claims his father’s health rapidly declined after the fall. “He couldn’t stand upright. He developed a hematoma and was hospitalized,” Reddings said. Jefferson died later that month. The medical examiner cited respiratory illness and an “acute on chronic subdural hematoma” caused by an “undocumented fall [possibly on a bus].” Myers emphasized the fall exacerbated Jefferson’s preexisting dementia and directly led to his death.

Legal battle escalates
The city has denied liability, arguing in a January 2024 court filing that Jefferson’s prior health conditions and lack of an autopsy make it “legally impossible” to prove the city caused his death. They also suggested Jefferson may have been “more at fault than the driver” and criticized the family for not mitigating damages through medical insurance.

Myers countered that training records prove the driver violated protocol by moving the bus before passengers were seated. “The city is spending more taxpayer money fighting this case than settling it,” she said, noting state law caps the family’s potential recovery at $300,000.

A son’s fight for accountability
Reddings, who is pursuing the case on behalf of his father’s estate, insists the lawsuit is about responsibility, not money. “The community should say, ‘Stop with the nonsense. Take care of this,’” he told WCTV. “Let my family heal.”

Jefferson, remembered as a devoted father and community figure, frequently rode the bus to visit FAMU’s campus, where he starred as a linebacker in the 1970s. His family described him as a vibrant man whose independence was stripped away after the fall.

The City Clerk’s Office declined to comment, citing pending litigation. A hearing on the city’s motion to strike portions of the complaint is expected later this year.