$1,100,000 Recovery
MOTOR VEHICLE NEGLIGENCE - AUTO/TRACTOR TRAILER COLLISION - RED LIGHT /GREEN LIGHT - SHOULDER DISLOCATION - MULTIPLE RIB FRACTURES - LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION - TOTAL DISABILITY FROM EMPLOYMENT CLAIMED.
Broward County, Fl
The plaintiff in this motor vehicle negligence action was a 67-year old maintenance worker at the time his vehicle collided with a 2005 Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by the defendant driver in the course and scope of his employment with the defendant corporation. Both the plaintiff and the defendant truck driver claimed they had a green traffic light when the intersection collision occurred.
On August 2, 2012, the plaintiff contended he was driving his work van to perform an errand for his employer and was traveling on USI south at or near the Intersection of 23rd Street in Vero Beach, Florida. The plaintiff alleged that the defendants tractor-trailer drove through a red light and impacted his vehicle in the side. The plaintiff alleged that phone records showed that the defendant truck driver was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident.
in violation of commercial trucking laws. The plaintiffs complaint also asserted that the defendant corporation negligently hired, trained, supervised and retained the co-defendant truck driver.
The force of the impact pushed the plaintiffs van across the intersection and caused extensive damage to the plaintiffs vehicle. The plaintiff was airlifted from the accident scene to a trauma center and spent many weeks confined to a hospital. He was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder with SLAP tear, multiple rib fractures, manubrium (sternum) fracture and lumbar disc herniation at the L5-Sl level. He also claimed that the impact caused an aggravation of a preexisting lumbar disc herniation at L4-L5.
The plaintiff underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery and was recommended for a lumbar laminectomy and fusion. However, he declined the lumbar surgery and it was not performed. The plaintiff claimed that his accident-related injuries have left him completely disabled from employment since the date of the accident.
The defendant contended that the plaintiffs alleged lumbar injuries and recommendation for surgery was caused by preexisting conditions and not related to the accident. The defense stressed that the plaintiff had complained of similar lumbar symptoms before the date of the subject collision.
The case was settled prior to trial for $1, l 00,000.
REFERENCE
Sackman vs. Defendants. Case no. CACE 14-018350; Judge Milly Rodriguez Powell, 05-1 0- l 7.
Attorneys for plaintiff: Robert M. Roselli and Daniel P. Melrose of Roselli & Associates, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Reproduced from Florida Jury Veredict Review & Analysis. © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
A visit to the local grocery store turned tragic for Kay S., a 32 year old wife and mother of two. While in the checkout lane, she slipped on water and landed on her knee leading causing persistent problems and ultimately a patellectomy. Kay retained Attorney Robert M. Roselli, who filed a lawsuit against the grocery store alleging they were negligent maintaining the store (which they denied). Depositions of store personnel revealed that a broken water bottle was the source of the water that caused Kay to slip, and store personnel simply failed to completely clean it up and close off the checkout lane. The consequences to Kay were devastating but ultimately she did receive the compensation that she deserved.
