Richmond County, New York Jury Awards $101,250 in Motor Vehicle Negligence

A motor vehicle accident occurred on April 20, 2015, at Jefferson Boulevard near Belfield Avenue in Richmond County, New York. The plaintiff's vehicle collided with a vehicle owned by one defendant and operated by another. Following the incident, the plaintiff claimed serious injuries, as defined by Section 5102 of the New York Insurance Law, asserting the defendants' negligence, carelessness, and recklessness caused the harm.

The plaintiff filed a complaint on June 15, 2017. The defendants responded by asserting the plaintiff's own conduct contributed to the injuries and that the plaintiff had not sustained a "serious injury" under Insurance Law Section 5102(d). They also contended the plaintiff was not entitled to recover for basic economic loss under Article 51. During the litigation, one defendant passed away, leading to motions for estate administration. On March 29, 2021, the court appointed the remaining defendant as Administrator of the Estate of the deceased defendant and substituted the administrator as a defendant.

The case proceeded to trial. On January 9, 2023, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury awarded the plaintiff $101,250.00 in damages against the defendant, both individually and as Administrator for the Estate of the deceased defendant.