Suffolk County New York Jury Awards $345,000 in Rear-End Collision

A motor vehicle accident occurred on January 7, 2016, on the Sagtikos State Parkway in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York. A vehicle operated by the defendant driver rear-ended the plaintiff's stopped vehicle. The plaintiff filed a complaint on July 25, 2016, alleging the defendant driver's negligence and claiming serious injuries as defined by state law, seeking monetary damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering.

The defendants filed an answer asserting that the plaintiff's injuries were caused by the plaintiff's own conduct, including comparative negligence and failure to wear a seatbelt. The plaintiff later moved for summary judgment on the issue of liability. The court granted the unopposed motion on March 5, 2018, finding the plaintiff established a prima facie case of negligence and the defendants failed to offer a non-negligent explanation for the collision.

The case proceeded to a jury trial on the issue of damages in January 2019. The jury found the accident was a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff's injuries, which included both a significant limitation of use and a permanent consequential limitation of a bodily function or organ. On February 21, 2019, the jury awarded the plaintiff $140,000 for past pain and suffering and $205,000 for future pain and suffering, totaling $345,000.