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New York Team Obtains Favorable Verdict in Bronx County

New York, N.Y. (February 26, 2019) – New York Partners Alecia Walters-Hinds and Sheryl Fyffe recently obtained a favorable verdict in a motor vehicle accident case venued in Bronx County.

The plaintiff, 39 years old at the time of the accident, alleged that he sustained injuries to his neck, back, and left shoulder as a result of a sideswipe motor vehicle collision. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant driver changed lanes into the path of his vehicle and caused the accident. As a result of the alleged injuries, the plaintiff underwent three different surgeries: a multiple level lumbar discectomy and fusion, a second fusion surgery on the neck, and a shoulder surgery.

At the time of trial, the plaintiff was still receiving treatment, and his counsel called five doctors, including two pain management doctors. The plaintiff’s spine surgeon and orthopedic surgeon both testified that the plaintiff would require future surgeries. One of the pain management doctors testified that plaintiff would need almost $500,000 in future medical care. Prior to trial, the plaintiff demanded $6 million in damages. During summations, the plaintiff’s counsel went even further, suggesting an additional $3 million ($1 million for each surgery) for past pain and suffering, and “millions” for future pain and suffering.

At trial, we argued that the plaintiff had caused the accident while attempting to pass our client’s vehicle with an improper lane change. Both sides called in accident reconstruction experts. On damages, to counter the plaintiff’s experts, we presented our own experts who testified that the plaintiff’s alleged injuries were pre-existing and not causally related to the accident. Our experts also testified that the plaintiff would not require any future surgeries.

After a month-long trial and two days of deliberations, the jury returned an extremely favorable verdict for our client, finding them only partially at fault for the accident, and assessing a net award of only $531,000 for the plaintiff.


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