$1.8 Million Settlement for Motor Vehicle Accident

The Estate of a 47 year old Sparta man, who was struck and killed on Route 287 has agreed to accept $1.8 million dollars in settlement of his claims.

On May 18,2014, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the decedent and his wife were returning from a friend’s home when they struck an abandoned, disabled vehicle which was left perpendicular in the roadway. Following that collision, the decedent exited his vehicle to check on his injured wife who was unable to extricate herself from the vehicle. His vehicle was now disabled in the left lane with its flashers active. A few minutes later, he was struck by a speeding vehicle operated by a police officer from the Department of Health and Human Services, who claimed that he did not see the decedent or the vehicle in the roadway. He had no other recollection of the accident.

The State claimed that the decedent was intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .13 and that the accident was due to the fault of the decedent and the motorist who left the abandoned vehicle in the roadway.

Trial was scheduled for November 26,2018, and the matter scheduled during pre-trial conferences with Judge Ironson on November 1 3 , 20 1 8, with the State of New Jersey paying $ I .7 million dollars and the operator of the disabled vehicle tendering their $100,000.00 policy.

The State was represented by David Burrx, Deputy Attorney General. The operator of the disabled vehicle was represented by Richard Tango, Esq., of McDermott & McGee.