$5,424,000 Jury Verdict for Failure to Properly Maintain Guardrail

Partner Mitchell Makowicz represented the estate and family of a motorcyclist who was involved in an accident which occurred on Route 21 in New Jersey in 2011. The decedent lost control of his motorcycle and hit a wall which previously had a guard rail on top of it. The guard rail had been removed and bolts/posts put in place to accept a new guard rail. The new guard rail was not placed timely, and on the date of the accident, the bolts and posts were still exposed, creating a very significant hazard. When the decedent hit the wall, he sustained an amputation of his right arm, a degloving injury to his right leg, was propelled through the air, striking a light pole and then falling 20 feet to the ground below. The decedent died approximately 2 hours after the accident. Mitch obtained a jury verdict in this lawsuit brought against the State of New Jersey and the contractor which did the work on the wall/guardrail. The verdict was $5,424,000.