A jury in Monmouth County has levied a $17.6 million verdict in favor of a man severely injured in a multi-vehicle accident involving a drug-impaired 18-wheeler driver. The record-breaking judgement includes $6.5 million in compensatory damages and a further $11.15 million in punitive damages. This final judgement follows a separate $6.85 million settlement last year on behalf of another driver, who tragically lost his life in the same incident.
The jury returned their compensatory damages verdict on November 3, and the punitive damages verdict on November 9, after a courtroom battle supervised by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Sheedy. The initial accident unfolded on September 6, 2017 when the victim, John Fiore, was traveling west on Route 440 in Perth Amboy. Here is the original article for more details.
Worsening the traffic congestion caused by construction work, which reduced three travel lanes to two, the 18-wheeler failed to halt in time, leading to a cascade of impacts as described by Donald Lomurro, the attorney for Mr. Fiore. Jason Appio, whose car was the first to be hit by the truck, was sadly killed in the accident. His estate later reached a settlement with the parties at fault for $6.85 million.
The truck, owned by Highlight Motor Freight of Concord, Ontario, was driven by employee Aleksandr Isserovich. Evidence revealed he was under the influence of a potent mix of prescription and non-prescription drugs, which introduced drowsiness and a lack of due care and attention. The cause of the accident and subsequent litigation did not just revolve around the issue of impaired driving, but also negligent hire and retention practices by the employer.
Mr. Fiore, a casualty of this series of unfortunate events, suffered grievous injuries in the accident that prevented him from his duties as a heavy-equipment operator. His injuries included a torn meniscus in his left knee, a torn cartilage of the left hip, a herniated disc, along with a fracture to his left hand that did not heal properly. The accident resulted in Isserovich pleading guilty to one count of vehicular homicide and three counts of assault by auto, earning him a seven-year sentence at the state’s Department of Corrections.