New Jersey Jury Awards $55M to Woman Whose Legs Were Amputated after Truck Collision

A jury in Essex County, New Jersey, awarded a $55 million verdict to a woman after a truck struck and amputated both of her legs.

After a two-week trial presided over by Superior Court Judge Thomas Vena, a verdict was reached on April 11th against Alert Motor Freight and Jersey City Transport. The two trucking companies are linked and based in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. The lawsuit also involved the estate of truck driver Paul DePass, who hails from Belleville, New Jersey. According to the lawyers involved in the case, DePass passed away from cancer three years after the collision.

“The optics in the courtroom were very difficult. The optics were very extreme—to have this young lady sitting in front of the jury for days, without legs. In fact, [on] one of the legs there’s no femur on the right side—it’s just a hip,” a defense lawyer said.

Source: https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2024/04/12/jurors-award-55m-to-dual-amputee-after-road-accident/