Queens jury awards $51.8 million verdict for man injured in car crash

Evan La Penna from the firm Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek represented a client who won a $51.8 million verdict from a Queens Supreme Court jury last month. Photo courtesy of Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek.

By David Brand

A Queens Supreme Court jury awarded a Corona man who was severely injured in a 2017 car crash $51.8 million at trial last month, a verdict that is among the largest sums ever recorded for a New York City auto collision.

The 44-year-old plaintiff was rear-ended on the Long Island Expressway and experienced numbness in this hand caused by a herniated disk in his neck. His meniscus was also shredded in the collision and the injuries have required multiple surgeries. 

The crash victim was represented by attorney Evan La Penna from the firm Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek. Justice Joseph Esposito presided at the trial. 

The other driver’s insurance company only offered a sum of $225,000, which was “woefully inadequate” to make up for the extent of the victim’s injuries and his diminished range of motion, La Penna said.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had an insurance company try to low ball a client,” La Penna said.

The jury award includes roughly $5 million for past damages, $36 million for future damages and $5 million for future medical expenses, for a total of $46.1 million. The overall total includes 9 percent judicial interest from the summary judgement in February 2018.

“He will have a tough road ahead,” La Penna said of the victim. 

La Penna said personal injury lawyers are often the butt of jokes about frivolous lawsuits and ambulance chasing, but most attorneys fight for the rights of clients who have been wronged.

“There are a lot of real cases where the client deserves justice,” he said.