Levinson Axelrod, P.A. Attorney Kelley Lavery recently recovered a nearly $1 million settlement for a client who suffered multiple injuries after falling into a hole in a parking garage.
The defendants failed to make a fair offer pre-trial and Kelley took the case to trial. After Kelley had picked a jury and presented his case through the testimony of a medical expert, liability expert, and the Plaintiff, the defense realized that they needed to settle the case.
As detailed in court documents, Kelley’s client had parked their vehicle in a parking garage located at the PATH Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. This was the first time the Plaintiff, who intended to travel via the PATH train to New York City, had used the facility.
While walking to find the parking garage’s exit to the train, the Plaintiff fell in a hole on the concrete surface of the parking garage and suffered fractures of both ankles. The Plaintiff underwent two immediate surgical repairs for each ankle and experienced subsequent knee issues that necessitated additional surgeries.
In a premises liability lawsuit filed on behalf of his client, Kelley raised allegations that the Defendants which owned/operated/managed the parking garage negligently failed to address the dangerous condition which caused his client’s injuries.
Following multiple days of trial, Kelley was able to successfully tender a $987,500 settlement from the Port Authority of New York / New Jersey and the company responsible for maintaining the garage.
Kelley Lavery is a Levinson Axelrod, P.A. Associate in our Edison office, where he represents victims in a range of claims involving motor vehicle accidents, municipal liability, serious injury, and wrongful death. A former Criminal Prosecutor and Civil Defense Attorney, Kelley has leveraged his extensive insight to help victims of negligence recover millions of dollars in compensation.