A Young New Jersey Father Was Injured in a Car Crash on Route 22

In November 2015, a young husband and father of two small children were driving on Route 22 East in Mountainside, New Jersey when the defendant’s vehicle carelessly shot across two lanes of busy highway traffic and caused a crash.  Immediately afterward, our client was taken to Overlook Medical Center’s Emergency Room by ambulance due to excruciating back pain.

This young client received chiropractic and physical therapy treatment as well as MRI scans to try to identify and alleviate his lower back pain.  Claims were brought against the defendant driver for her failure to follow the basic driving safety rules.  The case was filed in Essex County Superior Court in Newark, New Jersey entitled Audy Garrido et al. v. Julia Staples, et al., Docket No: ESX-L-6979-17.  This matter was litigated for about 5 years by Lazaro Berenguer, of Clark Law Firm P.C.

The Case Went to Trial Because the Defendant Refused to Resolve the Case for Anywhere Close to Fair Value

Since the defendant refused to resolve the case for anywhere close to fair value, it went to trial before the Honorable Russell J. Passamano, J.S.C., in April 2023.  At trial, the defendant not only alleged that the plaintiff did not sustain a permanent injury, but that he was lying and faking his injuries.  Despite the defendant’s false allegations, Dr. Michael Rieber a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Dr. Steve Losik, a Board Certified Diagnostic Radiologist testified as to the plaintiff’s injuries and how they had permanently impacted his life.  Additionally, the plaintiff’s wife took the stand and spoke about how her husband’s life, their marriage, and his relationship with their two young sons had deteriorated after the crash due to his lower back pain.  Plaintiff’s employer also testified about how he was no longer able to do the same type of work he did prior to the crash.

This was our client’s car after being involved in a car crash on Route 22 in NJ.

The Jury Found That the Plaintiff Suffered a Permanent Injury Which Returned a Verdict in Our Client’s Favor

After four days of a hard-fought trial, the jury found that the plaintiff suffered a permanent injury to his lower back and returned a verdict in his favor for $80,000 (not including interest).

Lazaro Berenguer, Esq., commented, “This case was hotly contested and dragged out by a powerful insurance company.  We are glad that the jury saw the evidence for what it was and returned a verdict in this deserving young man’s favor.”

This was the defendant’s car involved in the crash.