Press Release

Client Awarded a $1 million dollar Jury Verdict

On Thursday, December 11, 2008, a Bergen County jury rendered a one million ($1,000,000) dollar verdict in favor of a driver of an automobile who was injured in a serious multi-vehicle collision. Barbara Szczecina of Elmwood Park was the operator of an automobile traveling on Route 80 when her car was struck by a car operated by Joseph Martino. Martino was weaving in and out of traffic when his car struck the rear of the Szczecina car, causing it to spin out of control and crash into another vehicle.

Mrs. Szczecina received serious injuries to her wrist, neck and back. The back injuries were so severe that Mrs. Szczecina had to undergo multiple procedures in an attempt to reduce her pain. According to her attorney, Terry Paul Bottinelli, a member of the Hackensack law firm of Herten, Burstein, Sheridan, Cevasco, Bottinelli, Litt and Harz, LLC. Mrs. Szczecina was placed under general anesthesia and underwent spinal injections on 23 different occasions between 2005 and 2007. In the most recent attempt to reduce the constant pain, Richard Lipsky, M.D. of Hackensack, a pain management specialist, performed a rhizotomy (a surgical severing of nerves) in Mrs. Szczecina's lower back.

A claim by Mrs. Szczecina's passenger, David Johnson, was settled while the jury was deliberating. Mr. Johnson was represented by Marc Saperstein, a partner in the firm of Davis, Saperstein and Salomon in Hackensack.

The trial began on December first before the Honorable Joseph Conte, J.S.C. A total of seven medical experts were called by the plaintiffs and the defendants P.V. Holding Corporation and Joseph Martino, III.