Faced with representing a client who had no memory of a two-car crash that killed the defendant driver and his wife on impact, New London, Connecticut, attorney John Nazzaro was not content to wait for a state reconstruction team to complete its investigation.
So Nazzaro, a former judge and prosecuting attorney, used his contacts in law enforcement to get what he needed to file a lawsuit and get the case moving forward.
"This was a horrific accident with serious injuries where the defendant driver and his wife died," said Nazzaro, a partner with The Reardon Law Firm. "We conducted our own investigation because we knew the state police and their regional reconstruction team would likely take a year to get their findings."
Nazzaro said he did something some attorneys might not have been able to do.
"I accessed everyone I could who was willing to talk to us," he said Monday. "Through those contacts, I was able to determine the point of impact and the probable trajectory of the offending vehicle. Because of my contacts, I was able to accelerate the legal action on behalf of my client."
In addition, Nazzaro said, "an analysis of the physical evidence and forensic evidence showed this was not my client's fault."
Nazzaro said he made an offer of compromise to the defense team for $1.25 million. He said he believes both sides were able to agree on settling for $1.1 million because "of the severity of my client's injuries." The settlement was paid via Geico Insurance Co., the carrier for the defendants.
According to Nazzaro and the July 2019 lawsuit filed in New London Superior Court, a Buick Lucerne that decedent defendant John Adams was driving hit a divider, and launched off the divider into the air striking the Toyota Corolla that plaintiff Amber Castle was driving. The accident occurred on Interstate 395 in Norwich, Connecticut, in January 2019. Both cars were destroyed.
A waitress at a local casino and a part-time massage therapist, the twenty-four-year-old Castle, Nazzaro said, suffered injuries to her right arm and right leg, both of which she had surgeries for. In addition, the attorney said, Castle, who was wearing a seat belt, also had a fractured pelvis and injuries to her lower extremities. It's not clear, Nazzaro said, why the Adams vehicle lost control.
Castle incurred more than $250,000 in medical expenses and $22,000 in lost wages, her attorney said.
In court pleadings, the defense said it has insufficient knowledge to form an opinion on what caused the accident, and left it to the plaintiff to prove the case.
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Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at 203-437-5950.