$2.5 Million Jury Award to Victim of Parsippany Car Crash
A classical pianist who was rendered unable to play at a high level after a serious car accident has been awarded $2.5 million in damages by a Morris County jury.
In the early evening of November 20, 2011, William Finizio, Jr., the accident victim, was involved in a two-car crash on Route 80 in Parsippany. As Finizio was driving down a single lane of the road on a stretch of highway undergoing construction, he described the at-fault driver’s car – that of Ilija Lumbarda – as emerging from between construction safety barrels, striking Finizio’s vehicle. Lumbarda told police that he was in front of the victim’s car in a center lane of traffic, and when he attempted to merge left into another lane, he struck Finizio’s car as Finizio tried to pass him. At the time of the crash, Finizio did not realize that he had been hurt, and both drivers told police that they had not sustained injuries during the accident. Neither driver received a citation from responding police officers.
After Finizio had time to recover from the shock of the crash and see a doctor, he was diagnosed as having sustained tears in three tendons and one ligament in his left elbow. While an average individual might be in pain after such an injury, or even have their daily activities impacted in some way, these injuries were devastating to Finizio, due to his accomplishments as a classical pianist. While Finizio did not make a living as a pianist, it was his musical abilities on the piano, guitar, and percussion instruments that “defined him as a person,” according to his attorney. “This was not a hobby. He lived and breathed the piano,” the attorney noted. As a result, Finizio saw his quality of life decrease dramatically after sustaining the injuries to his elbow. Finizio filed a lawsuit against Lumbarda for his pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, and impairment, and when Lumbarda’s insurer refused to settle, the case went to trial.
At trial, Finizio’s one-time piano teacher, nationally-known concert pianist and composer Seymour Bernstein, testified to the significance of hand and arm placement while playing the piano at a high level, and why Finizio’s piano playing would be forever altered for the worse as a result of his injuries. The jury seemed to grasp the significance of Finizio’s loss, and voted six to one to award Finizio his requested damages.
If you or someone you love has suffered a diminished quality of life, high medical expenses, disability, or severe physical pain after a New Jersey car accident, seek help getting the compensation you need and deserve by contacting the compassionate and determined Wayne personal injury attorneys at Massood Law Group for a consultation, at 973-696-1900.
