Car Crash Victim Receives $1 Million Verdict for Serious Knee Injuries

A Montgomery County woman has been awarded a $1 million jury verdict in connection with a car crash nine years ago that severely injured both of her legs.

The crash, which occurred in Lehigh County in February 2005, caused serious knee injuries to Christy Carassai when the car she was riding in struck another vehicle that had turned in front of it, according to a May 20 report in The Legal Intelligencer.

The verdict was reached in Montgomery County Court in April after the defendants appealed a $30,000 arbitration award against it in 2012, the paper reported. Carassai suffered tendinopathy and chondromalacia of the patellae of both knees due to the crash, according to the plaintiffs.

The driver of the vehicle that caused the crash, Thomas O. Gehris, died before the suit was filed, the story reported, so he was represented at trial through a personal representative.

“Carassai said in her memorandum that she struck her head on the windshield and struck both of her knees on the dashboard,” the story reported. An orthopedic surgeon diagnosed Carassai in April 2005 with bilateral knee patellafemoral pain and recommended physical therapy and anti-inflammation medications, but two months of physical therapy failed to bring improvements to her health, the story reported.

In May of 2007 the victim underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee for debridement of the fat pad, but it did not relieve her knee pain, according to the report. Carassai continued to have pain and clicking in her left knee, the report states.

Gehris’ personal representative, Lois T. Echelmeier, argued that the victim’s injuries were not caused by the crash, leading to the arbitration award in 2012, according to the story.

“The defense appealed the award and, in April, a jury found Gheris was negligent for Carassai’s injuries and awarded her $1 million,” The Legal Intelligencer reported.

Cases like this occur every day when innocent victims are hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.