Monroe County Jury Awards $547,500 Verdict in Auto Accident Case

By: Chris Placitella @ Jun 14, 2010

Jury finds for Plaintiff in less than two hours; Award believed to be one of the largest Monroe County verdicts ever in a non-surgical back injury case

A Monroe County jury awarded $547,500 in damages to Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Schotter, as just compensation for Mr. Schotter’s severe back injuries suffered during a November 2004 car accident on SR 715 south of the former Roadway Express terminal in Jackson Township, Monroe County.

Mr. Kenneth Schotter, a Monroe County resident, was the front seat passenger in his co-worker’s pickup truck on his way to work as a dock worker and forklift operator at Roadway Express, where he had worked for thirteen years. As they traveled northbound on SR 715, the defendant’s car suddenly appeared in the wrong lane and hit the truck head on. Mr. Schotter was out of work for seven months after the accident and once able to return to work suffered from severe, chronic low back pain due to the head on collision.

The case was tried for three days in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas before President Judge Ronald E. Vican and on June 4, 2010 the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs after deliberating for less than two hours. The jury determined that Mr. Schotter’s injuries, which included a fractured sternum and three herniated disks, were caused by the defendant’s admitted negligence.

The jury’s verdict is believed to be one of the largest ever awarded by a Monroe County jury in a non-surgical back injury case. The lawsuit was brought by Kenneth and Diane Schotter, who were represented by J.B. Dilsheimer, an attorney with Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., recognized as one of the leading trial law firms in the country, headquartered in Philadelphia.

“The verdict was fair, reasonable and just for the injuries sustained by the Schotters as a result of Ms. Bednarek’s negligence,” according to Attorney J.B. Dilsheimer. “I am glad that the jury reached the verdict that they did, and while it will not undo the damage done to the Schotters, it will certainly help to allow the Schotters to return to a more normal life.”

Plaintiff’s counsel expects to ask the court to award an additional $83,000 in delay damages, making the total verdict in the range of over $630,500.