Mother, Daughter settle suit for injuries from accident
Posted by
John RiceFebruary 01, 2007 4:23 PMIn a terrible twist, a New Dorp woman and her daughter heading to visit a sick relative were only blocks from a Brooklyn hospital when they were badly hurt in a car accident almost six years ago.
A speeding, stolen pickup truck, being chased by the owner in another vehicle, ran a red light and broadsided Lisa Yeager's car at Third Avenue and 53rd Street in Brooklyn's Sunset Park section, near Lutheran Medical Center.
After years of litigation, the Yeagers recently received some good news when they reached a $975,000 settlement in their personal-injury case.
The accident occurred around 7 p.m. on June 14, 2001, as the mother and daughter headed to the hospital to visit Mrs. Yeager's father.
The Yeagers sued Thompson, Benitez and Power House in state Supreme Court, St. George.
Benitez and Power House denied liability, contending the pickup truck had been stolen. However, the plaintiffs argued that those defendants were at fault because the keys were left in the truck's ignition while it was parked on a public street, O'Leary said. The lawyer further argued that Thompson had been speeding and driving recklessly because Benitez was chasing him.
The case was settled with the aid of Justice Philip G. Minardo. Chelsea Yeager received $575,000, while her mother settled for $400,000, said O'Leary.
Frank Donnelly, Staten Island Advance