Jury Awards $4.2M to 76-year-old Injured by SUV

Philadelphia, PA: A $4.2 million compensatory verdict has been secured for Emilia Rosypal who was struck down by an SUV while walking in Bucks County in August 2009. A Philadelphia jury awarded the verdict to compensate the now-76-year-old Rosypal for the injuries she sustained as a result of the negligence of defendants Alan Burroughs, who was driving the SUV, and his employers, Thompson Toyota, Inc. and Thompson Motor Group, Inc.

On August 3, 2009, Mrs. Rosypal was walking near her Bucks County home as she began to cross the entrance/exit to the Thompson Toyota facilities. When she was approximately three-fourths of the way across the entrance/exit, Burroughs, who was operating a Toyota Highlander and exiting, failed to stop at a stop sign and made a sharp left turn into the wrong lane, striking and running over Mrs. Rosypal. She was helicoptered to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where she underwent numerous surgeries and remained hospitalized for several weeks. Mrs. Rosypal suffered serious fractures and other orthopedic injuries to all four extremities, as well as to her spine and hip. After her stay at Jefferson, Mrs. Rosypal spent eight weeks in a nursing home. Since then, Rosypal has required assistance from family members for activities of daily living.

Mrs. Rosypal's future medical and care costs have been estimated at $1.3 to $1.7 million. The defense contested Rosypal's future care costs, arguing that she would have required substantial assistance in the future despite the accident because, in particular, she is legally blind. In contrast, the plaintiff argued that Mrs. Rosypal's greatest losses were the intangible, non-economic losses, including pain, loss of independence and her inability to enjoy her previous activities.

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Published on Jan-31-11