CARMEL – A 65-year-old Brewster man seriously injured in a crash three years ago has been awarded $1.1 million following a jury trial in State Supreme Court in Carmel.

The unidentified victim’s car was rear-ended on November 26, 2023 resulting in the Putnam resident suffering severe neck and back injuries that required extensive treatment and caused chronic pain, according to attorney Shania Felix of the Morgan & Morgan law firm.

Although the victim was presented with a $75,000 settlement offer, it was declined, leading to a trial before State Supreme Court Justice Victor Grossman.

Through the litigation, the defense argued that the plaintiff’s condition was due to age-related degeneration rather than the collision. The jury’s verdict, however, reflected the full impact the crash had on the plaintiff’s life. 

Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan said, “the defense spent years attempting to dismiss our client’s pain as inevitable aging. This is a man who built a life as a business owner and remained active into his retirement. Since the crash, he has been unable to maintain the lifestyle he earned through decades of hard work. In his golden years, the simple pleasures of spending time with his family and walking his dogs were taken from him. We are pleased the jury saw the truth and held the defendant accountable to the full extent of the damages.”