$1.05 MILLION AWARD IN TRUCK ACCIDENT CASE

$1.05 Million for Truck Accident
May 8, 2009

Van Riper v. Endot Industries: A truck driver accepted $1.2 million on April 20 from an arbitration award and prejudgment interest for alleged disabling injuries he suffered after being hit by plastic irrigation coils that fell from his truck.

Albert Van Riper of Ridgewood transported an 18-wheeler full of the coils, which had been loaded at Endot Industries in Rockaway, to Middleboro, Mass. When he opened the trailer door, the pipes rolled onto his legs.

His suit, filed in Bergen County by David Mazie and Matthew Mendelsohn of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman in Roseland, alleged that Endot loaded the rig in a faulty manner and that Van Riper's injuries developed into disabling complex regional pain syndrome.

Retired Superior Court Judge Mark Epstein, now with Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas in New Brunswick, mediated, and Gerard Newmann of Romando, Tucker, Zirulnik & Sherlock in East Hanover arbitrated.

Defense counsel Randall Bruckman, of the office of Jonathan Westpy in East Hanover, did not return a call. Mendelsohn says the defense evidence suggested that Van Riper had an opportunity to inspect the load beforehand and was standing in an unsafe spot when he opened the door. The defense also challenged the assertion that the injuries were related to the accident, Mendelsohn says.

— By Henry Gottlieb