Broward Jury Awards $1.4 Million To Resident Struck By Town Car While Inside A Barbershop
BROWARD JURY AWARDS $1.4 MILLION TO RESIDENT STRUCK BY TOWN CAR WHILE INSIDE A BARBERSHOP
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (December 9, 2016) – After a weeklong trial, a Broward jury awarded plaintiff, Richard Catlett, $1.431 million in compensatory damages in a negligence lawsuit against defendants, Presidential Car Service, professional driver Jose Cardona, and motorist Alejandra Montiel.
On the morning of Dec. 14, 2013, Catlett (50) was a customer at a barbershop near Hollywood Boulevard when he was struck by a 2007 Lincoln Town Car driven by defendant Jose Cardona. At the time of the incident, Cardona was working for Presidential Car Service and traveling westbound on Hollywood Boulevard at a high rate of speed, when he collided with another vehicle driven by defendant Alejandra Montiel, who was making a left-hand turn at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and N. 46th Avenue in Broward. The collision caused the Town Car to travel over a curb, through the parking lot, and plow into a strip mall where the barbershop was located striking Catlett, who was waiting to get his haircut, causing bodily injury. Catlett underwent surgery to repair his knee, which required a plate and eight screws.
“We are pleased that the jury recognized the on-going aggravation, pain and suffering, and limitations that Mr. Catlett has and will continue to endure the rest of his life as a result of this injury caused by the recklessness of the defendants,” said Ervin A. Gonzalez, a partner at the Coral Gables-based law firm Colson Hicks Eidson who represented Catlett along with co-counsels, Susan Carlson, also of Colson Hicks Eidson, and Barry M. Snyder of the North Miami law firm Snyder & Gonzalez.
Defense counsel included attorneys David Howlamd and Shelley Sendial for Presidential Car Service and Jose Cardona, and attorney Ana Santiseban for Alejandra Montiel. Presidential and Cardona were found 85 percent responsible and Montiel was found 15 percent responsible. Montiel was also awarded $140,000 for her injuries.
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About Ervin A. Gonzalez
A board certified specialist in Civil Trial Law and Business Litigation by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Gonzalez is one the nation’s premier trial attorneys and has obtained 33 verdicts in excess of a million dollars throughout his career. Many of his verdicts have been rated among the top verdicts nationwide and in Florida. He has also settled numerous multi-million dollar cases, including a $100 million class action settlement. Gonzalez currently serves on two national plaintiff steering committees, including the PSC for the multi-district litigation surrounding the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill and the PSC for the Chinese Drywall multi-district litigation. He specializes in personal injury, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, medical malpractice, products liability, business litigation, class actions and consumer related commercial litigation.
About Colson Hicks Eidson
The Law Firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is a trial firm with nearly 50 years of experience handling local, national and international litigation, and arbitration. Members of the firm have been involved in some of the country’s most high-profile and landmark cases resulting in impactful and precedential rulings. A mid-size firm with a diverse staff comprised of more than 50 percent women and minorities, Colson Hicks Eidson prides itself on a track record of developing future leaders within the legal profession and its civic and community involvement. Members of the firm have held notable positions serving on the boards of prominent institutions, such as the State University System of Florida and the Florida State Board of Education, and holding high-ranking offices, including President of the 60,000-member American Association for Justice; President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; President of the Dade County Bar Association; President of the Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers; United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Chairman of the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.