SKETCHES OF COURT: In late-night Brooklyn accident case, parties settle before jury tackles damages
In this courtroom sketch, Hon. Edgar Walker listens as defendant’s attorney Vincent Brescia (standing), of the law firm Harris King Fodera & Correia, addresses his opening statement to the jury in the pedestrian-motor vehicle accident trial Mark Walrond v. Liberty Mutual Mid-Atlantic Insurance Company that took place last week in Kings County Civil Term.
The accident occurred in December 2008 when the plaintiff, represented by Richard Russo (seated) of the law firm Avenzino & Moreno PC, was struck by a hit-and-run driver as he attempted to cross Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn between Bedford and Rogers avenues. The approaching car struck Walrond on his right side, knocking him down before driving off. The plaintiff was removed from the scene by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated and released to follow up with various care to his knee and back.
The plaintiff’s own auto policy carries a supplemental uninsured motorist endorsement, but the defense contested liability and sought to implicate the plaintiff in contributory fault, noting that Walrond was crossing the roadway mid-block late at night and away from the crosswalk.
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.