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SKETCHES OF COURT: Jury favors plaintiff in bridge-approach traffic trial

July 17, 2015 By Alba Acevedo Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Court Sketch by Alba Acevedo
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In this courtroom sketch, Hon. David Vaughan listens as attorney David Chustek (standing), of the law firm James G. Bilello Associates, cross examines the plaintiff in the motor vehicle accident trial Campbell v. Shu. 

A low-speed impact occurred in March 2013 in the turning lane onto the Manhattan Bridge from the southbound Bowery and the intersection of Canal Street in Manhattan. Lane traffic is regulated by a left-turn indicator light.

Defendant Alex Shu, represented by Chustek, was behind the wheel of a vehicle that was stopped at the front of the lane waiting for the light. Campbell, represented by Stanislav Ladnik (seated), trial counsel for Louis C. Fiabane, was a passenger in a livery cab driven by co-defendant Lubyah Ram, represented by A. Lorenzo Bryan (at right) of the law firm Baker, McEvoy, Morrissey & Moskovits. The plaintiff Joycelyn Gill-Campbell 61 years old at the time, was injured when her cab impacted Shu’s vehicle. While both cars were able to be driven away, Campbell was removed via stretcher to an ambulance. 

At issue were the differing accounts of how the impact occurred. Ram, who was not present at the trial, and Campbell, both alleged in examination before trial that Shu had moved his vehicle in reverse. However, the plaintiff testified in trial that she had not seen the defendant’s vehicle before the impact. 

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, finding the defendant not liable but the co-defendant livery cab driver 100 percent liable for the accident, apparently believing that Shu had not motored in reverse. The plaintiff was awarded $38,000 for pain and suffering in the summary jury trial that took place this week in Kings County Civil Term. 

 

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