Angelique Baker wasn’t able to keep her appointment. She stepped off the New Jersey Transit bus with time to spare but her bag string got caught in the door that had closed before she was clear. The accident reconstruction expert hired by Ms. Baker’s attorney showed that the bus dragged her for over 25 feet before she broke loose and slipped under the rear wheels of the bus which drove over her mid-section.
Ms. Baker’s appointment was changed to the Emergency Room and later to Intensive Care as she struggled to survive her extensive injuries including severe hip, leg and arm injuries as well as head trauma.
A Dramatic Change of Plans
At 39 years of age, Angelique was five months into a successful battle against her past addictive behavior. She missed her appointment that fateful day in 2011; her efforts cut short by a door that closed too soon.
On February 21, after a six-week trial, it only took the jury a little over an hour to reject the defense and award a $17 million verdict to Angelique. Her attorney, William Greenberg commented on behalf of himself and his law partner, Lawrence Minasian:
“We are very pleased with the verdict. The two of us lived with this case since the accident and saw firsthand how devastating the injuries were to Angelique. This verdict reinforces our belief that a person’s past history must not overshadow the devastating injuries and pain with which Angelique continues to suffer. These monies will allow her to get the proper medical care and home care she so desperately needs for the rest of her life.”
Your Share of This Verdict
There is no doubt that Angelique needs and deserves this verdict. If it were you, you would expect the same. However, there are other benefits we all share when a jury does the right thing.
Every transit company in the U.S. should be examining this case and adjusting training procedures to ensure that every driver is properly trained so that this type of accident never happens again.
