$4.25 Million Roadway Design Defect Settlement in Suffolk County

Raphaelson & Levine recovered $4.25 million through mediation for a motorist who suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a dangerous roadway design defect in Suffolk County.

A Dangerous Suffolk County Roadway

Our client was driving on a Suffolk County road when the vehicle struck a hazard created by a defective roadway design. The crash was violent and the impact caused a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, and extensive soft tissue damage. He was airlifted to a regional trauma center where he underwent emergency surgery.

The injuries left him unable to work, unable to drive, and dependent on daily assistance from family members. The traumatic brain injury affected his cognitive function, memory, and ability to perform basic tasks he had once taken for granted.

Taking on a Municipality in Suffolk County Supreme Court

Claims against municipalities in New York require strict compliance with notice-of-claim deadlines and present unique procedural hurdles. Our Long Island vehicle accident attorneys moved immediately to preserve our client's rights, filing the required notice and retaining highway design engineers to analyze the roadway. Their findings revealed that the road's curve geometry, inadequate signage, and lack of guardrails fell below accepted safety standards — and that the municipality had received prior complaints about dangerous conditions at this location.

The municipality denied liability and argued that our client's own driving caused the crash. Howard Raphaelson and Andrew Levine assembled a team of accident reconstruction experts, medical specialists, and vocational economists to quantify the full extent of our client's injuries and future needs.

$4.25 Million Recovery Through Mediation

After extensive discovery and expert depositions, the case was resolved through mediation for $4.25 million. The recovery provides for our client's ongoing neurological care, physical rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, and the profound changes to his daily life and independence.

"Municipalities have a responsibility to design and maintain roads that are safe for the people who use them. When a known hazard goes unaddressed and someone suffers a life-altering injury, the government entity responsible must be held accountable. No matter how aggressively they fight back." — Howard Raphaelson, Partner at Raphaelson & Levine

If you have been injured in a crash caused by a dangerous road condition on Long Island or anywhere in New York, our vehicle accident attorneys have decades of experience handling claims against municipalities and government entities, and are ready to review your case. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.