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VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS MARCH 22, 2021 ¦ 33

“He is a very active guy and these worker, suffered injuries to his
injuries set him back,” Miller said. lower back and scarring to his
“He came across in the deposition left arm. Farland missed several
as an honest truth teller, and the Plaintiffs counsel Ryan months of work, his attorney said.
medical records were consistent. Miller helped clinch a
He was not only truthful, but his $180,000 settlement for Gruendel was given an infrac-
tion for failure to yield while
deposition was also very moving.” his client—a motorcyclist turning left.
Miller used snippets of Farland’s injured in a two-vehicle Today, Miller said, his client
deposition in his private Zoom “still has pain in his back. He was
mediation with defense counsel crash. very active with weightlifting, golf-

Amanda Stefanatos of Ryan Ryan ing and jogging. He has stopped
Deluca in Bridgeport and me- doing those activities because of
diator Christopher Wanat of Milano & Wanat in his back pain.”
Branford. Defense counsel Stefanatos didn’t respond to a re-
“I flagged important parts … that I thought would quest for comment Wednesday.
appeal to a jury, if it went that far,” he said. But in court pleadings the defense said the plain-
Miller said Farland opted for physical therapy tiff was careless and negligent and partly responsible
over surgery, and the client didn’t give a reason for for his own injuries.
declining the procedure. Among other things, the defense wrote that Far-
According to Miller and a November 2019 law- land “failed to keep a reasonable and proper lookout
suit filed in New Haven Superior Court, Farland was for other motor vehicles on the highway” and “failed
riding his motorcycle on Main Street in East Haven to sound his horn or give a timely warning of the
in 2018 when motorist Elena Singer Gruendel made impending collision.”
a left-hand turn into the motorcycle, causing the ¦

collision. Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
Miller said Farland flipped over his own handle analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
bars and hit his head on Gruendel’s Honda Element. him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
Miller said Farland, a 51-year-old Branford iron 203-437-5950.

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