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30 ¦ DECEMBER 9, 2019 VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

How Hartford Attorney Clinched $400,000
Settlement for Man Injured in Crash

By Robert Storace

The owner of a Hartford law firm has
secured a $400,000 settlement for
a 53-year-old MIddletown resident
who suffered right hip and right shoulder
injuries after a dump truck rear-ended
the vehicle he was driving.
Plaintiffs attorney Manny Cicchiello,
owner and founder of Hartford-based
Cicchiello & Cicchiello, said the biggest
obstacle he faced was fighting off defense
claims that his client, John Larosa, had
preexisting injuries not related to the
crash.
“The defense argued there were many
preexisting injuries, and that he had prior
knee and prior back pain, including back
surgery,” Cicchiello told the Connecticut
Law Tribune. “It was a challenging case.
We were able to get opinions from doc-
tors to … connect the new injuries to the
most recent accident and the exacerba-
tion of old injuries to the accident.”
According to Cicchiello and Larosa’s
September 2017 lawsuit, defendant Jo-
seph Norris was driving a dump truck
on behalf of Poolman Pools when he John Larosa suffered injuries to his right shoulder, right hip, left
rear-ended Larosa’s 2005 Saturn while knee and lower back after a dump truck rear-ended this red 2005
approaching South Main Street’s in- Saturn he was driving in Middletown in 2016. Larosa recently
tersection with Pameacha Avenue in settled his case for $400,000. Courtesy photo

Middletown in 2016. Cicchiello said Larosa had three surgeries: two
“My client testified that he looked at the rear- to the left knee, where he had a torn meniscus,
view mirror and saw the dump truck coming and and one to the right shoulder, where he had a
not slowing down,” Cicchiello said. “Both of his rotator cuff tear. In addition, Cicchiello said,
hands were on the wheel, and he braced and said Larosa also has a tear in his right hip for which
it was like a bomb exploding.” he has been getting steroid injections for about
Larosa was wearing a seat belt, his attorney a year.
said. Larosa incurred about $118,000 in medical
Norris was given infractions for following too bills, all of which insurance covered, Cicchiello
closely and speeding. said.

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune