SKETCHES OF COURT: Jury awards $3.21M to plaintiff in motor vehicle-pedestrian accident trial

October 13, 2015 By Alba Acevedo Special to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Court sketch by Alba Acevedo

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In this courtroom sketch, Hon. Arthur Schack listens as plaintiff’s attorney Kenneth Pryor (standing), of The Pryor Law Firm, examines the defendant in the bifurcated pedestrian-motor vehicle accident trial Ellis v. Kovalik.

Boris Kovalik was behind the wheel when Joan Ellis, 59 years old at the time, had the misfortune of being in the path of his BMW. The July 2012 accident occurred near the Flatlands Shopping Center in Canarsie after Kovalik exited a parking lot and made a u-turn in the vicinity of a bus stop on Flatlands Avenue. At impact, the pedestrian plaintiff was knocked out of her shoes and lost consciousness. She was removed from the scene via ambulance. Defendant is represented by Kevin McGinnis (seated), of the law firm Harris, King, Fodera & Correia.

The jury found 100 percent liability against the defendant. The plaintiff suffered extensive injuries including an ankle fracture and injuries to her neck, back, shoulder and wrist. She underwent five surgeries, including two lumbar, with the likelihood of needing revisionary surgery in her lifetime. The defendant challenged whether all the surgeries were necessary or related to the accident.

The jury awarded a total of $3.21 million in damages, in the trial that ended last week in Kings County Civil Term.