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SKETCHES OF COURT: Comparative negligence in rear-ender car accident trial

September 15, 2016 By Alba Acevedo Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Court sketch by Alba Acevedo
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In this courtroom sketch, Hon. Lisa Ottley listens as defendant’s attorney Richard Berne (standing), of the law firm Sclar Adler, sums up his arguments to the jury in the motor vehicle accident trial Eliot Sash v. Barthelemy Veillard. At issue was the determination of liability. 

The November 2013 accident took place at 108th Street near Park Lane South in Queens. Sash claims that his minivan was stopped at a red light when it was rear-ended by the small school bus being driven by Veillard. Sash was represented by Jonathan Panarella (seated, center), of the law firm Krentzel & Guzman, who maintained that Veillard was negligent in driving too closely to afford himself an opportunity to stop in time to avoid the accident. 

Veillard alleged that Sash proceeded to drive after the light turned green, and then suddenly stopped. Berne’s position was that the accident was a set-up for fraud, and he sought to impugn Sash’s credibility by referencing his criminal history. 

The jury determined that both parties were negligent, finding Sash 75 percent at fault and Veillard 25 percent at fault for causing the accident. 

Also in the sketch are David Roemer (seated, left), of the law offices of Harris, King, Fodera & Correia, who is counsel for Sash in a counterclaim. Ingrid Dandy (seated, background), is Judge Ottley’s court clerk. 

The damages phase of the trial is scheduled to continue in November in Kings County Civil Term. 

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