$480,000 Settlement for South Windsor Man Hurt in Four-Car Berlin Turnpike Crash
Won by Trantolo & Trantolo.
Scott Mumley, a South Windsor man rear-ended on the Berlin Turnpike while driving for work, settled an underinsured motorist claim against his own insurer for $480,000.
What happened
On a May 2015 afternoon, Scott Mumley, 45, was behind the wheel of his Ford Fusion on the Budney Road stretch of the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, traveling on business for an area insurance company. A Dodge Caravan driven by Carmela Cruz struck the back of his car. The impact set off a chain reaction that pulled in two additional vehicles, leaving four cars damaged and Mumley with serious neck and back injuries.
The at-fault driver carried insurance, but her policy limits were not enough to cover Mumley's medical expenses, lost wages, and lasting physical impairment. Because the responsible driver was underinsured, Mumley turned to his own auto policy and the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage he had purchased to protect himself in exactly this type of situation.
In November 2016, Trantolo and Trantolo filed suit on Mumley's behalf against his own insurance carrier. Underinsured motorist cases require a different legal approach than standard third-party claims: the attorneys had to establish not only that Cruz was liable and that her policy was insufficient, but also that Mumley's damages exceeded whatever the at-fault driver's insurer had already paid.
The firm built the case around the mechanics of the crash, Mumley's documented medical course, and the effect of the injuries on his ability to work. After litigation, the parties reached a settlement of $480,000, reported in June 2018 by the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Sources
This account is drawn from contemporaneous public reporting and the court record.
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