Alex Johnson Prevails at Trial in Kings County

Following one of the first in-person Kings County jury trials in 2021, Alex Johnson prevailed on liability and damages in Smith v Goland, Index No. 500358/2017. In Smith, the plaintiff, Julie Ann Smith, operator and owner of a motor vehicle, sought recovery for personal injuries arising from a motor vehicle accident. A vehicle operated by our client, Vladimir Goland, was driving southbound when the plaintiff’s vehicle, driving northbound, attempted to make a left turn to enter a McDonald’s drive-through when an unknown white van, also traveling southbound, allegedly stopped and waived her to proceed into the turn. The plaintiff claimed that, as she was making the turn, our client sped past the white van and the collision occurred. As a result of the accident, the plaintiff sustained injuries to the head, neck, back, left knee and left shoulder, inclusive of left knee surgery and brain surgery due to an exacerbation of a dormant brain condition known as Chiari Malformation. On April 22, 2021, a Kings County jury returned a defense verdict finding that our client was not negligent and attributing full liability of the accident to the plaintiff-driver.