Settlement: $845k for Wrongful Death of 75-Year-Old Man

The estate of a 75-year old Groton man settled its wrongful death claim for $845,000 against the ambulance company that brought him to and from dialysis and the apartment complex where he lived, after eight days of jury selection and intense negotiations.  Pedro Vasquez died January 16, 2009 after ambulance employees dropped his wheelchair two days earlier while trying to carry him in it up stairs into his apartment after a dialysis appointment.  The wheelchair rolled down five steps and tipped back, causing Mr. Vasquez's head to strike a concrete step, resulting in a traumatic brain injury and massive hemorrhaging.  The image shown here depicts the normal brain anatomy on the left and the results of the 1/15/09 CT scan of Mr. Vasquez's brain on the right.  In addition to the negligence of the ambulance, the Estate claimed that the stairs were unsafe and lacked functional handrails.  The Estate also claimed that the apartment complex denied numerous requests to put in a wheelchair ramp.  All defendants denied negligence and claimed that Mr. Vasquez had no more than two years of life expectancy given his age and health problems.  Attorney Scott D. Camassar handled the case for the Estate.  The settlement is contingent upon probate court approval.