HARTFORD, Conn. — A six-person jury in Hartford Superior Court handed down a record-setting $100 Million verdict to Juan ‘Mikey’ Cruz and Emily Lopez Cruz, represented by the legal team of Connecticut Trial Firm, LLC, after Mr. Cruz was paralyzed by a 1300lb load of improperly wrapped lighting products that fell on him while at work in a Connecticut warehouse in September of 2017.
The historic verdict awarded Mr. Cruz $90 Million for economic and non-economic damages, and Mrs. Cruz $10 Million for her loss of consortium claim. The defendant in the case, Philips/Signify North America Corp., was assigned by the jury to pay $90 Million of the verdict. Mr. Cruz’s injury claim is the highest plaintiff’s verdict to date in Connecticut history, while Mrs. Cruz’s loss of consortium claim also took the title for highest verdict in its own category.
“This case wasn’t simply about negligence. It’s about a family’s life being turned upside down by a catastrophic event that took away a man’s ability to work, function in his day-to-day, and get on the floor to play with his grandkids,” said lead trial attorney and founder, Andrew Garza.
Mr. Cruz suffered severe injuries including paralysis, crushing injuries, and numerous broken bones caused by Philips/Signify’s failure to ensure that pallets containing its products were packed safely and securely.
The subsequent lawsuit filed by Connecticut Trial Firm against Philips/Signify for allegations of fraud, evidence destruction, and violation of Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act is still pending in federal court.
Connecticut Trial Firm Attorneys Andrew Garza, Andrew Ranks, Alexa Mahony, and Ryan McKeen served as trial counsel.
Tagged with Signify