A Derby Superior Court jury awarded more than $1 million Wednesday to a man who was beaten by a friend following a party at Quinnipiac University in 2014.

Christopher Meskill, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder following the attack by Kenri Ziko, was awarded $1 million in noneconomic damages and $22,440 in medical damages. Both parties agreed before the verdict not to appeal, according to Nathan Nasser, one of Meskill's attorneys. Nasser said he originally asked for $875,000.

According to a May 2017 amended lawsuit filed in Milford Superior Court, Ziko was driving erratically after the party when Meskill repeatedly asked him to pull over. That's when Ziko became violent, according to Nasser.

“The defendant stopped the car and with his right arm put [Meskill] in a headlock and punched him three to four times on the top of his forehead,” Nasser said Thursday.

Meskill then ran out of the car and was chased by Ziko, who caught up with him and began beating him again, Nasser said. Meskill was hit in the head between eight and 10 times.

There were four friends in the back seat who tried to stop the attack, Nasser said.

Meskill declined to press charges when police arrived because the two were friends, said Nasser, a partner with Ventura Law in Bridgeport.

Nasser said he had four doctors testify during the six-day trial to confirm the prognosis of the brain injury and PTSD. The defense had a doctor who testified the brain injury was not permanent in nature.

Nasser said “the jury believed our doctors.”

Ziko's attorney, Janis Malec of Gordon, Muir & Foley in Hartford, declined to comment.

Ziko tried to argue during trial that one of the female passengers was, in fact, driving, and that Meskill sucker punched him first, Nasser said. That was disputed by the other passengers.

The jury took just 42 minutes to render its decision, Nasser said. The $1,022,440 will be paid via Safeco, Ziko's home insurance carrier.

In addition to the brain injury, Nasser said Meskill, 25, still suffers severe headaches and an inability to concentrate and stay focused.

Meskill's co-counsel Patricia Fragoso, also a partner with Ventura Law, said Meskill is currently not working. “He has applied for jobs, but he has difficulty concentrating during job interviews.”