State of Connecticut Superior Court Raymond E. Baldwin Courthouse in Middletown, Connecticut. Photo: Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons.
A Middletown Superior Court jury awarded $240,000 to a pedestrian who was injured by a driver who was backing out of a parking spot at a Portland Cumberland Farms.
The six-person jury found that Richard Pangretic Jr. was liable for the accident that injured 56-year-old East Hampton resident Paul Sirois. The jury, after deliberating 85 minutes on Jan. 17, awarded Sirois $150,000 in noneconomic damages, $52,000 in economic damages and $38,000 in lost wages. The incident occurred March 2016 and a lawsuit was filed the following August.
Chris Flood, Flood Law Firm.
According to Christopher Flood, Sirois’ attorney, Pangretic was driving about 5 miles per hour when he struck—but did not knock down—his client. Sirois, who was pushed back a few feet, did not appear to be injured and the two men exchanged glances, Flood said.
Then, later that same day, Sirois started to feel severe pain in his shoulder while working, Flood said. Sirois eventually had rotator cuff surgery that he claimed was a result of being hit.
Flood, who is co-owner of The Flood Law Firm in Middletown, was able to obtain surveillance video of the parking lot that showed Pangretic’s face. Pangretic turned himself in to Portland police after Sirois’ wife posted the photo on Facebook.
Flood said he was unable to reach a settlement with Allstate, Pangretic’s insurance carrier, prior to trial.
“We negotiated the morning of the trial. Allstate offered $95,000 and would not go any higher,” said Flood, whose initial demand was about $300,000.
“Allstate argued that he really did not get hurt and could not have been that injured because of an incident in which he did not get knocked down,” Flood said. “My guy made a good recovery, but our argument was that the car accident caused the [rotator] cuff injury and the medical records showed that.”
Flood said his client still has discomfort in his shoulder when he works. Sirois, who installs commercial windows, missed four months of work.
Pangretic, a Cobalt resident, was cited by police for unsafe backing.
Allstate was represented by Jack Mills of The Mills Law Firm in New Haven. Mills did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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