Faced with defense counsel pushing back on injuries a married couple suffered in a car wreck, and whether there were preexisting conditions, a Torrington attorney said he was able to secure a $385,000 settlement for his clients through expert testimony and by sifting through thousands of pages of medical records.

"Both John and Donna [Duley] had records that filled up binders from this accident alone. We are talking about thousands of pages of medical records because of the treatments they required. We inundated them [the defense] with medical records," said plaintiff counsel J. Paul Vance Jr. of Logan & Mencuccini.

Vance said he waded through those medical files because he knew he'd have to answer defense counsel questions about preexisting conditions, especially related to John Duley, a former state trooper.

"They were heavily focused on the fact that he had prior back and hip injuries," Vance said Friday. "Testimony from my witness, orthopedic surgeon Shirvinda Wijesekera, helped prove my case. It was so important to have a treating physician give a good opinion. He didn't tie everything to this accident, but said the symptoms and treatments were caused by Courtney Schroeder running through a red light and causing the crash."

Schroeder, 16, had a learner's permit when she was driving. Her father, Thor Schroeder, was acting as her instructor at the time. Schroeder was cited for failure to obey a traffic signal.

With regard to Donna Duley, defense counsel agreed to tender the insurance policy when she underwent knee replacement surgery, Vance said. Donna Duley also had soft-tissue injuries to her ankles and back, her attorney said.

Donna Duley's case was resolved March 3 for $252,500, and her husband's case was settled after one day of arbitration for $132,500 on March 13, Vance said.

John Duley had surgery on his right thumb and injuries to his back and groin, Vance said.

According to Vance and the second amended lawsuit, filed January 2019 in New Haven Superior Court, Schroeder was driving in North Branford in February 2017 when she went through a red light, hitting the Duleys' vehicle.

"She pushed the gas pedal instead of the brake and her car went into the intersection," Vance said. The Duleys' two young granddaughters were in the back seat but were not injured, he said.

Representing Courtney Schroeder and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. was Michael Romanelli Jr. of Wallingford-based Meehan, Roberts, Turret & Rosenbaum. Romanelli declined to comment.

Representing Thor Schroeder and Liberty Mutual was Emily Holland of Hartford-based Morrison Mahoney. Holland also declined to comment.

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