A woman struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk while she was a student at Rutgers University settled her Middlesex County suit for $1.4 million on March 28.

On the morning of Sept. 14, 2016, plaintiff Ziyue Xia, an exchange student from China, was jogging from the university's Busch Campus in Piscataway, along the John Lynch Bridge that brings Route 18 over the Raritan River, to Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick. She followed a jogging path along the bridge and, on the New Brunswick side, jogged through a crosswalk where the path led to the park, according to her attorney, Nicholas Leonardis of Stathis & Leonardis in Edison.

While she was in the crosswalk, a motorist driving on George Street, defendant Sanford Becker, struck her with the front passenger's side of the vehicle, and Xia was thrown over the vehicle.

Becker contended that he didn't see Xia, at least in part because of glare from the sun that morning, said his attorney, Jason Winkler of Winter and Winkler in Florham Park, who confirmed the settlement.

Xia, then 18, sustained a head laceration, subdural hematoma and traumatic brain injury, was hospitalized for 13 days, and returned to China to recover. She received neurological treatment in China before returning to Rutgers in January 2017, Leonardis said.

The suit claimed Xia was able to maintain her 3.9 grade-point average, but had to spend more time on her work because of concentration and memory issues associated with the brain injury.

Xia alleged that Becker was negligent

The parties were through discovery and approaching a May trial date when they settled on March 28. The $1.4 million sum came from a $500,000 auto policy and a $1 million umbrella policy, both through Fitchburg Mutual of Massachusetts.

— David Gialanella

$850K for Mall Parking Lot Strike

Hunter v. Crisdel Group: A Monmouth County case brought by a woman struck by a vehicle while walking through a mall parking lot settled for $850,000 on Jan. 24.

On March 11, 2016, plaintiff Marjorie Hunter of Toms River, then 49 years old, was walking in the Ocean County Mall parking lot when she was struck by defendant, Timothy Corapi, 39, a field supervisor for South Plainfield-based Crisdel Group Construction as he was making a left turn out of the lot in a white 2011 Ford F-150 truck.

The suit claimed Corapi, also from Toms River, became distracted by activity at a nearby tower and thus failed to notice Hunter as she was walking. Corapi's truck struck Hunter as he made a left turn out of one of the aisles, knocking her to the ground. As a result, Hunter struck her head on the pavement, and suffered a laceration and concussion. She was treated at Ocean County Medical Center that same day and had a CT of the brain, according to her attorney, Michael J. Hanus of Hanus & Parsons in Middletown.

Joseph A. Reardon of Leary, Bride, Tinker & Moran in Cedar Knolls, who represented Crisdel Group, Corapi's employer, didn't return a call about the case.

The parties settled on Jan. 24. At the time, a Jan. 14 trial date had recently been postponed.

Hanus, who took over the case from another attorney, said the CT scan on Hunter revealed an acute brain hemorrhage in her right frontal lobe. She also suffered neck and back injuries, she claimed.

Hanus said Hunter experienced concussions and cognitive issues after the accident, such as short-term memory loss and difficulty with words. She was later treated by a neuropsychologist. Hunter also received chiropractic treatment for a herniated disc.

Hunter continued to have some short-term memory loss and cognitive issues, but continued to work as a self-employed preschool owner, according to Hanus.

“She can only engage in short meetings and conversations before she begins to experience memory issues,” Hanus said by phone. He said Hunter also continued to have complications in her daily life, with mood changes and neck and back pain.

Travelers, the carrier for Crisdel, is paying the $850,000 settlement, according to Hanus.

— Suzette Parmley