In Kaufman v. Jenkins, an Ocean County jury awarded $1.455 million on June 6 on an underinsured motorist claim by a woman who suffered spinal injuries in a rear-end crash. But the actual damages to the insurance carrier, New Jersey Manufacturers, is $400,000, based on policy limits of $500,000 for the plaintiff’s underinsured motorist coverage and $100,000 for the motorist who struck the plaintiff.

Nicole Kaufman, 22, of Brick sustained permanent damage to the spine on November 26, 2015 when her car was struck by a vehicle driven by Kaitlyn Jenkins of Philadelphia. After resolving her claim with Jenkins’ insurance company, Kaufman made an application to her family’s underinsured motorist policy with New Jersey Manufacturers, which was initially denied, said plaintiff’s lawyer Timothy Dinan of Laddey, Clark & Ryan in Sparta, who handled the case along with Andrew Fraser of the same firm. Later, New Jersey Manufacturers recognized the claim but offered only $50,000, said Dinan.

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