A man who suffered head and spinal injuries in a drunken-driving accident accepted $1.08 million to settle his Bergen County suit, Landini v. Scarpulla, on Oct. 17.

Melvin Landini of Fair Lawn was a patron at Oak Ale House in Maywood on Jan. 3, 2018, who left the establishment in a car driven by defendant Benjamin Scarpulla, said Landini's counsel, Edward Capozzi of Brach Eichler in Roseland.

A short time later, the vehicle was headed south on Maywood Avenue at the intersection of Lenox Avenue in Maywood when it struck a utility pole, said Capozzi, who handled the case along with the firm's Corey Dietz.

Scarpulla, of Maywood, 21 at the time of the accident, was found to have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.187 after the accident, according to Capozzi.

Landini sustained fractures to his skull and a traumatic brain injury, as well as fractures of the spine at C7 and C2, and a fractured left femur. He underwent a posterior fusion at C1-C2, with open reduction internal fixation and a rodding of the femur, Capozzi said.

Landini recovered $300,000 from Scarpulla on June 10, before mediation. On Oct. 17, following mediation with former Superior Court Judge Paul Vichness of Mandelbaum Salsburg, Landini recovered $775,000 from Old Ale House.

John Mallon of Chasan Lamparello Mallon & Cappuzzo in Secaucus, who represented Scarpulla, and Pasquale Pontoriero of Kennedys Law in Basking Ridge, who represented Oak Ale House, each confirmed the settlement.