Some cases begin with a single moment of negligence and grow into something far more complicated than anyone could have anticipated. That was true for our client, Isaek Etienne, a 28-year-old Brooklyn resident whose life was changed when a delivery truck driver pulled directly into his vehicle on East 95th Street and then fled the scene. Through careful investigation and determined legal representation, the Law Office of Seni Popat, P.C. secured a $2.1 million settlement on Isaek's behalf.
Identifying the Responsible Parties After a Hit-and-Run
The collision itself was somewhat straightforward in how it happened: a double-parked delivery truck pulled out directly into Isaek's vehicle without warning. What followed was far more complicated. When Isaek attempted to exchange information with the truck driver, the driver refused and drove away. He took down the license plate number and contacted the police, who filed a report, but that report noted there were no apparent injuries at the scene, a notation that would later require careful handling as the full extent of our client’s injuries became clear.
Identifying and naming the parties legally responsible for the truck and its driver's actions required significant work. After hiring a private investigator, our legal team gathered the information necessary to determine liability and filed an Amended Summons and Complaint to properly name the responsible parties and move the case forward.
Severe Injuries That Only Worsened
Our client visited an urgent care facility the same day as the accident, where he was treated and released. Three weeks later, with symptoms persisting, he began formal treatment, and the findings were serious.
The force of the impact had thrown him into the driver's side door and window, leaving him with multiple significant injuries, including:
- Tears and herniations to both his neck and back
- Torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder
- TFCC tear in his left wrist
Conservative care failed to resolve any of these conditions. Isaek underwent surgical repair of his rotator cuff and a separate surgical repair of the TFCC tear in his wrist. Despite those procedures and months of injections and continued treatment, his neck ultimately required surgery as well, resulting in a cervical fusion.
The consequences for his career were devastating. He had been working full time as a Cargo Supervisor for Delta at JFK Airport. His injuries left him unable to return to that work, and he was subsequently granted Social Security Disability Benefits.
$2.1 Million Result With No Depositions Required
Despite the complexity involved, such as the hit-and-run circumstances, the investigative effort required to identify the responsible parties, and the extensive medical history Isaek had accumulated, we reached a $2.1 million settlement without a single deposition being taken. That outcome reflects the strength of the case our team prepared and our ability to demonstrate the full scope of our client’s losses before the matter ever reached that stage.
No settlement can give Isaek back the career he loved or undo what the accident put him through. But this result gives him the financial foundation to address his ongoing medical needs and move forward with stability after an event that changed the course of his life.
We are honored to have fought for Isaek, and we are proud of what this result represents. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident or any other motor vehicle collision in New York, the Law Office of Seni Popat, P.C. is ready to stand in your corner. Call us at (718) 340-3385 for a free consultation. We are available 24/7 for your convenience.
