Lauria v. New York City Department of Environmental Protection

OPINION OF THE COURT

Frank V. Ponterio, J.

On July 29, 1987, plaintiff Vincent Lauria was involved in an automobile accident in which a car operated by him was rear-ended by a vehicle owned by defendant New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and operated by defendant George Ares. Plaintiffs commenced this personal injury action claiming permanent soft tissue spinal injuries to Vincent Lauria and loss of services to his wife, Jean Lauria. The case was tried before a jury which on July 18, 1991 found that Lauria had sustained a serious injury as defined by Insurance Law §…