$1M for Campus Auto Injury, Rutgers University
Rutgers University agreed on Oct 6 to pay $1 million to settle a Middlesex County suit by a student struck by a university police car while walking on the Piscataway campus. The car's driver, Officer Joyce Shei, said she was blinded by afternoon sun glare and was reaching for her cell phone at the time, 4 pm on Feb 4, 2003.
Aaminah Mirza fractured her right patella and tore her left-knee ligament. She missed two months of classes and upon returning was in a wheelchair for two months. The plaintiff's expert witness was prepared to testify that Mirza, now 22, is at a heightened risk of arthritis that will require a knee replacement in the future.
The university stipulated to liability and agreed to damages in mediation.
(This information was obtained from the New Jersey Law Journal)
