Plantation Key, FL, September 12, 2022 – A Monroe County jury has awarded Ashley Rierson $12,022,950.00 for serious injuries sustained after being struck as a pedestrian in Islamorada, Florida.
On February 11, 2011, a driver heading southbound on US 1 near mile marker 82 struck Ms. Rierson while she was attempting to cross US 1 at 8 pm. Ms. Rierson was struck by a southbound vehicle and then propelled into the northbound lanes of US 1 and struck by another vehicle travelling northbound. Ms. Rierson sustained significant orthopedic and internal injuries and was flown by Trauma Hawk to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. Her injuries resulted in dozens of surgeries and countless hours of physical and mental rehabilitation.
During the three-week trial, the attorneys for the defendant drivers put up a vigorous defense claiming that they were not responsible for the crash since it was nighttime and Ms. Rierson was not visible to them.
Board certified civil trial attorney Michael Cecere of Cecere Santana, PA and Henry Seiden of The Seiden Law Firm represented Ms. Rierson and argued that she was visible to the motorists and that the cause of the crash was excessive speed on the northbound vehicle and an improper lane change by the southbound vehicle. Mr. Cecere successfully argued in his closing statement that the southbound driver’s impatience led to the improper lane change and initial crash with Ms. Rierson.
“Ashley Rierson, who was 19 years old at the time of the crash, made a remarkable recovery from her injures and received a fair verdict that holds the defendants accountable and provides for much needed future medical care and assistance,” said attorney Cecere.
About Cecere Santana, PA
Cecere Santana is a leading personal injury firm in South Florida with a team of attorneys committed to providing personalized and hands-on legal representation for its clients. Partners Michael Cecere and J. Erick Santana have been working exclusively on personal injury and homeowner’s cases for more than 30 years.
Media Contact: Jannice Reyes
Tel: (954) 608-0800
jreyes@ceceresantana.com
