1/28/19 A suit in U.S. District Court over an accident in which a U.S. Postal Service vehicle killed a two-year-old, Chacon v. U.S. Postal Service, ended in a settlement for $4.9 million that was paid on Jan. 15.
Ana Chacon crossed Rahway Avenue in Elizabeth in a crosswalk on July 20, 2015, when she was struck by a Postal Service vehicle driven by Joseph Collins. Collins was turning right onto Rahway Avenue from Chilton Street when he struck Chacon and her grandchildren. He apparently did not look to the right before making the turn, said Eric Kahn of Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins in Springfield, who represented the plaintiffs.
In addition, there was evidence that Collins was using a mobile phone just before the crash, Kahn said.
At the time of the crash, Chacon was carrying her 2-year-old granddaughter, Sofia Flores, in her left arm, and using her right hand to hold the hand of her four-year-old grandson, Jacob Flores.
Chacon was severely injured as a result of being struck. She managed to push Jacob out of the way, but Sofia was thrown to the pavement and killed.
A suit sought recovery for loss of companionship of Sofia, and medical and burial expenses; psychological trauma for Jacob from viewing the death of his sister, and the injury of his grandmother; and the injuries suffered by Chacon, including lower extremity fractures and mild traumatic brain injury.
Following mediation with former U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh, now with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter in Morristown, the parties agreed to settle for $4.9 million. Chacon will receive $3 million; the estate of Sofia Flores will receive $1.3 million; and Jacob Flores will receive $600,000. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty of the District of New Jersey approved the settlement, including legal fees not to exceed $1.225 million; $65,917 in costs; and $436,138 in medical liens.
The settlement was approved by the Department of Justice on Dec. 18, 2018, and payment was received on Jan. 15, Kahn said. He handled the case along with Scott Sinins of his firm.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Anger and Kristin Vassallo. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the settlement.
Source: Postal Service Pays $4.9 Million to Settle Case Over Child Killed by Truck
He is a supervisor now
Letter carriers are so loaded down with extra routes being pushed on them all the time. Granted I’m not saying his driving skills are good. I blame the carrier supervisors also for this accident. Letter carriers are pushed beyond their limits daily, maybe now these carrier supervisors might open their eyes and stop adding extra routes to these over worked postal carriers. And they saved no money it cost them almost 5 million and the lose of life that can never be replaced.
What happened to the USPS driver?
They’re making him a manager