$1.48M Verdict in Death of Woman in Monroe County Multi-Vehicle Crash

The family of a 37-year-old East Stroudsburg woman who was killed in a multi-vehicle crash as she drove her car south on Route 33 near Saylorsburg in March 2009 has been awarded a $1.48 million verdict by a Monroe County jury.

Jennifer L. Holzmacher-Klein died in the crash when her 2000 Hyundai Elantra was struck head-on by a Subaru Forester being driven northbound on the highway by Jigai Wang, according to a March 3 story in The Legal Intelligencer.  The Subaru struck the victim’s Hyundai a second time, and then pushed it into a nearby 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and then into a 2003 Hyundai Sonata that also became involved in the crash, the story reported. The Jeep was being driven by Alan S. Heald, while the Sonata was being driven by Lorraine Johnstone.

The lawsuit was filed by Holzmacher-Klein’s  husband, Roger J. Klein, and the victim’s son, Kamden Holzmacher, alleging negligence by the other three drivers who were involved in the crash. Heald and Johnstone settled their cases with the plaintiffs for a combined $215,000 prior to verdict, the story reported.

“According to the plaintiffs’ memo, Wang was ‘clearly careless,'” the story reported.

The victim, Holzmacher-Klein, died at the scene following the 6:25 a.m. crash, according to a March 24, 2009 story in The Pocono Record. Route 33 South was closed for about five hours between the Saylorsburg and Wind Gap exits after the incident.

Driving conditions were clear on the day of the crash and Wang was operating her Subaru below the speed limit, according to The Legal Intelligencer report. Testimony was heard that a “tractor-trailer to the right of Wang’s vehicle began moving to the left, which prompted Wang to steer to her left to avoid being hit by the truck.”

That action then resulted in Wang’s Subaru crossing the unprotected, narrow grass median into the oncoming southbound lanes and crashing into Holzmacher-Klein’s car, the story reported. The victim was employed as a patient coordinator at the Lehigh Valley Center for Sight.

The verdict was reached in two hours by the jury after a three-day trial. The plaintiffs were awarded $1.07 million in net earning capacity over Holzmacher-Klein’s lifetime, $165,000 in contributions for support of family, and $250,000 in loss of services, The Legal Intelligencer reported.

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

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