Essex County, New Jersey — A New Jersey state judge has upheld a substantial $19.1 million jury verdict awarded to a woman after she was misarrested and denied essential medical care upon suffering a stroke, leading to severe and permanent injuries. The decision by Judge Thomas Vena is significant, maintaining the reduced compensation amount of $12.9 million, adjusted due to considerations of pre-existing conditions that partially contributed to her injuries.
In October 2017, an incident occurred that dramatically altered the life of the woman involved. Found in a state of confusion behind the wheel on Interstate 78, she was erroneously detained for suspected impaired driving. It wasn’t until over two hours later that authorities acknowledged her critical medical needs. During this time, she was confined at the State Police barracks in Somerville, physically restrained and not provided with immediate medical help.
This delay in medical attention resulted in the woman sustaining irreversible brain damage, necessitating long-term care and leaving her with disabilities that would require lifelong management. When emergency medical personnel were finally summoned and the woman was hospitalized, the extent of the damage became tragically apparent.
The legal proceedings that followed culminated in January with a jury attributing $6 million to emotional distress and $13.1 million to pain, suffering, and economic losses in their verdict. This was later trimmed by the court, reflecting the jury’s recognition of the role her pre-existing condition played in the severity of the outcome.
Judge Vena, in his 44-page decision, dismissed several of the defenses presented by the state, the New Jersey State Police, and Trooper Jennifer Albuja, who was involved in the misarrest. The judge refuted the argument against separate awards for pain and emotional harm under New Jersey’s Tort Claims Act, upheld the jury’s decision on damage awards, and confirmed the legality of the jury instructions used during the trial.
The defense’s plea for immunity for Trooper Albuja under the act was also rejected. The judge emphasized that the trooper’s actions, even if done in the belief of enforcing DUI laws, did not exempt her from responsibility given the circumstances and outcomes of the case. Moreover, Judge Vena found the testimonies concerning the woman’s long-term care needs and the timing of the stroke neither speculative nor irrelevant, thereby supporting the jury’s findings based on substantial evidence.
This ruling stands as a substantial judgment against the New Jersey State Police, spotlighting the serious repercussions of law enforcement misinterpreting medical crises as criminal behavior. The plaintiff’s legal representation argued that this misrecognition of a medical emergency under custody had dire, avoidable consequences that have now been judicially confirmed.
The case underscores the critical importance of proper training and protocols for law enforcement to recognize and swiftly respond to medical emergencies, preventing tragedies stemming from unnecessary delays in care. The state’s spokesperson declined to comment on the case, and there was no immediate word on whether an appeal would be pursued.
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