Trial Magazine

Shou Wei Zhou, 40, was crossing a street in a crosswalk when a bus made a left turn behind him. The bus struck Zhou as it was turning, rolling over him. He suffered severe crush injuries to his groin, including an eviscerated testicle, and he required amputation of his left leg at the hip. Zhou, whose medical expenses totaled $570,000, was unable to return to his restaurant job and is now completely reliant on his wife.

Zhou sued the New York City Transit Authority, alleging its driver failed to keep a proper lookout.

The defense asserted that the plaintiff had walked into the side of the bus and that the incident occurred after the driver had completed the turn.

The parties settled for $12.5 million.

Citation: Zhou v. N.Y.C. Transit Auth., No. 1526/2015 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Queens Cty. Jan. 14, 2020).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ member James C. Napoli, New York City.

Plaintiff experts: Joseph Carfi, life care planning, New York City; and Larry Lichtenstein, economics, Lancaster, N.Y.