A jury for the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court awarded a $2.7 million verdict to a man severely injured in a police car accident. The city of Philadelphia then filed a motion asking the judge to lower the awarded amount down to the $500,000 cap.
August 14th, 2019, Anthony Blume was driving through the intersection of Cayuga Street and Broad Street when a police cruiser crashed into him. The police officer had his lights and siren on, but he failed to come to a complete stop at the intersection. Philadelphia law requires officers to stop before entering the intersection during red lights.
Blume broke his arm as well as his neck in three places and required multiple surgeries. His injuries left him unable to work, eventually leading to him moving out of his home into a boarding house.
Pennsylvania law has set a limit of $500,000 that municipalities must pay for incidents that involve injury, property damage and even death. The $500,000 cap has stayed the same since 1980. The cap stays at $500,000 regardless of the severity of the incident and how many victims there are.
Blume hopes to challenge this cap or to find another way to uphold the $2.7 million verdict from his police car accident. Those who oppose raising the cap feel as though a higher cap would lead to more financial strain on taxpayers and local governments.
If you or a loved one are a victim of a police car accident or another injury matter, it’s important to have a personal injury lawyer that will work to get you the compensation you deserve. Our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are here to help. Please give us a call at 800-215-7211 or you can contact us here for a free consultation. For more on this story, click here.
