New York Landscaper Awarded $11.2M in Civil Suit

A New York landscaper who lost his legs on the job has been awarded $11.2 million.

A Westchester County jury found the landscaping company 60 percent liable for Robert Loja’s injuries.

Loja worked for Sleepy Hollow Landscaping. He was unloading a trailer in Tarrytown on Oct. 24, 2008, when he was struck by a car driven by Eileen Lavelle.

Lavelle said she was blinded by sun glare, hit a safety cone and a “men working” sign before striking Loja.

The jury found Lavelle and her mother, who owned the car, 10 percent liable.

It also found Loja 30 percent liable for the crash because it said he could have parked the trailer in a safer place.

The Journal News said the verdict was reached Friday after a six-week trial.

Latest Comments

• February 2, 2012 at 10:14 am

  Bartleby says:

  Let's see... 1. The driver was blinded by the sun but didn't stop. 2. The employee parked the trailer in an unsafe place. 3. The employer provided safety cones and a warning s... read more
• February 1, 2012 at 3:14 pm

  Time out, here says:

  The employer is responsible for this accident how??? Hope this one loses on appeal. Terrible decision!!!
• February 1, 2012 at 2:50 pm

  Jester says:

  And exactly what liability does the employer have?