Under the impression that a jury deviated from settlements typical to similar personal injury cases, a Manhattan judge had reduced a $14.1 million verdict for a woman’s car accident injuries to $3.2 million. Lori Keating was struck by a cab in 2003 and left with leg injuries that required many surgeries, prevented her from working and limited her physical activities. After being awarded $14.1 million last year by a jury in the Manhattan state Supreme Court, Keating and her New York personal injury lawyer saw one of the highest personal injury verdicts for a Staten Islander be severely reduced yesterday. Justice Lottie W. Wilkins was described in a Staten Island Advance story as saying that she needed to find a balance between “the jury’s magnanimous impulses” and legal requirements that awards fall in line with verdicts in similar cases.

The story clarified that Wilkins essentially ordered a new trial on the amount of damages for pain and suffering that was originally awarded to Keating last year. Specifically, the jury awarded Keating $7 million for future pain and suffering, $5 million for past pain and suffering, more than $1.1 million for lost earnings and nearly $900,000 for medical bills. Her husband Kevin Keating was awarded $100,000 at the time for past loss of his wife’s services.

With that said, Wilkins let the awards for Keating’s husband, lost earnings and medical expenses stand. However, she reduced the awards for future pain and suffering to $500,000 and past pain and suffering to $600,000. Mrs. Keating has not accepted these terms, and the case has been appealed. We’ll keep you updated on the latest developments with this New York personal injury case.