CVN screenshot of plaintiff attorney Ryan Weschler delivering his opening statement
West Palm Beach, FL - A Florida state court jury heard opening statements Tuesday in a lawsuit over a collision involving three vehicles, and the full trial is being webcast gavel-to-gavel by Courtroom View Network.
Plaintiffs Charles and Deborah Carey sued defendant Sanjeet Gupta in 2022 after being struck by Gupta while stopped at a red light in a lefthand turn lane. Gupta first collided with another driver, Peter Lafroscia, who also blames Gupta for the collision, however Gupta maintains the blame for the pileup lies with Lafroscia, who he alleges abruptly cut him off.
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Attorney Ryan Weschler of Long Jean & Wechsler PA, representing the Careys, told jurors that both eyewitness accounts and information from electronic data recorders would show Gupta’s driving 55 in a 45 zone caused the crash. He said the trial boils down to a simple case of someone driving at an excessive speed and not paying attention to the road.
“The only reason we’re here is because the defendant was speeding,” he emphasized.
Weschler detailed how both his clients had to undergo serious spinal operations as a result of their injuries, and he noted that LaFroscia also sustained a serious impact while objecting to the idea he was responsible for the crash.
“The defendant blames Peter LaFroscia for being in front of his speeding vehicle,” Weschler remarked.
LaFroscia’s attorney, Patrick Morin of RTR Law, presented a similar theory on liability for the crash while also explaining that it exacerbated a number of his 75-year-old client’s pre-existing conditions in addition to causing other injuries.
Defense attorney Marc Schecter of Robinson Pecaro & Mier PA conceded Gupta was speeding at the time of the crash, but he also insisted he was going “with the flow of traffic” and that the accident was caused by LaFroscia cutting him off.
“Speed did not cause this accident,” he told the jury.
CVN screenshot of defense attorney Marc Schecter delivering his opening statement
Schecter cited supposed inconsistencies in LaFrocia’s deposition testimony, telling jurors LaFrocia claimed to be stopped when hit but that evidence would show he had just crossed two lanes of traffic and braked in front of Gupta at close range.
The trial is expected to last roughly eight days before Judge Carolyn Bell, and CVN’s gavel-to-gavel coverage will continue for the duration of the proceedings.
The case is captioned Carey v. Gupta, case number 2022-CA-008884 in Florida’s 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach County.
E-mail David Siegel at dsiegel@cvn.com
