Eric H. Weitz won a $28.75 million verdict for a now 9-year old boy left a paraplegic after a 2002 auto accident.

The trial, which began on Tuesday in federal court, found the child’s foster parent who was driving the car was liable for the accident and the child’s permanent injuries. The jury deliberated for fewer than 3 hours.

“Today’s verdict and award will help ensure that this child will be able to live as full a life as possible, free from worries about paying his medical bills,” said Attorney Weitz who noted that since the accident, the injured child has been adopted.  “I am very pleased that the jury listened to the evidence, considered the facts and rendered this decision.”

The child, who was in the custody of the Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services (OCYS) and under the supervision The Lutheran Home at Topton and their foster parent, Peter Norton, was injured on December 28, 2002 in Tannersville, PA. In response to a scream from the children in the backseat, Mr. Norton crossed the centerline on the highway and crashed head-on with a car traveling the opposite direction, rendering Isaiah a permanent paraplegic.

“Although the jury verdict is good news, it will not change the simple fact that this is an accident that never should have happened and an injury that should never have occurred,” closed Attorney Weitz. “It is incredibly important that everyone entrusted with the care of a child – whether a foster care agency, a social services care giver or an individual – drive responsibly.  This  child will have to live with Mr. Norton’s decision not to.”

Read: "Paraplegic Foster Child Awarded $28.75 Mil in Car Crash Lawsuit" — Legal Intelligencer, May 16, 2008 [PDF]