Crime & Safety

$560K Settlement for Wrongful Death Suit at Bluff Ramp

The families of two Centereach men received a $560,000 settlement on Tuesday from the town of Smithtown.

According to Newsday, Smithtown officials unanimously authorized the settlement. The men died in 2008 after driving off the boat ramp into the Nissequogue River. The families claimed that the accident occurred due to “negligent design, placement and maintenance of a roadway and the signs…as well as the negligent design, placement and maintenance of the ramp”

Town attorney John Zollo told Newsday that the town had already spend $270,000 in legal fees.

A question of whether or not the men were intoxicated was also raised.

“Part of our defense to the case was that they were intoxicated from autopsies and toxicology reports,” said Zollo.

That was challenged by the defense that contended as a body decomposes, it creates ethanol, which can test positive for alcohol.  

It took 38 days for the body of the driver of the car to be recovered. To read the entire report on Newsday, click here. 


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