Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
A New Jersey woman who suffered catastrophic injures when her vehicle was struck by a car driven by a volunteer firefighter responding to an alarm will receive a settlement of $4.6 million. Melinda Baker suffered fourteen fractures to her legs, neck, arms and ribs requiring multiple surgeries. The January 26, 2018 accident left her confined to a wheelchair.
The firefighter, Richard Campbell of the Wenonah Volunteer Fire Company, was responding to an alarm when the accident occurred. Campbell was reportedly speeding when he ran a red light. He was cited for careless driving, failure to obey a traffic signal and creating a risk of a motor vehicle crash.
Baker filed suit in Gloucester County Superior Court in October, 2018 naming Campbell, the Wenonah Volunteer Fire Company, the Deptford Fire Department, Deptford Fire Department Battalion 1, Gloucester County Fire Chiefs Association, Oak Valley Fire Company No. 1, and Woodbury Heights Fire Department.
The settlement was approved by Superior Court Judge Samuel Ragonese who was quoted by the Courier Post as saying the settlement was appropriate given Baker’s “catastrophic and permanent injuries” and her “likely need for treatment and care into the future.” Under the terms of the settlement, Campbell will pay $100,000 and the Wenonah Volunteer Fire Company will pay $4.5 million.
