Mar 24, 2006 7:26 pm US/Eastern
City Settles In Staten Island Ferry Case
Man Who Lost Legs Will Get $9 Million Settlement
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The city has agreed to pay $9 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a former waiter who lost both legs in the 2003 Staten Island ferry crash.
City officials say the payout to Paul Esposito is the largest so far in the tragedy that killed 11 passengers and injured dozens of others. Of the other 190 claims against the city, 99 have been settled for a total of $3-point-6 million.
Esposito sued for $300 million in damages in 2003, accusing the crew of the Andrew J. Barberi and city officials of gross negligence.
His attorney, Derek Sells, said the settlement is fair, given that his client's injuries "forever altered the way he can live his life."
In a statement, one of the city's top attorneys, Lawrence Kahn, confirmed that the city agreed to pay nearly $9 million.
Rather than take a lump sum, Esposito will receive monthly payments for the next 50 years to cover medical costs and living expenses. With interest, he could collect more than $25 million during that period.
Esposito's claim alleged that he "was basically left to die" in a trail of carnage after the ferry drifted off course and slammed full-speed into a concrete pier on Staten Island on October 15, 2003.
The lawsuit said that members of the Staten Island ferry crew, uniformed employees of the Department of Transportation, ran past Paul Esposito as he lay on the boat battling for his life.
A British nurse tied a belt around Esposito's limbs above the knee, stemming the blood flow. His legs were later amputated.
Former ferry assistant captain Richard Smith was sentenced earlier this year to 18 months in prison for passing out at the helm of the vessel before the crash. The city's former ferry director, Patrick Ryan, received one year and a day for failing to enforce a rule requiring ferries be operated by two pilots whenever docking.
Click here to see How Paul Esposito reacted to a CBS 2 Exclusive Interview with 'Barberi' Captain Michael Gansas
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
