Evan Goldberg consulted as authority for car accident liability in New York State

By Andrew Stickler

A Suffolk County police officer who abruptly braked on a highway service road was partially responsible for the resulting crash between two other cars, the state’s top court ruled.

The decision, released yesterday by the New York State Court of Appeals, clarifies the legal responsibility of drivers who cause crashes they are not directly involved in, said Evan Goldberg, chairman of the trial lawyers for the New York State Bar Association.  “Some people are under the impression that there must be contact to establish liability,” Goldberg said. “However, all that is required is that negligent conduct put a sequence of events in motion that result in an injury.”