The Powell Law Group - Personal Injury, Corporate & Municipal Law

Hazleton family awarded $1.55 million in damages
Hazleton Standard-Speaker

Luzerne County Court handed down a ruling Friday that awarded a Hazleton family more than $1.5 million in damages.

The week-long trial of John Derby vs. William Ebert Jr. ended when a jury found 100 percent negligence against Ebert.

The case dates back to Feb. 24, 1996, when then 9-year-old Derby was struck by Ebert's Ford Bronco II while he crossed Poplar Street in Hazleton. Derby suffered a fractured skull, jaw, and femur in the accident. He has since recovered from those injuries, but scarring on the thighs and knees remain, said Bob Powell of the Powell Law Firm, which represented Derby in the case.

After Derby and his mother, Michelle Holloman, filed the lawsuit, Ebert counter-sued, claiming the boy was negligent and Holloman contributarily negligent regarding the accident.

But the case turned in favor of the accident victim and the jury awarded Derby $1,558,000 in court Friday. "We were thrilled that the jury acquitted young Mr. Derby of any wrongdoing," Powell said.

Powell and Attorney Stephen Seach represented Derby, while Wilkes-Barre Attorney Neil O'Donnell represented Holloman in the case.

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