An Ulster County jury has awarded $31 million to Kelly Burley, a former Orange County resident, in what is reportedly the largest car crash verdict in county history. The ruling followed a two-week trial where Poughkeepsie-based, family-operated Arnoff Moving & Storage was found responsible for a 2019 collision on the Mid-Hudson Bridge.
Burley, 41, was stopped in traffic when her vehicle was rear-ended by a moving truck operated by an Arnoff employee. The impact triggered a chain-reaction crash involving two other vehicles, with no additional injuries reported. The truck driver, 21-year-old Robert Wayne Spadaccini, was cited for following too closely.
Though Burley initially walked away from the accident, she later developed cauda equina syndrome, a rare spinal condition that left her permanently disabled and reliant on a wheelchair. Arnoff accepted responsibility, and the court determined the company’s negligence caused Burley’s injuries.
The moving company had reportedly offered a $10 million settlement before the case went to trial.
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