$900,000 Settlement for Family of College Student Killed in New Jersey Crosswalk

A 26-year-old college student was crossing at a marked crosswalk when a driver struck and killed her. She had been using the designated crossing area as intended, giving her family no reason to expect the intersection would become the site of her death.

The collision drew attention beyond the immediate family. Local officials in the area later moved to address the crosswalk's safety conditions, a development reported by the Herald-News in August 2017. That coverage noted planned upgrades at the crossing where the student was killed, reflecting the kind of real-world consequence that wrongful death litigation can sometimes produce even when it does not reach trial.

Christopher DiGirolamo of Maggiano, DiGirolamo and Lizzi took on the family's case. The claim centered on the driver's failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a straightforward duty under New Jersey law. The family also faced the task of documenting their daughter's lost future, including her academic path and the financial and emotional support she would have provided.

The parties reached a $900,000 settlement. The resolution was reported by the Jersey Journal on August 17, 2017, and confirmed in subsequent local coverage. No appeal or reduction is reflected in the public record of this case.

The student's death prompted attention to pedestrian safety at the crossing where she was killed. The Herald-News reported on crosswalk upgrades planned for the location, tying the physical changes in the neighborhood directly to the aftermath of the crash.