$17.6 Million Judgment After Decayed Tree Crushes Three Women in Orange, MA

On the afternoon of August 9, 2024, three women stood in the driveway of a home on Maple Street in Orange, Massachusetts when a severely decayed tree toppled from the neighboring lot at 92 Mechanic Street and landed on them. When paramedics reached the scene, all three were unconscious.

The injuries were severe. Danyelle Bushee, 35, suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken vertebrae, fractured ribs, and a broken femur. She required intubation at the scene and remained hospitalized for two months. She now needs around-the-clock home care and intensive ongoing therapy, and can no longer work in her former role as a nurse. Her sister Brittany Bushee, 31, sustained a fractured skull and brain bleeding, spent three days at UMass Memorial Medical Center, and developed persistent memory and hearing loss that has left her unable to return to work. Melissa Chiasson suffered head abrasions along with shoulder, neck, and knee injuries requiring physical therapy.

The tree had fallen from a property owned by Peter G. Rocklin, a New Jersey resident, who rented the lot to tenants. A central issue was notice: another tree from the same property had come down within roughly six months before the August incident. Plaintiffs alleged that earlier collapse had put Rocklin on notice that the trees posed a danger to neighbors, yet no inspection or removal followed.

Michael Kelly and John McCarthy of Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers filed suit against Rocklin in Franklin County Superior Court in November 2024. The complaint alleged that Rocklin knew the decaying tree was a hazard, that the condition was obvious and correctable, and that his failure to act left three women with life-altering injuries.

On March 6, 2026, Franklin County Superior Court entered judgment in the amount of $17,625,039.45 against Rocklin, covering single damages along with prejudgment interest and costs, assessed jointly and severally. Trial attorney Mackenzie O'Donnell and principal Michael Kelly secured the judgment for the three women.