arrow left
arrow right
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
  • Frazao Pedro Vs Galvez ManuelPersonal Injury document preview
						
                                

Preview

ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 1 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Misbahul Fatima, Esq. - 246862017 LAW OFFICES OF JAMES H. ROHLFING 445 South Street, Morristown, NJ Mailing address: P.O. Box 2903, Hartford, CT 06104-2903 973-631-7346 ǀ F: 855-857-9822 Attorney for Defendant, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company File No.: 2020018109-E-MF PEDRO FRAZAO, Superior Court of New Jersey Plaintiff, LAW DIVISION: ESSEX COUNTY vs. DOCKET NO.: ESX-L-267-20 MANUEL GALVEZ; ST. PAUL PROTECTIVE CIVIL ACTION INSURANCE COMPANY; JOHN DOES 1 - 10; ABC CORPORATIONS 1- 10, OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS IN LIMINE Defendants. TO: The Honorable Annette Scoca History Courthouse 470 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 1st Floor Newark, NJ 07201 CC: Lazaro Berenguer, Esq. Clark Law Firm, PC 811 Sixteenth Avenue Belmar, NJ 07719 Dear Judge Scoca, Please accept the following letter brief in lieu of a more formal opposition to plaintiff’s motions in limine. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #1, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar prior and subsequent accidents, Plaintiff represented to Dr. Michael Meese on October 5, 2020 that he had not been involved in prior accidents. (See Exhibit A – Dr. Meese’s December 14, 2020 Report, at page 2 and Exhibit B – Dr. Meese’s De Benne Esse Transcript, at 1T46:14-47:9). However, in both his records to treating doctors and in his deposition, plaintiff testified that he had been involved in at least three prior accidents. (See Exhibit C – Plaintiff’s Deposition Transcript, at 2T54:14- ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 2 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 1T60:3). This defendant does not object to Plaintiff’s request that these prior accidents cannot be used to imply or speculate a link to Plaintiff’s current condition. However, they should be allowed for the limited purpose of confronting Plaintiff. See N.J.R.E. 607 (stating in pertinent part that a “[f]or the purpose of attacking or supporting the credibility of a witness, any party including the party calling the witness may examine the witness and introduce extrinsic evidence relevant to the issue of credibility”); See also Allendorf v. Kaiserman, 266 N.J. Super. 662, 674 (App. Div. 1993) (concluding “the evidence that plaintiff had episodes of passing out prior to the accident was admissible for the purpose of impeaching the credibility of her testimony that she was ‘in perfect health’ and had never had ‘any problem with blacking out’ prior to the accident”). As such, this defendant requests the jury should be able to hear about plaintiff’s prior accidents in the limited capacity that they were not reported to Dr. Meese. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #2, wherein Plaintiff moves to permit future medical expenses, costs associated with any future treatments are speculative. Speculation is avoided only if there is some basis in the evidence admitted at the trial that in “reasonable probability” such treatments may be required. Coll v. Sherry, 29 N.J. 166, 174-175 (1959). “This is, of course, subject to the countervailing requirement that a plaintiff is under a duty to mitigate damages if such a future operation or treatment is necessary.” Pitti v. Asteghar, 133 N.J. Super. 145, 148 (Law Div. 1975). Here, Plaintiff cannot provide evidence that the future medical expenses are reasonably probable. None of plaintiff’s treating doctor’s have recommended physical therapy or surgery, which are the only future treatments for which Dr. Meese provides a cost of estimate. Exhibit B, at 1T36:23-37:15. Dr. Meese by his own admission testified that physical therapy was never recommended, bracing was never recommended, and surgery would be an “extreme” option or a ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 3 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 “last resort.” Ibid. at 1T77:22-78:8 and 1T79:2-5. Further, plaintiff has failed to mitigate the damages by not seeking any future treatment. The records exchanged in discovery point to February 24, 2021 as the last date of treatment for plaintiff. For nearly, one and a half years, plaintiff has not sought the future treatment Dr. Meese, his non-treating doctor, has predicted. Additionally, plaintiff has not exhausted PIP of $250,000 in this matter. (See Exhibit D – Plaintiff’s Insurance Policy Declaration Page). A recent amendment to the New Jersey No Fault Statutes, N.J.S.A. 39:6A-12, states in pertinent part that “all uncompensated medical expenses not covered by personal injury protection limits applicable to the injured party.” All cases cited by Plaintiff are inapplicable, in that they deal with situations in which medical bills exceed the amount of PIP available. Plaintiff also indicates there is a two-year statute of limitation to commence an action for payment of benefit commencing after the last payment of benefits. Not only does that have no bearing on the admissibility of medical expenses, but plaintiff does not provide any proof as to whether two years have elapsed since the last payment of benefits. To our knowledge, it has not. Even if it has, “when a carrier has made PIP payments in connection with a compensable injury and is chargeable with knowledge at the time of its last payment that the injury will probably require future treatment, then the ‘two-year after payment’ provision of N.J.S.A. 39:6A-13.1 will not bar an action brough within a reasonable time after rejection of a prompt claim for payment of additional medical expenses for such treatment.” Zupo v. Can Ins. Co., 193 N.J. Super. 374, 384 (App. Div. 1984). The Appellate Court in Zupo further clarified that the PIP forum is where an insured should seek payment “if an insured suffered from a medical problem requiring continuing treatment.” If the Court were to allow future medical expenses, it would be allowing Plaintiff to circumvent the purpose of the No-Fault Statute and seek relief in an improper forum. ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 4 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Further all future medical expenses are subject to condition. First, we cannot predict which of these expenses will be covered by Plaintiff’s healthcare or other possible sources. See N.J.S.A. 2A:15-97. Second, all future expenses are subject to the New Jersey Fee Schedule and usual and customary rates as applicable, the reasonableness of which is to be determined once again by the PIP carrier. N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.6(c); N.J.A.C. 11:3-29.1; and N.J.A.C. 11:3-29:4. At this time, with Plaintiff’s future treatment being speculative at best, there is no way to know how much of these bills Plaintiff will truly be responsible for. Therefore, the exaggerated numbers provided by Dr. Meese will only serve to confuse and mislead the jury. Moreover, the monetary figure provided by Dr. Meese regarding Plaintiffs approximated future medical costs is net opinion under Rule 703, which requires and expert’s opinion to be based on “facts, data, or another expert’s opinion, either perceived by or made known to the expert, at or before trial.” The net opinion rule provides that an expert's “bare conclusions, unsupported by factual evidence” are inadmissible. Kaplan v. Skoloff & Wolf, P.C., 339 N.J. Super 97, 102 (App. Div.2001) (quoting Buckelew v. Grossbard, 87 N.J. 512, 524 (1981)). Opinion testimony “must relate to generally accepted standards, not merely to standards personal to the witness.” Taylor v. DeLosso, 319 N.J. Super 174, 180 (App. Div. 1989) (quoting, Fernandez v. Baruch, 52 N.J. 127, 131 (1968)). The Appellate Division provided a concise explanation of net opinion by an expert witness in Grzanka v. Pfeifer, 301 N.J. Super. 563 (App. Div. 1997), where it noted that the “net opinion rule is a prohibition against speculative testimony” and restates the established rule that “an expert's bare conclusions, unsupported by factual evidence, [are] inadmissible.” Id. at 580-581. In essence, the net opinion rule requires an expert witness to “give the why and wherefore” of his ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 5 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 expert opinion, not just merely a conclusion. Jiminez v. GNOC, Corp., 286 N.J. Super. 533 (App. Div. 1996) Dr. Meese provides no explanation of how he came to the approximated figure for the cost of Plaintiff's future medical treatment. Dr. Meese does not cite any fact or data that support his approximation of Plaintiff's future medical costs. He does not refer to any item of data or information that he relied upon in settling on a monetary figure for the cost of any discrete item of medical care or the total figure. He does not state whether he is considering the amounts that his practice usually charges for certain medical services associated with the listed procedures, the fee schedule amount for listed services, the amount that Medicare typically pays for certain services, or amounts for services listed in some other source. Moreover, he does not even suggest that he has any basis in experience to know the usual amount charged for physical therapy services which are outside his area of medical practice. The purpose of expert testimony is to have an expert with specialized knowledge “assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.” N.J.R.E. 702. Put another way, the function of an expert is to provide the jury with necessary information so that they do not have to guess. With his approximation of future medical costs, Dr. Meese has inverted the role of the expert. The provided figure gives the jury no functional information; rather, it gives them a monolithic number of unclear significance that can only act as an extra variable when the jury, no wiser about the cost of Plaintiffs various potential future treatments, is left to guess at what doctors charge for various services. This is precisely the sort of unsupported net opinion that N.J.R.E. 703 was designed to exclude at trial. Given the totality of issues with presenting a jury with testimony as to future medical bills, this Defendant respectfully requests Plaintiff’s motion in limine permitting them be denied. If this court finds that testimony regarding future ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 6 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 medical expenses should be barred, this defendant also requests redacting Dr. Meese’s testimony to same. Exhibit B, at 1T36:23-37:15. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #3, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar evidence about when Plaintiff went to a lawyer and whether his attorney referred him to any medical providers, there is no objection. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #4, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar our defense expert from giving opinion about secondary gain and that plaintiff is malingering of exhibiting symptom magnification, there is no objection. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #5, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar reference to defense expert as “independent,” Defendant finds no prejudicial value as to this reference. Plaintiff’s own expert referred to his exam as being “independent” and described to the jury what that means in his de bene esse. See Exhibit B, at 1T41:11-42-6. Defense expert is anticipated to do same. Therefore, a jury will not be confused as to whether either expert is an “impartial” expert appointed by the Court. The term “impartial” is not equivalent to “independent.” Plaintiff also wrongfully states that the Appellate Division has decided the issue of whether or not defendant can refer to their medical experts as “independent.” None of the cases plaintiff cites after the broad statement that “the Appellate Division has held that defendant’s medical experts may bot be referred to as ‘independent’ medical experts” even address the term “independent.” As such, plaintiff has no basis to bar defense expert from being referred to as “independent.” As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #6, wherein Plaintiff seeks permission to refer to, read and play portions of trial testimony in summations, there is no objection so long as the information relayed to the jury is not out of context or incomplete. ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 7 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #7, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar testimony as to plaintiff selecting cheaper insurance coverage, there is no objection. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #8, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar defense counsel from referring to plaintiff’s doctor as a attorneys and/or doctors as “spin doctors” or from inferring that awarding plaintiff damages is equivalent of a “lottery” or a “jackpot”, there is no objection. As to Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine #9, wherein Plaintiff seeks to bar Defendant from soliciting testimony or evidence regarding motor vehicles summons, there is no objection as liability is stipulated. Respectfully Submitted, LAW OFFICES OF JAMES H. ROHLFING Attorneys for Defendant St. Paul Protective Insurance Company ________________________________ By: Misbah Fatima Dated: September 21, 2022 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 8 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 EXHIBIT A ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 9 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 10 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 11 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 12 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 13 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 14 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 15 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 EXHIBIT B ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 16 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 46 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Cross 2 Q. Okay. And it states in your report 3 that Mr. Frazao denied any previous accidents. 4 Correct? 5 A. If I just may look at the report. 6 Yes. 7 Q. Okay. And it's important for you to 8 know the history of a patient. Correct? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. And the history of your patient is 11 different for each patient; that's why it's 12 important. Correct? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. So, did Mr. Frazao ever tell you he 15 was struck in the left shoulder with a nail gun a 16 few years ago? 17 A. No, he did not. 18 MR. BERENGUER: Just note my 19 objection to that for the record. 20 It's an irrelevant injury to 21 the left shoulder. Plaintiff is not claiming any 22 left shoulder injuries in this matter. 23 BY MS. FATIMA: 24 Q. And did he mention that there's still 25 a piece of metal embedded in his left shoulder FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 17 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 47 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Cross 2 from that accident, Dr. Meese? 3 A. No -- no, he did not. 4 Q. Did he tell you on a different 5 occasion a metal bar fell on him from -- at work? 6 A. No. 7 Q. And did he tell you about ten years 8 ago, his car slid on ice and hit a tree? 9 A. No. 10 MR. BERENGUER: Just note my 11 objection for the record. 12 BY MS. FATIMA: 13 Q. In the same section of your report, 14 the history of Mr. Frazao's present illness, he 15 reported this accident to you. Correct? 16 A. Yes. 17 Q. He reported that the police came to 18 the scene of this accident. Correct? 19 A. Yes. 20 Q. And then he reported he didn't go in 21 an ambulance. Correct? 22 A. Correct. 23 Q. And the reason he states for that is, 24 quote, he did -- not realizing he was seriously 25 injured. Correct? FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 18 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 36 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Direct 2 permanent in nature. 3 The natural history is that 4 this doesn't get -- when I say "this," I say the 5 injuries. They generally don't improve over 6 time. They tend to get worse over time. And 7 that would determine what is done next, his 8 symptoms: how he feels, what he describes, and 9 what he reports. And that will include the 10 possibility of getting additional tests such as 11 x-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, discograms, other 12 procedures, EMG nerve conduction studies to help 13 evaluate the status of his condition. And then 14 treatment would be rendered depending upon the 15 results of those tests and his present symptoms. 16 And that treatment can include something simple 17 like going to the chiropractor, wearing a support 18 or a brace, taking an anti-inflammatory such as 19 Motrin or Advil to more advanced stages, 20 including invasive treatment such as giving 21 steroid injections to the spine and possibly 22 surgery. 23 Q. And how much would this treatment 24 cost? 25 A. The surgery typically for this type FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 19 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 37 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Direct 2 of injury would include a discectomy and a 3 fusion, which ranges between a hundred and 50 and 4 $200,000. 5 Q. And will he need that both for his 6 neck and his lumbar spine? 7 A. If his symptoms and the test results 8 indicate that, that would imply -- apply to both 9 his neck and back injuries. Yes. 10 Q. And what would be the estimated cost 11 of physical therapy and bracing, as noted in your 12 report? 13 A. A period of therapy would range 14 somewhere around $25,000, and a brace in the 15 range of 100, 200 -- I'm sorry. 1,000 to $2,000. 16 Q. Doctor, are there any long-term 17 effects for Pedro because of the injuries he 18 suffered from this crash? 19 A. Yes. Because of the findings on the 20 CAT scan at the time that they were performed, 21 he's at risk for progression of this condition, 22 which would lead to other problems such as the 23 development of post-traumatic arthritis, which 24 would lead to increasing symptoms, including pain 25 in his neck and back, stiffness, radicular FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 20 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 77 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Cross 2 A. Not to my knowledge, no. 3 Q. To your knowledge, have any of his 4 treating doctors recommended a discogram? 5 A. Not to my knowledge. 6 Q. You go on to state that treatment 7 options range from conservative measures to 8 surgical intervention. Correct? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. And you list as conservative measures 11 physical therapy, bracing, and medical injections 12 such as steroid injections. Correct? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. To your knowledge, has Mr. Frazao 15 ever gotten physical therapy as a result of this 16 accident? 17 A. I'm sorry. Repeat the question? 18 Q. To your knowledge, has Mr. Frazao 19 ever undergone physical therapy as a result of 20 this accident? 21 A. Just his chiropractor treatment. 22 Q. And to your knowledge, he was never 23 prescribed physical therapy as a result of this 24 treatment. Correct? 25 A. Correct. FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 21 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 78 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Redirect 2 Q. To your knowledge, does 3 Mr. Frazao -- did Mr. -- 4 No, sorry, scratch that. 5 To your knowledge, did 6 Mr. Frazao ever wear any prescription braces for 7 this accident? 8 A. Not that I'm aware of. 9 Q. To your knowledge, Mr. Frazao was not 10 prescribed any of these bracing by his doctors. 11 Correct? 12 A. Not that I'm aware of. 13 Q. To your knowledge, Mr. Frazao never 14 underwent steroid injection for this accident. 15 Correct? 16 A. Correct. 17 Q. And to your knowledge, Mr. Frazao was 18 not prescribed steroid injection by his treating 19 doctors. Correct? 20 A. Correct. 21 Q. So, you would agree with me that the 22 time you listed these treatment options, 23 Mr. Frazao had not undergone all of the 24 conservative treatment you listed. Correct? 25 A. Correct. FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 22 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 79 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Redirect 2 Q. And you agree that a surgery for 3 cervical and lumbar spine would be reserved as a 4 last resort. Correct? 5 A. Yes. 6 Q. Yet Mr. Frazao had not tried all of 7 the other treatment modalities. Correct? 8 A. Correct. 9 MS. FATIMA: That's all my 10 questions. 11 THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time 12 is now 11:05. 13 Going off the video record. 14 (Discussion was held off the 15 record.) 16 THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time 17 is now 11:07. 18 We're back on the video 19 record. 20 - - - 21 REDIRECT EXAMINATION 22 - - - 23 BY MR. BERENGUER: 24 Q. Dr. Meese, I just have a few 25 follow-up questions. FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 23 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 41 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Cross 2 - - - 3 CROSS-EXAMINATION 4 - - - 5 BY MS. FATIMA: 6 Q. Hello, Dr. Meese. 7 A. Good morning. 8 Q. I just want to point your attention 9 to the beginning of your report of December 14, 10 2020. 11 You indicate that this was an 12 independent medical examination. Correct? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. And can you define for the jurors 15 what independent medical examination means? 16 A. Sure. So, as I described, my routine 17 practice, I see a hundred patients a week that I 18 treat and take care of and operate on two days a 19 week. 20 In addition to that part of 21 my practice, which is almost all my practice, I 22 have a small part of my practice where I see 23 patients that I don't treat and operate on. And 24 technically not my patients, but I do see them 25 and evaluate them in cases like this, such as FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 24 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Transcription 42 1 M. Meese, M.D. - Cross 2 Pedro's case, where Pedro is not my patient but I 3 evaluated him, as well as the medical records 4 independently. So, I saw him for the purpose of 5 an independent medical evaluation, not as one of 6 my own treating patients. 7 Q. Okay. But there were providers who 8 treated Mr. Frazao, to your knowledge, multiple 9 times. Correct? 10 A. Yes. 11 Q. And these providers included a 12 chiropractor. Correct? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. And a neurologist. Correct? 15 A. Yes. 16 Q. But you only examined Mr. Frazao one 17 time, on -- I believe the date is October 5th, 18 2020. Correct? 19 A. That's correct. 20 Q. Okay. And then in writing your 21 report from that examination, your intention was 22 to be unbiased. Correct? 23 A. Yes. 24 Q. And you were paid for this 25 independent medical examination? FrontinoReporting, LLC www.frontinoreporting.com - 800 831-6637 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 25 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 EXHIBIT C ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 26 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 54 1 A At this moment, all the things 2 that we spoke of, I can't remember any other 3 things at this moment. 4 Q I understand. I'm going to ask 5 you about prior accidents and worker's 6 compensation history. Do you want to take a 7 break at this time or do you just want to 8 continue? 9 A Yes, we can take a minute, 10 please. 11 Q Sure, no problem. 12 (Whereupon, there is a short 13 break.) 14 Q So, Mr. Frazao, prior to this 15 accident, have you ever been in another 16 automobile accident? 17 A Yes, ma'am. 18 Q And when was that? 19 A Many, many years ago, maybe ten 20 years or more ago. 21 Q Were you the driver of that 22 vehicle? 23 A Yes, ma'am. 24 Q And what happened? 25 A I don't remember very well, but TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 27 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 55 1 there was ice on the road and the car slid out of 2 control and it hit a tree. But since I had a 3 huge metal bar in the front in my car, there was 4 no damage to the car, nor the tree, nor to me. 5 Q Was there any other vehicle 6 involved or was it just yours? 7 A It was just mine. 8 Q So, you didn't obtain any 9 injuries as a result of this accident? 10 A No, ma'am. 11 Q Did you ever seek medical 12 treatment for this accident? 13 A No, ma'am. 14 Q I'm presuming you also never had 15 an open litigation on this matter? 16 A No, no, ma'am. 17 Q Have you ever been involved in 18 any other automobile accident? 19 A That I remember, no. 20 Q Have you had a worker's 21 compensation claim before this? That's if you 22 get injured on the job. 23 A If I understood the question, 24 I've never done any sue or lawsuit to anyone. 25 Q Were you ever injured on the TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 28 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 56 1 job? 2 A 20 years ago I had like a cut in 3 my arm, and I got like three stitches, and that 4 was it. But that was more than 20 years ago, and 5 nothing came of it. 6 Q Where were you working when you 7 got that cut in your arm? 8 A I was working for Busy Boys, and 9 I was working at a school in Newark. 10 Q Where did you get the cut, at 11 Busy Boys or at school? 12 A It was inside the school. 13 Q How did you get the cut? 14 A Somebody let a piece of metal 15 fall and they got my arm and it cut me a little 16 bit. 17 Q You recall at all where the 18 piece of metal fell? 19 A I was working on the first floor 20 and it fell from the second floor. 21 Q Did you seek any medical 22 treatment aside from the stitches? 23 A I went to the hospital. They 24 gave me, they did the stitches. They told me not 25 to work for like 15 days. I just followed their TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 29 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 57 1 instructions, but I don't remember anything else. 2 Q Do you recall what hospital you 3 went to? 4 A In Newark, I don't remember the 5 name. 6 Q Did you get any type of physical 7 therapy or chiropractor for that injury? 8 A No, ma'am. 9 Q Do you recall the questions and 10 answers I showed you earlier which you certified 11 as your answers? 12 A I remember what you showed me, 13 but I don't remember what's in there. 14 Q So, there are questions and 15 answers that you have, you have provided with 16 answers already. 17 A Okay. 18 Q So, that makes a mention of a 19 prior work incident where there was a nail gun 20 involved. Do you recall that? 21 A I remember, and I mentioned it a 22 little bit ago, but I think that wasn't, it 23 wasn't heard. 24 Q I apologize, what do you mean 25 you mentioned it? TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 30 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 58 1 THE INTERPRETER: I think, well, 2 he's addressing the interpreter. That he 3 responded before, but I think it wasn't heard. 4 He said that there was a cut in my arm, but also 5 a nail in my shoulder. But I think that wasn't 6 heard. 7 Q So, that happened at the same 8 school? 9 A No, ma'am, but it also happened 10 around 20 years ago. 11 Q Where did that happen? 12 A Working for the same company in 13 a house in Livingston, if I'm not wrong. 14 Q What company is that? 15 A Busy Boy. 16 Q So, the cut in the arm happened 17 at the Newark school, and the nail gun incident 18 happened at Busy Boys? 19 A I'm going to answer clearly. 20 So, I worked for busy boys when I got the cut in 21 my arm, and I also worked for busy boys when I 22 got this injury in Livingston. 23 Q Okay. What arm was the cut? 24 A Left arm. 25 Q And what arm or shoulder was the TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 31 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 59 1 nail gun? 2 A The left side. 3 Q Can you describe what happened 4 with the gun? 5 A A gentleman was working with the 6 gun, the nail broke and the piece of the nail hit 7 me on the shoulder. 8 Q What treatment did you get for 9 that? 10 A They went to the hospital, they 11 tried to clean it out. But they said since it 12 was very deep that, and it was a very small 13 piece, that it wouldn't make a big difference to 14 leave it in there. 15 Q Was that the only type of 16 treatment you received for that? 17 A At the time they gave me 18 something for the pain. I followed all the 19 instructions, and that was it. 20 Q Have you ever felt pain in your 21 left shoulder from this staple? 22 A I never felt pain. I took the 23 medication, but I never felt pain. Until today, 24 I've never felt pain. 25 Q Any other prior automobile TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 32 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Page 60 1 accidents or accidents that happened on the job 2 that you want to report at this time? 3 A No, none that I remember. 4 Q Just a couple of more questions 5 on your injuries from this accident. I just 6 wanted to clarify. When you say your upper back 7 hurts, is it closer to the neck? 8 A The upper part is the part 9 that's closest to the neck, yes, ma'am. 10 Q Is it on your right side, your 11 left side or both? 12 A In the upper part, it's in the 13 middle that I have the pain. 14 Q Does it travel anywhere, either 15 down your arm or up to your head? 16 A So, in the head, it goes to the 17 left side of the head, to the left side of the 18 head, and that's when I have headaches. Into the 19 arms, I'm not a doctor, I can't respond, but when 20 they fall asleep, they become numb at night when 21 I'm sleeping. 22 Q Which arm is that? 23 A It's inconsistent, it's not 24 always, and it's in both arms. 25 Q Okay. As for your lower back TAYLOR & FRIEDBERG, LLC (973) 285-0411 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 33 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 EXHIBIT D ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 34 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Automobile Policy Declarations 1. Named Insured Your Agency’s Name and Address PEDRO FRAZAO TAESCHLER\PAUL T & ASSOC 18 PALOMINO TRL 1122 RTE 22 W VERNON, NJ 07462-3144 MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ 07092 Your Auto Policy Number 996577746 206 1 For Policy Service 1-908-789-1155 Your Account Number 996577746 For Claim Service 1-800-252-4633 For Roadside Assistance 1-800-252-4633 2. Premium This is change number 2, which is effective October 27, 2018. * This change causes no additional or return premium for the policy period. * The policy period is from October 27, 2018 to October 27, 2019. * These Declarations replace all prior Automobile Policy Declarations on the date on which this change is effective. 3. Your Vehicles Identification Numbers 1. 2016 TOYOT TACOMA ACC 5TFSZ5ANZGX039699 4. Coverages, Limits of Liability and Premiums Insurance is provided only where a premium entry is shown for the coverage. The premium entry “Incl” or “Pkg” means the premium charge is included in the premium for another coverage or a package. VEHICLE 1 16 TOYOT TACOMA ACC A. Bodily Injury $100,000 each person $300,000 each accident B. Property Damage $50,000 each accident D1. Uninsured And Underinsured Motorists Bod Injury $100,000 each person $300,000 each accident D2. Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Pro Damage $50,000 each accident Q. Personal Injury Protection: Full PIP Primary Coverage Limitation on Lawsuit Option Medical Expenses Limit $250,000 Deductible $250 PL-50014 (08-16) Page 1 of 4 883/0CHB27 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 35 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 4. Coverages, Limits of Liability and Premiums (continued) Insurance is provided only where a premium entry is shown for the coverage. The premium entry “Incl” or “Pkg” means the premium charge is included in the premium for another coverage or a package. VEHICLE 1 16 TOYOT TACOMA ACC E. Collision Actual Cash Value less $500 deductible F. Comprehensive Actual Cash Value less $500 deductible Glass Deductible See Endorsement E1OCW02 (01-15) $50 deductible Extended Transportation Expenses See Endorsement E1MCW01 (10-13) $30 per day/$900 maximum Personal Property Coverage See Endorsement E1VCW01 (10-13) $500 limit Roadside Assistance Coverage See Endorsement E1RCW02 (10-13) Up to 100 miles per disablement Trip Interruption Coverage See Endorsement E1SCW01 (10-13) Package Premiums^ Premier Roadside Assistance Subtotal for your vehicle(s): Total Premium for This Policy: NJ PLIGA Surcharge** Assessment: Total Premium for this Policy including assessment: This is not a bill. You will be billed separately for this transaction. ^ The Premier Roadside Assistance Package consists of Roadside Assistance Coverage, Trip Interruption Coverage, and Personal Property Coverage endorsements. PL-50014 (08-16) Page 2 of 4 883/0CHB27 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 36 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 Named Insured PEDRO FRAZAO Policy Number 996577746 206 1 Policy Period October 27, 2018 to October 27, 2019 Issued On Date November 18, 2018 5. Information Used to Rate Your Policy Discounts Safe Driver Discount 5 Years Accident and Violation Free Home Ownership Discount Good Payer Discount Continuous Insurance Discount Early Quote Discount New Car Discount 16 TOYOT Anti-Theft Discount 16 TOYOT Your Total Savings Reflected in Your Total Premium: Drivers Date of Birth Gender Marital Status Driver Type 1. PEDRO 11-21-1976 Male Single Licensed Vehicles Use of Vehicle Mileage Location of Vehicle 1. 16 TOYOT TACOMA ACC Commute Not Verified VERNON, NJ If any of the information above is incorrect or has changed, please notify your Travelers representative immediately. 6. Other Information Your Insurer ST. PAUL PROTECTIVE INSURANCE COMPANY 385 WASHINGTON STREET, ST. PAUL, MN 55102 Additional Insured – See Endorsement E1CCW02 (10-13) 16 TOYOT TACOMA ACC JP MORGAN CHASE BANK VIN # 5TFSZ5ANZGX039699 PO BOX 9011098 FORT WORTH, TX 76701 Lienholder/Loss Payees Information 16 TOYOT TACOMA ACC JP MORGAN CHASE BANK VIN # 5TFSZ5ANZGX039699 PO BOX 9011098 FORT WORTH, TX 76701 LOAN # Policy Coverage Sections and Endorsements That Form a Part of This Policy: G01NJ01 (04-17) General Provisions Section L01NJ02 (04-17) Liability Coverage Section Q01NJ01 (08-15) Personal Injury Protection Coverage Section U01NJ02 (04-17) Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Coverage Section P01NJ01 (08-15) Damage To Your Auto Coverage Section S01CW01 (10-13) Signature Page E1CCW02 (10-13) Additional Insured E1MCW01 (10-13) Extended Transportation Expenses PL-50014 (08-16) Page 3 of 4 883/0CHB27 ESX-L-000267-20 09/21/2022 11:33:10 AM Pg 37 of 37 Trans ID: LCV20223391411 6. Other Information (continued) Policy Coverage Sections and Endorsements That Form a Part of This Policy: E1OCW02 (01-15) Glass Deductible E1RCW02 (10-13) Roadside Assistance Coverage E1SCW01 (10-13) Trip Interruption Coverage E1VCW01 (10-13) Personal Property Coverage Issued on 11/18/2018 FOR YOUR INFORMATION For information about how Travelers compensates independent agents and brokers, please visit www.Travelers.com or call our toll free telephone number 1-866-904-8348. You may also request a written copy from Marketing at One Tower Square, 2GSA, Hartford, Connecticut 06183. It is important that the information we used to rate your policy is correct. It is your responsibility to make sure that the information on these Declarations is accurate and complete, including checking that you are receiving all the discounts for which you are eligible. To see a full list of discounts offered, including discounts for having multiple policies with us or being a good driver, go to www.travelers.com/discounts. Once at the website, type in your policy number 9965777462061 and product code QA2 to view the discounts available. If any of the information on the Declarations has changed, appears incorrect, or is missing, please advise your Travelers agent or representative immediately. Your Travelers agent or representative is also available to review the information on the Declarations with you. ** New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association Surcharge. *Coverage limits are lower in certain circumstances. Please refer to the Limit of Liability Section of Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Coverage Section. PL-50014 (08-16) Page 4 of 4 883/0CHB27