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Accident Victim Sues Town

A local woman is suing the town for damages in connection with a one-vehicle

accident she had on Scudder Road last July.

In the legal action, Gina Grassi of 27 Ashford Lane seeks damages exceeding

$15,000.

On July 29, 1996, at about 1:09 pm, Mrs Grassi was driving a 1996 Ford

southbound on Scudder Road, about 500 feet north of Route 302, when the

vehicle went out of control and off the road, colliding with a tree because of

a series of bumps, holes and patches of blacktop which covered all of Scudder

Road, according to the lawsuit.

The town has the duty to keep and maintain its streets within a reasonably

safe condition, according to the lawsuit.

The legal papers state that at the time of the accident: Scudder Road was

hazardous for vehicular traffic; no attempt had been made to render the road

safe; there were no warning signs for hazardous road conditions; and the town

knew or should have known of poor road conditions and remedied the situation.

Due to the town's negligence, Mrs Grassi received contusions to the head, face

and left thigh, a laceration on the left elbow, and teeth fractures, according

to the lawsuit.

The accident totaled the Ford and caused Mrs Grassi to suffer severe emotional

distress, according to a statement from her lawyer, Eric H. Evans, of Evans

and Evans of Bethel.

The formerly deteriorated Scudder Road has been rebuilt by the town.

Through the lawsuit, Mrs Grassi seeks money damages exceeding $15,000; legal

costs, and other relief the court deems proper.

The town has a June 17 court answer date for the allegations made in the

lawsuit.