Attorney Dave Schmid attains $1.2M Verdict


Attorney Dave Schmid recently attained a $1.2 million verdict for Kelley Mahan, who was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a three-car, chain reaction type rear-end collision.


On June 9, 2014, Kelley Mahan was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a three-car, chain reaction type rear-end collision. The lead car stopped in the right lane of Hooper Avenue in Toms River, New Jersey. The second car crashed into the rear of the first car. The third car (in which Kelley was a passenger) then crashed into the rear of the second car. As a result of the collision, the passenger side air bag deployed at the moment Kelley was reaching out to brace for the impact.

Kelley suffered severe injuries to her left arm and right wrist. She underwent an initial open reduction internal fixation surgery to repair the broken left arm. She underwent a second surgery to remove some of the surgical hardware from the left arm. She was left with permanent nerve damage and a deformity in her left arm (her elbow will remain slightly bent for the rest of her life). She suffered permanent loss of motion and loss of grip strength in her left arm and hand. She has multiple tiny bone fragments loose in her left elbow that could not be restored to their natural anatomical position. Consequently, she will experience the early onset of arthritis in her left elbow that will get progressively worse as she ages.


The case was tried before Judge Mark Troncone in Ocean County, New Jersey – a traditionally conservative venue producing very few large verdicts. After a three day trial, the jury returned a verdict of $1.2 million in compensatory damages for Ms. Mahan.

John Sakson, Chair of the Personal Injury Group

”Dave is an extremely hardworking attorney at the firm, and we are very proud to see his work pay off with this case. Dave’s dedication to representing his client to the best of his ability is what helped him obtain this verdict.”

John A. Sakson

Michael Donahue, Managing Shareholder

"Everyone here at Stark & Stark works tirelessly to represent our clients to the best of our ability, and Dave is a perfect example of our commitment to our community."

Michael G. Donahue

More About Dave . . .

David M Schmid

David M. Schmid is a member of Stark & Stark’s Personal Injury Group. Mr. Schmid is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He focuses his practice on cases involving serious and catastrophic injuries, with an emphasis on severe burn injuries, construction injuries, automobile negligence, and premises liability.


Mr. Schmid takes on cases with the goal of bringing meaningful change to the people involved and changing behavior at a societal level. Often, these are cases that require substantial time and resources, which can be overwhelming to other attorneys and other law firms.


Read Dave's full bio.


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