ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A jury awarded a Seminole County man more than $20 million for injuries he suffered after being hit on his motorcycle by an Orange County deputy who pulled into traffic according to court records.
The Orange County jury awarded Sean Hurley a $20,839,757 verdict for a crash that happened on Nov. 15, 2019.
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Hurley was originally offered a pre-trial settlement offer from the defense of $250,000.
According to a news release from Hurley’s attorney Morgan & Morgan, the 29-year-old was riding his motorcycle in Seminole County “when Deputy Orrizzi of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department pulled into oncoming traffic and violated Mr. Hurley’s right of way, colliding into him.”
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Hurley’s injuries required eight extensive surgeries, and as a result, one of his legs is now shorter than the other. He now requires specialized shoes to walk and will need intensive medical treatment and monitoring for the rest of his life, his attorneys said.
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“After this crash, Mr. Hurley underwent years of grueling rehab to re-learn basic activities we all take for granted, like walking and showering on his own,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Ryan Rudd. “Imagine having to put on specialized shoes just so you can get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. That sort of hardship is just one of the innumerable ways this wreck forever changed Mr. Hurley’s life. We’re pleased the jury recognized the impacts this crash had on our client’s life and afforded us the opportunity to secure justice for Mr. Hurley.”
According to the news release from attorneys, “The Orange County Sheriff’s Department denied the deputy was at fault, blamed Mr. Hurley for causing the crash and further disputed that the crash was the cause of his injuries.”
Channel 9 reached out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, who responded with the following statement:
“There is no comment at this time. This matter is still pending, as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office intends to file a motion for a new trial.”
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View dash & body camera here:
Footage from the crash provided by Morgan & Morgan:
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