A vendor at Giants Stadium reached a $26 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of a girl who was paralyzed in a crash with a New York Giants fan who was driving under the influence.
The settlement amount had been sealed until December 3, when a New York State appellate court overturned the decision of a lower court to keep it private.
The victim, 11-year-old Antonia Verni, and her mother, Fazila Verni, wanted the settlement to be kept private because of concerns over the manner in which the girl’s estranged father handled funds from prior settlements with other defendants.
The family filed suit against the concessionaire at Giants Stadium, Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp., alleging that employees continued serving beer to the driver, Cresskill, New Jersey resident Daniel Lanzaro, despite his being visibly intoxicated.
At the time of the 1999 crash, Lanzaro’s blood-alcohol content was measured to be 0.226, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. The injuries Antonia, then 2-years-old, suffered caused paralysis from the neck down.
The family was originally awarded $105 by a Bergen County, New Jersey jury, but a 2006 appeal saw that ruling reversed. A settlement was reached by the two parties last year.
According to the Verni family’s attorney, the family also reached separate settlements with the Giants, the National Football League, and Lanzaro for a total of around $1.2 million.
