Point Pleasant Boro Worker Who Lost Leg Gets $4.35M Settlement

A sanitation worker in Point Pleasant Boro whose left leg was amputated after he was struck by a commercial vehicle agreed to a $4.35 million settlement, according to the New Jersey Law Journal.

According to Bland v. Unique Scaffolding Systems, Lamar Bland, 28, was working as a sanitation worker for Point Pleasant Boro on Oct. 2 when he was struck by a vehicle owned by Unique Scaffolding Systems of Kenilworth. The vehicle was operated by Juan Jorge, a company employee.

Bland's fiancee created a GoFundMe page, saying she received a call at 5:40 a.m. on that day that "sent chills through my body when Lamar’s co-workers told me that he was pinned in=between the vehicle that struck him from behind and the garbage truck."

His birthday was that same day – turned 27, she said.

"Lamar works very hard to provide for his son and me. This completely broke my heart to see him in this accident," she said." I would have never thought that this would have happened to him. All he wanted to do was go to work and celebrate his birthday with his family and friends."

The accident occurred on Route 88 in Point Pleasant, she said.

The crash left Bland pinned between the Unique Scaffolding systems vehicle and the garbage truck, according to the New Jersey Law Journal. He sustained a fracture of the left tibia and fibula, and a displaced left femoral fracture.

After multiple operations in an effort to save the leg, Bland ultimately had his leg amputated below the knee, according to Norman Hobbie of Hobbie, Corrigan & Bertucio in Eatontown, who represented Bland.

Bland has been unable to work since the crash, and has suffered serious physical pain and loss of enjoyment of life, according to the New Jersey Law Journal.

The settlement was reached after a mediation with Eugene Codey Jr., a former Superior Court judge with Connell Foley in Roseland, according to the Journal.