Brooklyn Mail Truck Crash Leaves Woman With $50K Bill: Lawsuit

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn woman was left with thousands of dollars in medical and hospital bills after a mail truck slammed into her station wagon in Fort Greene, a new lawsuit claims.

Valerie Goeings-Rock has sued the U.S. Postal Service and one of their drivers, John J. Heckstall, for crashing into the side of her car as she tried to merge into a narrow construction zone on Lafayette Avenue.

The crash left her with more than $50,000 in bills and permanent injuries, including a nerve problem, the lawsuit claims.

Goeings-Rock is now asking for $1 million from the agency to help with her bills and the trauma from the crash.

"(Because of) the carelessness, reckless, and negligence of the defendants, (Goeings-Rock) has been forced to suffer serious and severe physical and mental injuries and has required and received medical care and treatment and may require further medical care or treatment and may incur future expenses," the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit doesn't specify when the accident happened, but says it occurred in front of 3 Lafayette Ave., an area that was under construction at the time.

At that part of the road, Lafayette Avenue turns into a narrow one-way with closed off sidewalks because of the work going on on both sides of street.

Goeings-Rock was driving her Toyota Station Wagon in the left lane when she came up to the section of the road that went from two lanes to just one. She put on her signal and started to move slowly into the middle lane, the lawsuit said.

Heckstall, who was driving a freight liner van that belonged to the postal service when he didn't yield to Goeings-Rock merging in front of him.

He tried to drive passed Goeings-Rock's car on the left when she wasn't moving and side-swiped the station wagon, the lawsuit said.

Goeings-Rock had to go to the hospital after the crash and, with medical bills from that and since then, racked up the $50,000.

"As a result of her injuries, (Goeings-Rock) continues to have pain, suffering emotional and physical distress, loss of enjoyment and quality of life and inconvenience," the lawsuit said.

A representative for USPS said the agency cannot comment on pending litigation.