Celebrity dentist who crashed moped gets $15M from ConEd
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - A man who calls himself the Dentist to the Stars has been awarded nearly $15 million for head and spinal injuries he suffered when his moped hit the lid of an underground electric service box on a New York City street.
Dr. Larry Ashkinazy was hurt in August 2002 when his moped flipped over the Consolidated Edison utility company equipment in Manhattan.
Con Ed argued the lid didn't protrude beyond its barricade and Ashkinazy should have avoided it.
Ashkinazy says his injuries caused hand tremors that curtailed his cosmetic dentistry practice. He says his clientele included celebrities.
The state Supreme Court jury found Con Ed liable and awarded Ashkinazy $14.9 million.
A Con Ed spokesman calls the award "grossly excessive" and says the utility will appeal.
Related News
Was there another reason for electricity shutdowns in California?
SAN FRANCISCO - According to the official, widely reported story, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) shut down substantial portions of its electric transmission system in northern California as a precautionary measure.
Citing high wind speeds they described as “historic,” the utility claims that if it didn’t turn off the grid, wind-caused damage to its infrastructure could start more wildfires.
Perhaps that’s true. Perhaps. This tale presumes that the folks who designed and maintain PG&E’s transmission system are unaware of or ignored the need to design it to withstand severe weather events, and that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American…