Attorneys from Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP recently obtained a $25 million jury verdict for their client, who is a victim of childhood sexual abuse. The result is believed to be the first jury verdict in New York State for a lawsuit filed under the Child Victims Act.
Several media outlets reported on the $25 million decision, which was handed down in New York State Supreme Court by an Erie County jury. The Buffalo News reported on the verdict in a front page story. Additional media coverage of the case included WGRZ 2 On Your Side, WIVB News 4, and the New York Law Journal. You can watch the full reports from WGRZ and WIVB in the videos below.
Attorneys Amy C. Keller, Christina M. Croglio, and Robert M. Corp represented the plaintiff in this case. To maintain his privacy, the plaintiff is identified as “LG 40 Doe” in court filings for this matter.
LG 40 Doe is a 62 year old man who was sexually abused as a child. As a minor, LG 40 was a member of a Boy Scouts of America troop in Cheektowaga, NY. From 1970 to 1973, LG 40 was sexually abused by the person serving as his troop’s Scout Master, Robert L. Eberhardt.
Upon the passage of New York State’s Child Victims Act, LG 40 Doe was given the right to pursue justice against his abuser. In June 2020, Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria filed a lawsuit on LG 40’s behalf against Robert Eberhardt.
On March 30, 2022, in New York State Supreme Court, an Erie County jury awarded LG 40 Doe a verdict of $25 million. The decision stated that Robert Eberhardt should pay $15 million for pain and suffering and $10 million in punitive damages for the abuse he inflicted on the plaintiff.
Attorneys Amy Keller and Christina Croglio represent over 100 victims of childhood sexual abuse. Following the jury verdict awarded to her client in this matter, Ms. Keller stated “My client has had to bear a tremendous weight most of his life due to the trauma inflicted by the abuse he suffered. With the amount of this award, the jury sent a message that it is time for the defendant in this case to be weighed down with a burden of equal significance.”
New York State Supreme Court Justice Mark Grisanti presided over the trial. Following the jury’s decision, Judge Grisanti stated that this lawsuit is likely the first jury verdict for a Child Victims Act case in New York State. Additional matters in this case are pending against The Boy Scouts of America and the organization that hosted the troop meetings led by Robert Eberhardt.
