Jury Sides With Driver in Milford Rear-End Crash Case

Case Background

On April 23, 2021, a quiet afternoon in Milford turned tense at the exit of the Milford Crossing Shopping Center. Around 2:17 p.m., Debra M. Molfese stopped her car at a red light on Boston Post Road. Behind her sat Gregory Michaels, who also waited at the exit. In a moment that would spark a years-long dispute, Michaels’s vehicle rolled forward and struck the rear of Molfese’s stopped car.

What might have been a minor accident quickly escalated into a civil lawsuit. Molfese claimed that the collision left her with lasting injuries, disrupted her daily life, and forced her to seek medical treatment. Michaels, however, denied fault and argued that Molfese’s own actions caused the crash.

Cause that led to the dispute

Molfese blamed Michaels’s negligence for the collision. She argued he failed to control his vehicle, failed to keep a proper lookout, and followed too closely in violation of Connecticut law. She said he did not stop in time and should have steered away to avoid hitting her.

Michaels countered that the accident occurred because Molfese brought her vehicle to an abrupt stop. His attorneys stressed that she created the hazard herself, and any damages stemmed from her negligence, not his.