Case Background
Richard Covello and his minor son Ethan Covello sued Judith Welch in her capacity as administratrix of the estate of Michael Zito, the deceased driver blamed for a March 2021 crash in Guilford, Connecticut. The Plaintiffs filed the complaint on July 31, 2023 in the Connecticut Superior Court, Judicial District of New Haven, under Docket No. NNH-CV23-6135800-S. They brought the action under Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-592, the state's accidental failure of suit statute. Judith Welch received her appointment as administratrix from the Court of Probate, District 22.
Cause
On the evening of March 16, 2021, around 6:40 p.m., Richard Covello drove his vehicle southbound on Goose Lane with his son Ethan riding as a passenger. The Covellos came to a stop at a stop sign where Goose Lane meets Boston Street. Michael Zito, driving eastbound on Boston Street, reached the same intersection at that moment. According to the complaint, Zito blew through a posted stop sign without warning, cut a sharp left turn toward the northbound lane of Goose Lane, and slammed into the Covello vehicle.
Injury
The crash left Richard Covello with injuries to his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, along with headaches, radiculopathy, and ongoing physical pain. Ethan Covello walked away with injuries to the same three regions of his spine and suffered related pain. Both father and son claimed some or all of these injuries could prove permanent. Each Plaintiff also reported mental anguish, frustration, and anxiety tied to the lingering effects of the wreck.
Damages Sought
The Plaintiffs asked the Court for compensatory damages and any other relief the Court considered appropriate. Their statement of amount in demand pegged the money damages at more than $15,000. Richard Covello sought reimbursement for medical bills, therapy costs, and future treatment expenses, plus compensation for lost earning capacity since the crash limited his ability to keep up with his usual job. Ethan Covello sought similar recovery for medical expenses and for the loss of his ability to enjoy everyday activities the way he did before the collision.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiffs: Richard Covello | Ethan Covello | Richard Covello
· Counsel for Plaintiffs: R.J. Weber, III, Esq.
Defendant: Judith Welch, Administratrix of the Estate of Michael Zito
· Counsel for Defendant: Carmine Annunziata, Esq.
· Expert for Defendant: John M. Beiner
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
Attorney Weber framed the case as a textbook stop sign violation, pointing to Zito as a driver who ignored traffic controls and turned directly into a stopped vehicle. He emphasized that Richard Covello sat still at his own stop sign, doing everything a careful driver should do, when Zito's car came flying through and struck him. Weber argued that a driver who runs a stop sign and makes a reckless turn shoulders full responsibility for the damage that follows, and he pressed the jury to compensate both father and son for the medical bills, spine injuries, and lasting discomfort that followed the crash.
Attorney Annunziata pushed back on that story. He admitted only that Zito's vehicle made contact with the Covello car and denied the broader accusations of negligence. He also raised two special defenses. First, he pointed the finger back at Richard Covello, arguing that the driver himself failed to keep a proper lookout, did not apply his brakes in time, did not take evasive action, and moved his stopped vehicle without signaling or making sure the move was safe, in violation of General Statutes § 14-243(a). Second, he argued the two-year statute of limitations under C.G.S. § 52-584 barred the claims in whole or in part.
Claims
The Plaintiffs pressed a straightforward negligence case. They accused Zito of failing to control his car, failing to watch the road, failing to brake in time, failing to sound a horn, failing to swerve, and failing to stay awake and alert. They also charged him with driving too fast for conditions in violation of common law and C.G.S. § 14-218a, drifting out of his lane in violation of C.G.S. § 14-236, and blowing through the stop sign in violation of C.G.S. § 14-301. Both Plaintiffs connected these failures directly to their spine injuries and to the medical costs, lost work, and lifestyle limitations that followed.
Defense
The defense rested on two pillars. The administratrix denied that Zito drove negligently and shifted part of the blame onto Richard Covello, painting him as an inattentive driver who contributed to the wreck by moving his stopped vehicle unsafely and missing chances to avoid the impact. The defense also held up the statute of limitations as a shield, arguing that the two-year window under § 52-584 cut off some or all of what the Plaintiffs could recover, even though the Plaintiffs had refiled under the accidental failure of suit statute.
Jury Verdict
On January 23, 2026, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff Richard Covello and against the Defendant. The jurors awarded him $12,799.13 in total economic damages, covering both past and future economic losses, and $45,000 in total noneconomic damages, covering past and future pain and suffering and related harms. Adding the two figures together, the final award to Richard Covello came to $57,799.13. The jury foreperson signed and dated the verdict form the same day.
The Honorable Nicole Tung presided over the matter and entered final judgment on January 23, 2026, recording the outcome as a judgment upon verdict for the Plaintiff. The clerk's office notified counsel of the judgment on March 19, 2026. The final judgment form pointed back to the verdict at entry 167.50 for the essential terms, locking in the jury's numbers as the Court's official resolution of the dispute between the Covello family and the Estate of Michael Zito.
