Vaniglia v. Northgate Homes, Northgate Properties, Inc.
Plaintiff Robert Vaniglia sustained serious injuries at a Richmond County construction site on March 30, 1977, due to a backhoe entangling with an electrical conduit. Northgate Homes, the site owner and general contractor, and third-party defendant United Associates Construction & Excavating Corp., which provided the backhoe operator, were found liable. A jury initially awarded Vaniglia $1,500,000 in damages. The appellate court affirmed the findings of liability but deemed the damages excessive. It conditionally reversed the damages award, ordering a new trial unless Vaniglia agreed to reduce the sum to $1,000,000. The judgment against United Associates was affirmed.