The family of a 73-year-old man who was killed after getting hit in the head by a felled tree will collect $950,000 after settling their lawsuit against the tree company hired by the town of Simsbury, CT.

Attorney John Houlihan of RisCassi and Davis noted that initially the two sides were far apart on a dollar figure, but as he presented evidence about the life of his client, plaintiff George “Craig” Roselli, compromise came more easily.

He worked with Geomatrix Productions to produce a video settlement program.

According to Houlihan, “The impact of the video made a critical difference in our ability to settle the case for what we considered its value. It captured the vibrant life that this man enjoyed much more fully than a simple narrative could have.”  He continued, “When you have someone who’s very young or no longer a breadwinner, it’s important to demonstrate the dimensions of their life they got pleasure from. I think the [insurance] company was very receptive when they saw that.”

Working with Geomatrix, he determined that in addition to his family, a neighbor and traveling companion would be among those interviewed to paint a picture of his client’s life. According to Cathie Reese, President of Geomatrix, “By all accounts, he lived a very rich life. He had a box filled with Playbills from countless theatrical and orchestral performances in major cities.” She continued, “It was clear that his calendar was full and he had the plans and the fortitude to continue enjoying his life.”

The video was sent to the insurance carrier and Superior Court Judge Antonio C. Robaina prior to the mediation session. With the judge’s help, the two sides decided to settle for $950,000.

Due to the sensitive nature of legal videos we cannot share the Roselli video.  However, here is a settlement video produced by Geomatrix for Jack Mills, Esq. of New Haven with very successful results.