Man run down by cop still waiting for $15M settlement

Nassau County settled a controversial lawsuit brought by a man who lost a leg when he was run over by a cop - for the previously secret amount of $15 million, court papers reveal - but the county still hasn't paid up.

Plaintiff Thomas Hartmann, who was awarded $19.6 million by a jury in February for the 2004 incident in which he was run down by a Nassau detective, agreed to settle the case on March 16, but the amount was confidential.

In court papers filed last week, however, Hartmann's lawyers disclosed the amount and said that the office of Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli - after guaranteeing that it had authority to settle for $15 million - was claiming that it needs clearance from the Legislature, which has not yet acted.

The payment was due within 90 days of settlement, according to the agreement. That would make it due this week. Hartmann is now asking the judge who approved the settlement to reinstitute the verdict of $19.6 million, order the county to pay attorney's fees and interest, and consider other sanctions.

The county did not respond to that request, which was filed on June 7. Tuesday U.S. Magistrate Cheryl Pollak - who presided over the trial and settlement - ordered the county to respond by Monday.

Michael Martino, a spokesman for Ciampoli and County Executive Ed Mangano, did not respond to a request for comment.

Daniel Hansen, Hartmann's lawyer, said, "We have faith that Judge Pollak will handle the matter professionally and appropriately."

Hartmann, 41, a former construction worker who grew up in Long Beach, had to have his right leg amputated when Det. Karl Snelders used his police car to subdue Hartmann in a misdemeanor arrest. The jury's award included $3 million in punitive damages.

The verdict was the largest police excessive-force award on Long Island in recent memory. It also was controversial because Ciampoli fired the Thomas Suozzi administration in-house lawyer who had been handling the case just a few weeks before trial, replacing him with outside counsel.

As part of the settlement, the county agreed not to appeal the verdict, and Hartmann agreed that his attorney's fees would be covered by the $15 million. Pollak, in addition to reinstating the original verdict and adding attorney's fees, in theory could try to sanction the county by restricting appellate rights.