FREEHOLD - A Monmouth County jury ordered Manasquan to pay a Point Pleasant man $325,000 for lost wages after he was injured when he dove head first into a piling he claims the borough improperly marked.

Borough officials, however, say they believe the award for lost wages will be lowered based on a decision the judge made before the trial earlier this month.

Doug Perkins' attorney, Dean R. Maglione, did not return multiple calls seeking comment.

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According to his lawsuit, Perkins on Aug. 9, 2015 dove head first into an old wooden piling off Whiting Beach at Water Avenue during mid to high tide. He claimed he suffered "severe and permanent injuries" because the borough did not properly mark the water hazard with warning flags.

Photos in the court file show a red flag, which under Manasquan's flag system meant it was off-limits to swimming, was placed in the beach in front of pilings. The pilings were installed off the beach in the 1940s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Court records indicate that Perkins was confused by Manasquan's flag system.

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Perkins thought he was supposed to swim in between the red flags, which he thought was a common practice that he had seen used in Point Pleasant, according to court records.

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Perkins originally sought $1.2 million from Manasquan to settle the lawsuit, according to borough officials. Court records show an arbitrator suggested a $600,000 settlement after finding Manasquan was 75 percent liable while Perkins bore 25 percent liability.

The two sides did not come to terms on a settlement and the case proceeded to trial earlier this month. The jury returned the verdict on Aug. 12, which determined Perkins did not suffer permanent injuries and awarded him $325,000 for lost wages.

Susanne Cervenka covers Monmouth County government and property tax issues, winning several state and regional awards for her work. She's covered local government for 15 years, with stops in Ohio and Florida before arriving in New Jersey in 2013. Contact her at @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com.