What is making news today, Friday December 11, 2009 in New York City. The powers that be realized that automated fancy, schmancy toilets do NOT work. Those fancy toilets that boasted self-cleaning abilities have been replaced by good ol’ fashioned toilets that are cleaned by hand. The big wigs found that those futuristic flushers only worked 90 percent of the time and also needed two minutes to clean itself in between uses. And they were very expensive to maintain. So the self-cleaning pay toilets at Herald and Greeley Squares have been flushed. An article in the New York Times mentions a court ruling in Florida that says Judges and Lawyers cannot be friends on Facebook. This may appear as some sort of favoritism if that lawyer were to appear in front of the judge in a case. And the top movies in New York City seem to be Invictus, Up In The Air and the Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Have a great weekend everybody and take care on the road. Weather is crap everywhere and two weekends of shopping left before Santa comes.
Motorcycle Injury Lawyers – New York
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident or a scooter accident and need help. Call us 1-800-4-BIKERS. We will get you an attorney who specializes in these cases!!! Serving all areas of New York City,
Bronx
West Bronx, Riverdale, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil , South Riverdale, Central Riverdale, Hudson Hill, North Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, Woodlawn, Norwood, Bedford Park, Marble Hill, South Bronx, Belmont, Concourse, Concourse Village, Downtown Bronx, Mount Eden, River Park Towers, Fordham, Fort Apache, Mott Haven, Port Morris, North New York, Melrose, Morrisania, East Morrisania, Crotona Park East, Hunts Point, Longwood, The Hub, Highbridge, Morris Heights, Tremont / East Tremont, University Heights, West Farms, Mount Hope, Fordham-Bedford, East Bronx, Castle Hill, Clason Point, Harding Park, Soundview , Bronx River, Soundview-Bruckner, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Allerton, Olinville, Edenwald, Eastchester, Baychester, Co-op City, Pelham Parkway, Bronxdale, Pelham Gardens, Morris Park, Van Nest, Indian Village, Westchester Heights, Parkchester, Parkchester Apartment Complex, Pelham Bay, Country Club, Spencer Estates, Throgs Neck, Schuylerville, Edgewater Park, Locust Point Beach, Silver Beach, City Island
Brooklyn
Bushwick, Bushwick, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, City Line, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Cyprus Hills, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, East New York, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Greenwood Heights, Highland Park, New Lots, Ocean Hill, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, RAMBO, Spring Creek, Starrett City, Stuyvesant Heights, Sunset Park, Vinegar Hill, Weeksville, Windsor Terrace, Wingate, Flatlands, Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Flatlands, Georgetown, Marine Park, Mill Basin, The southeastern quarter of Midwood, Gravesend, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach, Plum Beach, Seagate, Sheepshead Bay, The southeastern half of Bath Beach, The southeastern half of Bensonhurst, The southwestern quarter of Midwood, New Utrecht, Bay Ridge, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Fort Hamilton, New Utrecht, The northwestern half of Bath Beach, The northwestern half of Bensonhurst, Ditmas Park, East Flatbush, Farragut, Fiske Terrace, Flatbush, Kensington, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Prospect Park South, The northern half of Midwood
Queens
Arverne, Astoria Heights, Astoria, Auburndale, Bay Terrace, Bayside, Bayswater, Beechhurst, Bellaire, Belle Harbor, Bellerose, Blissville, Breezy Point, Briarwood, Broad Channel, Cambria Heights, College Point, Corona, Ditmars, Douglaston, Dutch Kills, East Elmhurst, Edgemere, Electchester, Elmhurst, Far Rockaway, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills Gardens, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Fresh Pond, Glen Oaks, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Hammels, Hillcrest, Hollis Hills, Hollis, Holliswood, Howard Beach, Howard Park, Hunters Point, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Kew Gardens, Laurelton, LeFrak City, Linden Hill, Lindenwood, Long Island City, Little Neck, Malba, Maspeth, Meadowmere, Middle Village, Murray Hill, Neponsit, New Hyde Park, North Corona, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Old Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Pomonok, Queens Village, Queensboro Hill, Queensbridge, Ramblersville, Ravenswood, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, Rochdale Village, Rockaway Beach, Rockaway Park, Rockwood Park, Rosedale, Roxbury, Saint Albans, Seaside, South Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens, Sunnyside Gardens, Sunnyside, Tudor Village, Utopia, Whitestone, Willets Point, Woodhaven, Woodside
Staten Island
Arrochar, Annadale, Arden Heights, Bay Terrace, Bloomfield, Bulls Head, Castleton Corners, Charleston, Chelsea, Clifton, Concord, Dongan Hills, Egbertville, Elm Park, Eltingville, Emerson Hill, Fort Wadsworth, Graniteville, Grant City, Grasmere, Great Kills, Greenridge, Grymes Hill, Heartland Village, Huguenot, Lighthouse Hill, Livingston, Manor Heights, Mariners Harbor, Meiers Corners, Midland Beach, New Brighton, New Dorp, New Springville, Oakwood, Ocean Breeze, Old Town, Pleasant Plains, Port Richmond, Prince’s Bay, Randall Manor, Richmond Valley, Richmondtown, Rosebank, Rossville, Rudolph Lake, Sandy Ground, Shore Acres, Silver Lake, South Beach, St. George, Stapleton, Stapleton Heights, Sunnyside, Todt Hill, Tompkinsville, Tottenville, Tottenville Beach, Travis, Ward Hill, Westerleigh, West New Brighton, Willowbrook, Woodland Beach, Woodrow
Manhattan
Upper Manhattan, Marble Hill, Inwood, Fort George, Hudson Heights, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Strivers’ Row, Astor Row, West Harlem, Sugar Hill, Manhattanville, Viva, Viaduct Valley, Marcus Garvey park, Mount Morris Historical Discrtict, Centeral Harlem, Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, SpaHa, Italian Harlem, East Harlem, Harlem, Le Petit Senegal, Manhattan Valley, Bloomingdale District, Morningside Heights, SoHa, Carnegie Hill, Yorkville, Lincoln Squar, San Juan Hill, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Lenox Hill, Silk Stocking District, Midtown, Columbus Circle, Sutton Place, Rockefeller Center, Radio City, Diamond District, Theater District, Turtle Bay, Midtown East, Midtown, Tudor City, Little Brazil, Times Square, Hudson Yards, Midtown West, Hells Kitchen, Clinton, Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, Murray Hill, Tenderloin, Madison Square, Flower District, Brookdale, Kips Bay, Rose Hill, Curry Hill, Peter Cooper Villare, Chelsea, Flatiron District, Toy District, Photo District, Gramercy, Union Square, Stuyvesant Town, Meatpacking District, Waterside Plaza, Downtown Manhattan, Little Germany, Alphabet City, Loisadia, East Villare, Greenwich Village, The Village, NoHo, The Bowery, West Village, Lower East Side, SoHo, NoLita, Little Italy, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, Financial District, Five Points, Cooperative Village, Two Bridges, TriBeCa, Civic Center, Radio Row, South Street Seaport, Historical District, Battery Park City, Roosevelt Island, Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Governors Island, Randall’s Island, Ward’s Island
Harold T. was hit by a State vehicle, while working as a motorcycle escort for a funeral. The State employee cut through an opening in the funeral procession as he was riding alongside in order to get to his next traffic control post. Harold broke his knee and foot and tore his rotator cuff in the accident. He later developed excruciating pain in his legs. His orthopedist suspected CRPS, which is a peripheral nerve disorder that usually occurs after a traumatic event. We retained a CRPS specialist who, after much testing, confirmed the diagnosis and placed him in a multi-disciplinary pain management program, which helped him tolerate the chronic, stubborn pain. The insurance defense doctor said Harold did not have CPRS and, essentially, that he was faking, and required neither treatment nor medication. The first offer by the State was $100,000. We settled the case at a second mediation, shortly before trial, for $2,500,000.
Andre M. was badly injured by a motorist who failed to yield while making a left turn. He spent the next 11 months in and out of surgeries and confined to a wheelchair. Andre was immobilized, unable to provide for himself or his family, all while his expenses and staggering medical bills grew exponentially. The Defense tried every trick they could to tarnish the viability of Andre’s claim. They even called Andre’s mother to try and have her convince Andre to accept their low ball offers. The Defense alleged that his injuries were exaggerated due to pre-existing medical conditions, that he was drunk or high at the time of the accident, and that he was travelling at an excessive speed. None of these allegations had merit, nor were they supported by the evidence. All the defense arguments failed at mediation and the case settled for $2.25 million.
Janusz Z. was broadsided by a construction truck that failed to yield after stopping at a stop sign. Janusz did not have a stop sign and had the right of way. Hit full-on by a large truck, Janusz sustained severe crush injuries to his feet and ankles, a fractured hip, knee, ribs, and a liver laceration. He was in the hospital for 33 days. The severity of his injuries left Janusz permanently disabled–unable to return to work, provide for his family or live the very physical life he had enjoyed before the accident. An insurance company investigator visited Janusz in the Emergency Room to get a statement while he was heavily medicated, shortly after the accident. From the outset, the insurance company took the incredible stance that the accident was Janusz’ fault, and that he was grossly exaggerating his injuries. They denied all liability. They hired a private investigator right after the accident, before he even retained legal counsel, who followed and videoed Janusz for a total of 300 days, in an attempt to prove he was not truly injured. We fought tooth and nail to force a timely and fair settlement but ultimately had no choice but to go to trial. In the courtroom Defense counsel painted Janusz as a faker and malingerer but we presented the jury with the best expert witnesses, accident reconstructionist and skilled trial attorneys. Four years after the accident, the jury returned a verdict of $19,466,000 for Janusz.
Lauren B. was the passenger on a motorcycle when a piece of equipment that was not properly secured, fell off of the vehicle driving in front of them. The motorcycle swerved to avoid being struck and passenger Lauren B. was ejected in the subsequent crash. She sustained a fractured ankle and later developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in the lower part of her leg. CRPS is a serious medical condition caused by severe damage to the nerves, an injury that we are very familiar with but that insurance companies often refuse to acknowledge. The pain from CRPS is intense and chronic but not easy to prove. The insurance company refused the claim outright and the adjuster would not even pay for the damage to the motorcycle. We filed suit early on to protect Lauren’s interests and upon further investigation found that the vehicle had a known defect. Despite receiving recall notices to fix the problem, repairs were never made even though they were very inexpensive. This discovery along with the extensive damage to Lauren’s health and well-being after the accident resulted in a settlement of $3.5 million.
Mario C. was riding his motorcycle in the middle of 3 lanes of a surface street when a car pulled out of a gas station on his right and continued into his lane in front of him without signaling. Mario braked, locked up and went down with his bike landing on his leg. He sustained a broken knee and required surgery. The insurance company adjuster accepted, then denied, liability and did not accept that the degree of damage to Mario’s knee was that extensive. The final insurance offer was $137,000. We advised Mario not to settle for that amount and took the case to trial. The jury returned a verdict of $1.2 million. We also collected costs of more than $64,000 and more than $50,000 in additional interest.
James C. was riding his motorcycle on a surface street in the left lane when a pickup truck pulled out of a side street on his right and crossed into his lane, side swiping him and pushing him into oncoming lanes where he crashed at the curb. He suffered multiple orthopedic injuries from which he ultimately recovered, but he also suffered a head injury that continued to be problematic, affecting his daily life in subtle ways. The insurance company disputed the nature and extent of the head injury. The original offer was for $300,000, for the orthopedic injuries. We advised James to reject the offer and retained a neuropsychologist who conducted two days of testing on James. The results confirmed that James had suffered a traumatic brain injury. We also took the depositions of a close co-worker and James’ wife, who testified convincingly about the changes in James’ personality. The insurance company case settled shortly thereafter for the $1,000,000 policy limits.
Debra H. was riding her motorcycle on HWY 395 when a motorist, distracted by scenery, rear ended her. Debra and her bike were pushed approximately 30 feet before the bike flipped onto its side, then slid an additional 120 feet along the roadway before finally coming to a stop at the shoulder. After interviewing the parties and two witnesses as well as examining the physical evidence–the police officer on the scene concluded that the other motorist was solely at fault. Nevertheless, the insurance company challenged Debra’s extensive injuries. We refused to back down and fought for the value of Debra’s case. In the end, the insurance company agreed to tender the full $1 million policy limits.
Roberto R. had an accident with a lit-up California Highway Patrol officer. He initially signed with a competitor, who mishandled his Motorcycle Accident Injury Case. They did not file the government claim form correctly, then decided he had no case to pursue, telling Roberto the circumstances were “too complicated” and there was “no value” to his case. This injured rider was a club member and had stopped treating for his injuries for several reasons. He was left hanging with not a lot of time. Luckily, he came to us for a second opinion. It was immediately apparent that the facts had not been properly assessed and the other firm was discouraged at the challenge of proving the law enforcement officer was at fault. Upon our investigation, the officer’s own department agreed he was responsible for the accident. We were able to secure our client the proper medical treatment so he was able to fully recover physically. If he not called us and just listened to what our competition said he would have been out a $275,000 settlement and been permanently injured.
Lauren B. was the passenger on a motorcycle when a piece of equipment that was not properly secured, fell off of the vehicle driving in front of them. The motorcycle swerved to avoid being struck and passenger Lauren B. was ejected in the subsequent crash. She sustained a fractured ankle and later developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in the lower part of her leg. CRPS is a serious medical condition caused by severe damage to the nerves, an injury that we are very familiar with but that insurance companies often refuse to acknowledge. The pain from CRPS is intense and chronic but not easy to prove. The insurance company refused the claim outright and the adjuster would not even pay for the damage to the motorcycle. We filed suit early on to protect Lauren’s interests and upon further investigation found that the vehicle had a known defect. Despite receiving recall notices to fix the problem, repairs were never made even though they were very inexpensive. This discovery along with the extensive damage to Lauren’s health and well-being after the accident resulted in a settlement of $3.5 million.
Pavlin Z. was riding a 50 cc Honda scooter along the curb in San Francisco and suffered a tibial plateau knee fracture when an SUV in the number one lane changed lanes and cut him off. There was no contact between the scooter and the SUV; Pavlin hit the curb trying to avoid being hit by the SUV. The investigating officer faulted the scooter rider entirely. The SUV driver was named only as a witness in the Traffic Collision Report rather than as an involved party. Further, another witness on the Traffic Collision Report was unfavorable to Pavlin. The insurance company denied the claim outright and we filed suit immediately. In Discovery, we established that the witness did not have a clear view of the accident, and while the SUV passenger saw the scooter, the SUV driver did not. The “facts” of the case were effectively reversed with this new information and the case settled 11 days before trial for $1,400,000.