Personal Injury

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are injured as a result of preventable accidents, many of them caused by the negligence of others. Within the legal system, the term “personal injury” is used to describe any accident in which one person suffers physical harm due to the wrong or negligent actions of another. Although personal injury laws exist to protect victims of injuries, the regulations in New York regarding personal injury are complex - and can intimidate people recovering from serious trauma. Typically, victims have three years to file a lawsuit, but in some cases, the time limit is only one year.

Auto Accidents

In 2004, there were nearly 25,000 car accidents in Manhattan, and about 70 of those resulted in fatalities. Fully half of all accidents in the state occurred in New York City – which includes Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Slip & Fall

Slip and fall accidents are the most common claims in premises liability lawsuits. Premises liability law involves the legal responsibility of owners and occupiers of property for mishaps experienced by persons on the property and the resulting injuries. One of the most common causes of such injuries is a trip or slip and fall, such as on an icy sidewalk, a loose or uneven stair tread, or a piece of debris or spilled liquid on the floor.

Construction Accidents

Construction workers face a wider variety of hazards and a greater risk of work-related injury or death than employees in any other U.S. industry. Thousands of workers are killed or injured each year. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2003, the largest number of fatal work injuries was in the construction sector with a total of 1,126 deaths. Likewise, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has also reported that the highest level of nonfatal worker injuries, as measured on a lost-workday basis, is again in the construction industry with a rate of 5.7 days per 100 workers.

Premises Liability

Premises liability includes such accidents as slipping on a substance on the floor that should have been cleaned up (slip-and-fall), tripping over an object in the walkway (trip-and-fall), dog bites, attacks by other dangerous animals, chemical exposure, poisoning, asphyxiation, equipment failure, inadequate security (resulting in assault), construction accidents, and oilfield accidents.

Dog Bites

New York is a “one-bite” state. Under this limited strict-liability statute, the owner or keeper of the dog is liable for any bite injury, and responsible for the resulting medical or veterinary bills of the person or animal the dog bit. Under the limited strict-liability statute, New York does not recognize the cause of action for negligence.

Wrongful Death

The legal term “wrongful death” includes the claims of husbands, wives, children, parents, brothers, sisters and financially dependent children [whether or not formally adopted] when negligence, reckless or intentional misconduct has caused the death of a family member. Wrongful death claims include every type of accidental death, no matter the specific cause.