An Albanian immigrant had finished work for the day and was riding home as a passenger in a van. At the same time, a man driving Ford Van collided with a construction company truck and then stuck the van in which our client rode. Our client suffered significant injuries to his back and neck. The Ford van had limited insurance coverage which was not enough to pay the compensation our client deserved and the construction company denied liability. The case went to trial with Carol L. Schlitt representing the plaintiff. She demonstrated how both the driver of the Ford van and the construction company bore liability and the jury awarded our client $800,000 in damages.
Truck Accidents 
New York Personal Injury Attorney Announces $25,000 Settlement in Lawsuit for Loading Dock Incident
Late in a February evening in 2010, a U.S. Postal Employee working at a Long Island facility drove her forklift into the back of a tractor trailer to unload pallets of mail. As she did so, the driver pulled the truck away, sending her and the forklift tumbling to the ground and leaving the woman with a soft-tissue knee injury. The woman retained me as her lawyer and I was able to negotiate a $25,000 settlement that maximizes the money the woman will receive and avoids the wait for a trial.
A Pothole Ate My Car: Seeking Payment if a Pothole Damages Your Car
Receiving compensation for damage due to a pothole can be difficult, very difficult, but not impossible. In general, you need to meet the following conditions to have a chance at receiving compensation:
You need to know the municipal entity responsible for the road.
The municipality had to have prior notice about the pothole and had enough time to repair it.
You need evidence that the pothole caused the damage and proof of the cost to repair the damage.
You need to navigate the maze of bureaucracies to file a claim and negotiate payment.
Changing Lanes and the Accidents that Develop
Many car accidents result from vehicles changing lanes without signaling or without looking. Some car accidents result when vehicles change lanes and other drivers do not make adjustments for the new vehicle in the traffic lane. I recently handled several… Read More ›
Right of Way in Automobile Accidents in New York: Pulling Out of a Parking Space
…Pulling out of those parking spaces and into traffic can cause a problem. If you are parked and pulling into traffic, you need to know that New York law gives the right of way to the vehicles in the traffic lane. If you pull out of the parking spot and a vehicle in the road way hits you, New York law assumes that vehicle in traffic had the right of way and you were at fault. Therefore, it is important that before pulling into traffic, a driver take great caution.
Right of Way Automobile Accidents in New York: Making a Right on Red
Making a right on red at a traffic light has become commonplace, yet it was not always so. In fact, one cannot make a right on red at a traffic light in New York City unless a sign gives explicit permission. In the rest of the state, one can make a right on red unless prevented by a sign saying “No Right on Red” or a red arrow. As the number of cars making right turns at red lights has increased, so have the number of accidents reuslitngs from a right on red. And that’s a problem.
I’ve Had a Car Accident in New York, What Should I Do?
Car accidents are a fact of life. In 2008, there were 316,231 motor vehicle accidents in New York and 81 percent (256,901) were reported to the police (source: NY DMV). While we should do our best to avoid an accident, if we do have a car accident, it is important to know what to do. Here are some steps to follow:
When a Two-Car Collision is More than It Seems: The $800,000 Answer
What appears to be a two vehicle motor accident can be much more. Let me tell you about a car accident case I had. My client finished a hard day at work and hopped in a friend’s van for a ride home. They drove south on the Bronx River Parkway when a Ford van struck their vehicle resulting in a horrible crash. My client suffered significant injuries to his back and neck that required surgery and an extensive hospital stay.
The extent of the injuries entitled my client to significant compensation. However, the Ford van driver had a limited insurance policy and limited liquid assets so that he could not pay the full amount of compensation that my client would need and deserve.
Now let’s take a second look at the accident. The Ford van drives south on the Bronx River Parkway at an excessive speed and comes upon a construction company vehicle travelling in the left hand lane. The Ford van swerves to try to avoid hitting the construction truck but clips the corner of the construction vehicle. The Ford van careens across the roadway and strikes the vehicle in which my client rode. While there was no contact between the construction truck and my client’s vehicle, we successfully argued that the construction truck was also responsible for my client’s injuries.
Work Place Injury Case Involves Workers Compensation, New York’s No Fault Law and Interstate Lawsuits
A new client contacted me today with an interesting and complicated workplace case that touches on many interesting legal issue including Workers Compensation, New York’s No-Fault Law and interstate lawsuits.
Facts of the Case: Injured by a Truck at the Work Place
My client operated a forklift for the postal service at a facility in Nassau County. As part of her work, she drove a forklift onto a tractor-trailer to remove some pallets. At the same time, the driver pulled his truck away, but failed to unhitch the trailer. When the trailer jolted forward, the movement knocked over the forklift and injured her.
Watch Out for those New York City Sanitation Trucks
We see sanitation trucks every day hauling away tons of New York City garbage and recycling materials. We couldn’t live without the work performed by those trucks and the men and women who work on them. According to a new report by the Comptroller’s Office, we all need to watch those sanitation trucks a little more carefully. New York City sanitation vehicles caused over 1,000 accidents in 2009 and cost taxpayers over $17 million in claims.
If a NYC Sanitation Truck has injured you or caused you property damage, you may be entitled to compensation. To receive that compensation, you need to file a claim against the City and you may need to take the City government to court. For minor property damage, you may want to handle this matter by yourself; for a more serious matter, I advise that you consult a personal injury attorney with experience bringing cases against the New York City government. Here are some questions and answers (FAQ) that may help you if you have been caused damages by a City sanitation vehicle:
