New York Personal Injury Attorneys Blog

Ford pleaded with the Illinois Supreme Court Justices last week in hope that they'd overturn the $43 million Madison County verdict awarded to Dora Mae Jablonski in 2005, as reported in The Madison Record.

Jablonski's husband, John Jablonski, died after the fuel tank in their 1993 Lincoln Town Car exploded and she suffered severe burns across most of her body.

"We firmly believe that the parties received a fair trial in this case," Fifth District Appellate Court Justice Bruce Stewart wrote in a February judgment.

The attorneys representing the plaintiffs in this Product Liability case alleging defective design were obviously highly experienced. The Lincoln Town Car is built on the same platform as the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor which has been involved in numerous Fuel tank explosions as a result of rear end collisions. The plaintiffs' lawyers were able to get into evidence numerous prior incidents. Unless one has handled a complex products liability case such as this on behalf of a plaintiff it is difficult to understand the amount of time work and money that must be expended to litigate against a major corporation. Kudos for a job well done.

Source: The Madison Record, Justices hear arguments in $43 million Jablonski case

The New York State Bar Association has chosen Howard S. Hershenhorn of Gair,Gair,Conason,Steigman,Mackauf,Bloom and Rubinowitz as The Overall Planning Chair of its annual Construction Site Accidents Program to be held on Nov 19, Dec 3, and Dec 10. Our Partner, Christopher L. Sallay is the Assistant Planning Chair. Also Participating from our Firm are Ben B. Rubinowitz, Chair of The Long Island Program. Robert L. Conason and Anthony H. Gair will also be speaking at the program. In addition to serving as overall Planning Chair, Howard S. Hershenhorn will be demonstrating both plaintiff's and defendants's opening statements at The New York City Program as will Ben B. Rubinowitz at The Long Island Program. Robert L. Conason will be giving a demonstration of a Plaintiff's Closing Argument at The New York City Program. Anthony H. Gair will speak on The Current State of the Labor Law at The Long Island and New York City Programs.

In describing the program Mr Hershenhorn said, "We are honored to be asked to chair this important program on Construction Site Accidents. We have always sought to share our expertise with other attorneys in the field and we have asked some of the very best attorneys throughout New York State to join us." GGCSMBR has achieved some of the largest awards in the Country for those who have been injured as a result of safety failures at Construction job sites. The firms expertise has brought them National acclaim in the field. Click on the following for information for each location.

(F) November 19, 2010 Albany New York State Nurses Association
(F) November 19, 2010 Long Island Long Island Marriott
(F) December 3, 2010 NYC New York Hotel Pennsylvania
(F) December 3, 2010 Syracuse Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel
(F) December 10, 2010 Buffalo Holiday Inn Amherst

On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, Cardozo Law School held a seminar on Opening Statements for more than 100 students as a prerequisite to its Intensive Trial Advocacy Program. Featured Speakers at the lecture included Ben Rubinowitz, Robert Conason and Richard Godosky. Prof. Ellen Yaroshefsky introduced each of the three speakers as "some of the very best trial attorneys in the Country." She went on to say that "each of the speakers is viewed as a 'Lawyer's Lawyer' by practicing members of the Trial Bar. Yaroshefsky said "when a lawyer is in need of help these are the lawyers they turn to."

Ben Rubinowitz gave a lecture and demonstration on opening statements in a civil trial focusing on appropriate representation of individuals who have been severely injured through the fault of others in car accidents, products liability and medical malpractice cases. His talk was followed by Robert Conason and Richard Godosky who demonstrated comparative methods of conducting Opening Statements.

In recognition of our firm's skill in handling medical malpractice cases our partner Ben Rubinowitz was asked to be a featured speaker at the 25th Annual MLMIC Risk Management Seminar held in Albany , New York on October 29, 2010. Ben was asked to speak as an advocate for the patient. Ben spoke to more than 125 Risk managers and doctors about common themes in hospital liability cases and how he has handled the high exposure cases.

"I consider it an honor to be asked to lecture to the very people who are often my adversaries," said Ben "and I like to think it that we were asked to participate in this seminar based on the extraordinary results we achieve on behalf of out clients." Joining Ben as speakers at the seminar were Dr. Kathy N. Shaw, the Chair of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, Fay Rozovsky of the Rozovsky Group and Nancy E. May Skinner, Esq. of Fager & Amsler.

On the evening of July 24, 2001 Michael Taratuta, was walking on the sidewalk abutting a building when, suddenly, and without warning, a section of a security fence which was erected on the parapet wall surrounding the roof of the five-story brick, non-elevator building rising to a main roof elevation of approximately 59 feet fell to the sidewalk below, striking and seriously injuring Michael. As a result of the occurrence, Michael sustained grave injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, open comminuted fractures of the skull and multiple intracerebral hemorrhages and contusions. Initially it was not thought he would survive. We represented Michael for years of litigation during which he underwent numerous brain surgeries.

Miraculously, following years of therapy Michael recovered to the extent that he was able with the help of his wife, Ira, to write an amazing book, in comic book format detailing his recovery. Prior to the accident he was a talented graphic artist. The case was successfully resolved allowing Michael to live a financially secure life.

Michael's book is up at amazon.com for Kindle.