New York Personal Injury Attorneys Blog

We are pleased to announce that GGCSMB&R attorneys Ben Rubinowitz and Bob Conason will speak at the New York State Trial Lawyers Association's 2011 Masters Series. The subject will be openings & summations.

See the program summary below for details and register for the series here.

Ben Rubinowitz

Our partner, Ben Rubinowitz, has, once again, been asked to chair the prestigious "Masters Seminar" presented by the New York State Trial Lawyers Institute. Recognized as a leading trial lawyer, Ben has obtained numerous verdicts in excess of one million dollars and a significant number of verdicts in excess of ten million dollars in cases stemming from car accidents, construction accidents, civil rights violations and medical malpractice cases. Among the many lawyers joining Ben at this seminar is his partner, Robert Conason. "I am delighted to chair this program and am especially pleased to have Bob Conason join me along with many other superb lawyers." In describing the program Ben said: "This is one of the only programs where top lawyers actually demonstrate what they did to achieve such superb results at trial and how they dealt with the problem areas. It is designed to help lawyers of all skill levels obtain the best results for their injured client's."

Seatbelt manufacturer sued

The family of a deceased woman has filed suit against a seatbelt manufacturer in Texas federal court. The suit alleges her seatbelt failed to meet safety standards required at the state and federal level and by the manufacturer's own internal requirements.

Sandra Dozier was driving a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix when she lost control of the car and it rolled over. She was killed in the accident despite wearing a seatbelt. TRW Vehicle Safety Systems is the manufacturer accused of producing an unreasonably dangerous restraint system.

The suit seeks damages for loss of care, loss of companionship and society, mental anguish, medical and funeral expenses, interest and court costs, among other losses.

Watts/Daily News

Four employees of New York's Rikers Island prison are suing the city for cancer-related illnesses they claim were caused by exposure to toxic substances on the job. Most of prison is built over a landfill.

The employees, along with the widow of another employee, say the city knew of the danger but neglected to warn its workers. A claim the city denies.

Correction Officer Vanessa Parks told The New York Daily News, "That island is toxic and it's killing people." She was diagnosed with uterine cancer two years ago.

More than 8,000 correction personnel work on Rikers Island.

Waldorf-Astoria

A guest who stayed at New York's famous Waldorf Astoria hotel claims she was bitten multiple times during a 2007 visit. Svetlana Tendler, a doctor, is the third person to file a personal injury lawsuit against the storied hotel for bed bug related injuries, as reported by The Gothamist.

The suit is in the amount of $10 million for damages and plastic surgery to address scaring. Her lawyer claims the bites caused "a serious infection and significant prominent scarring." The medication she received over the recovery period also resulted in a fungal infection of the face. According to the suit, Tendler spent the past 3 years trying to get the hotel to reimburse her medical costs in order to avoid a costly legal battle. All she received from the Waldorf was a letter asserting there were no bugs in her room.

in November, a Michigan couple also filed a bed bug lawsuit against the hotel.

Mt. Sinai Medical Center

On January 12, 2011 Ben Rubinowitz will deliver a Grand Rounds lecture for the Department of Radiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Mr. Rubinowitz, an expert in his field in representing severely injured patients, has been asked to lecture to Attending Physicians and Residents on the subject of Medical Malpractice. Interestingly, Mr. Rubinowitz does not represent doctors. He represents the victims of Medical Negligence and has achieved very substantial verdicts on their behalf. Known for sharing his knowledge in the field, Ben feels it is important to partake in such lectures. "In every Medical Malpractice case that we have handled, we are always talking about events that have occurred after the fact. It is too late to undo the harm that has taken place -- the patient has been seriously injured. If lectures like this provide guidance that prevent medical negligence from occurring at the outset, we're all better off." Later this month Ben will be delivering a similar lecture at the National Urologic Forum.

Jeffrey and Diana Acre have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation over the 2009 death of their daughter. They allege that PennDOT's poor design and maintenance of Route 366 in New Kensington was a contributing factor in the death of 16-year-old Kylee Jo.

In the lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County Court, the parents blame PennDOT for not filling in a steep, 4-inch rut between the road and the shoulder. The suit says the design flaw is even more dangerous because the dropoff is located on a curve.

Kylee Jo was a front-seat passenger in an SUV that slammed into a guardrail. She was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the vehicle, Jonathan Patrick O'Sullivan, was speeding and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. He was charged with vehicular homicide, drunken driving, speeding and several related crimes.

The lawsuit's request is in excess of $30,000 for pain, suffering and lost earning potential. A spokesman for the PennDOT said he could not comment on pending litigation.

Parents of crash victim sue PennDOT, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 31, 2010

Gair Gair Conason Steigman Mackauf Bloom & Rubinowitz is pleased to announce that our Partner Ben Rubinowitz has been asked to deliver a lecture on Medical Malpractice at the 35th Annual Winter Urologic Forum in Colorado this January. Known for its expertise in the field, GGCSMB&R has successfully resolved thousands of medical malpractice cases for those who have been injured as a result of medical negligence. Ben Rubinowitz explained that " it is truly an honor to have the privilege of speaking to such a distinguished group of doctors."