New York Personal Injury Lawyers

The Medical and Legal Challenges of Traumatic Brain Injury Cases

By Dansker & Aspromonte

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December 2, 2024

The Long-Term Impact of Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Legal Perspective

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traumatic brain injury

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) can be a life-altering injury for their victims. Sadly, victims of a TBI are at an increased risk of suffering long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences due to their injury. Lawsuits alleging TBIs are the intersection of medicine and law because so much of what must be proved under the law can only be done using expert medical testimony from neurologists and neuropsychologists. Scientific evidence is also going to be necessary in the form of expert testimony from a biomechanical engineer. The medical complexity of TBIs requires an attorney who understands both the law and the science underpinning TBI.

The Medical Complexities of TBIs

Medical providers consider several different angles when analyzing TBIs. One such characteristic is the mechanism of the injury or the nature, direction, and effects of the force that caused the TBI. Generally speaking, the mechanism can be either a blunt mechanism or a penetrating mechanism. Penetrating mechanisms are typically limited to gunshots, whereas a blunt mechanism can be anything from an automotive crash to a sports injury.

TBIs are commonly classified by their severity. The most common severity classification are in terms spectrum of mild, moderate, or severe TBIs. This does not mean a “mild” TBI is not significant and referring to any TBI is very likely a misnomer. Categorizing a TBI as “mild” describes only the neurological severity of the injury but there may be no correlation with the degree of short or long-term impairment or the functional disability of the victim1.

Medical professionals face significant challenges in diagnosing TBIs. Much of medical practice is concerned with physical injuries and many medical providers simply don’t understand mild TBIs. To make their job more difficult, many people suffer brain injuries but do not present the neurological effects expected of a person with a TBI. This leads to an underdiagnosis of TBI victims even among doctors who are trained to diagnose and treat them2.

TBIs can cause long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive deficits in their victims, many of which will not be fully understood by the victim until years after they suffer the TBI. Physically, TBI victims may suffer from seizures, blindness, loss of smell or taste, fatigue, and many other physical deficits. TBI victims also suffer emotional effects such as anxiety, depression, impulsive behavior, and mood swings. The cognitive effects of TBI are equally terrifying, causing them to suffer from memory loss, attention deficits, and spatial disorientation, among other possible effects3.

Legal Challenges Specific to TBI Cases

Attorneys representing TBI clients face many challenges. First and foremost, they must prove that the defendant’s conduct caused the TBI and that the TBI causes their client’s disabilities. Largely, this requires them to show an insurer or—if the case proceeds to trial—a jury what their client was like prior to the TBI and what they are like after sustaining the TBI. This can prove a difficult picture when the client’s own narrative of the story is often not entirely accurate4.

TBI victims can be entitled to extensive damages in their cases but there are significant hurdles they must overcome to get them. TBI victims are generally entitled to the damages that are the natural and direct consequences of the defendant’s actions but they cannot recover the damages that are remote or unforeseeable. Defendants are liable only for damages that are reasonably certain to exist; TBI victims do not have to prove the precise amount of these damages so long as they prove their existence. Certainty of damages can be a major issue in TBI cases5.

It’s crucial to act quickly after a TBI. There are specific deadlines for filing a lawsuit related to a traumatic brain injury. These deadlines vary depending on the circumstances of each case. Given the complexities of TBI cases, it’s essential to consult with an attorney as soon as possible to understand your options and protect your rights.6.

The Role of Medical Evidence in TBI Litigation

Medical evidence plays a pivotal role in painting the picture of the TBI victim’s life both before and after the TBI as previously discussed. The TBI victim will need a neurologist’s testimony to explain the mechanism of the TBI, the results of a clinical examination, the insignificance of negative diagnostic testing results, and to substantiate the credibility of the treating neuropsychologist. Though it sounds redundant, a neuropsychologist is a different medical professional that the TBI victim will need to explain the deficits in his or her brain function caused by the TBI. Neuropsychologists are the only specialists who are able to objectively document the victim’s injuries7.

Presenting medical evidence comes with numerous challenges. In terms of litigation logistics, defense attorneys are often given an unlimited budget and go to great lengths to hire expert witnesses and travel to take their depositions. Legally, the admissibility of a neuropsychologist’s testimony concerning the existence of a brain injury may not be fully admissible in every jurisdiction. It is therefore critical that an attorney research his jurisdiction’s legal landscape concerning the neuropsychologist testimony prior to embarking on these cases8.

Emerging Trends and Technologies

The science surrounding TBI diagnosis and treatment is progressing, and with it the legal landscape. For example, Stanley B. Prusiner, M.D., and the Director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Professor of Neurology at the University of California, discovered that clinical symptoms of dementia can appear decades after a person sustains a TBI. Understanding that the symptoms of a TBI may not be known or set in for decades raises expansive new questions concerning the compensability of particular aspects of a TBI9.

Beyond these extraordinary new medical discoveries, new technologies are coming into existence that will alter how TBI cases are presented to a jury. For example, neuroimaging and biomarker studies may someday come to the point where they can demonstrate the potential for resilience. In layman’s terms, this means that the potential for resilience would support TBI victims’ legal arguments concerning the need for aggressive and extensive treatment for those who this technology can show to be more capable of a functional recovery. Showing that aggressive, extensive treatment could help a TBI victim meaningfully recover from a horrific injury could increase damage awards and settlements by enormous figures10.

Navigating TBI Cases: Advice for Victims & Families

After sustaining a TBI, the primary concern for a victim and their family should be healing from the injury to the extent possible and then reestablishing a routine in their family life. Once this is done, anyone seeking to bring a claim for a TBI should immediately begin gathering the TBI victim’s medical records from the past leading up to the present. Beyond these records, the victims and their family should try to document any symptoms of the TBI that they are experiencing or dealing with to further inform a prospective attorney of the challenges they are handling11.

If a victim or his family wants to seek legal representation, then it is important to hire an attorney with knowledge of TBIs and significant experience litigating TBI cases. The ins and outs of these cases can create a myriad of challenges for inexperienced attorneys. An experienced TBI attorney will have a better understanding of how to conduct an initial interview, evaluate a case, gather records, investigate cases, gather experts, and defense attorney tactics in these litigations12.

Victims and their families should be prepared for the long-term nature of a TBI case. TBI cases often go on for years and a defendant may make an initial settlement offer at an early stage of the case. This offer should be rejected because the case is likely to increase in value over its lifecycle. It may be tempting to accept a smaller sum of money in the early stages of a case, but this can lead to poor outcomes for victims and families in the long-term because of the enormous expense of taking care of a TBI victim. To that end, families should be counseled that the litigation is going to be emotionally stressful and will not come to a quick resolution13.

The Attorney’s Role in TBI Cases

TBI attorneys generally play a few different roles, the prominence of which will change as the case progresses. The attorney’s first job, which starts in the initial client interview, is to investigate the case. This means acting quickly to acquire all of the TBI victim’s past medical records leading up to the present and they may also wish to acquire their academic and employment records too14.

Another part of that investigation will be finding the appropriate medical experts. As discussed above, this will likely include a neurologist and a neuropsychologist, but there are other medical experts that may be needed in these cases. Each TBI case is different and generalizations about the necessity of experts (other than the neurologist and neuropsychologist) will not serve practitioners in this context15.

Attorneys are referred to as “counselor” for a reason. A huge part of their job is to educate their clients on the complexities of their cases. In a lawsuit, the client decides what the goal is, but the lawyer decides how they will achieve those goals. Throughout that process, the lawyer will have to keep the client updated on what is happening in their case. Sometimes this will require difficult conversations requiring a high degree of honesty, integrity, and sensitivity to the client’s emotional state. Effective client counseling will help a client make the best choice for themselves but a client who trusts his attorney will trust that lawyer to make the best choice for the case, ultimately maximizing a potential settlement or jury verdict16.

The attorney also has an outward-facing role towards defense counsel, the insurance company, and the jury. From first contact with the insurance company and defense counsel, it is the attorney’s job to convince them of the validity of the case using the best evidence their investigation produces. Oftentimes, the insurer and its attorney will tell the TBI victim’s attorney no but the dogged pursuit of a good result for the client will produce results17.

Occasionally, there will be a difference between what the attorney represents to the insurance company and what he counsels his client. This dichotomy reflects the roles of counselor and advocate. Publicly, the attorney’s job is to be his client’s advocate in the matter and sometimes this requires an expression of confidence in the case even if there is a legal weakness with the case. Meanwhile, that same attorney will counsel his client of the legal weakness to help the client make the best decision for the TBI victim and their family18.

Conclusion

TBI cases present a unique challenge of proving causation—causation of the TBI and that the TBI is what caused the client’s current maladies. Proving causation will require extensive expert testimony from medical experts such as neurologists and neuropsychologists and it may be necessary to employ a biomechanical engineer to demonstrate the force produced on the body by the injury-causing event19.

Successful integration of the lawyer’s legal expertise with the medical expertise of the neurologists and neuropsychologists is crucial for clients to receive all of the compensation to which they are entitled. This integration can take a significant period of time and will not produce a settlement instantly and victims and their families need to be counseled of this fact at the outset of the lawsuit. Even though the lawsuit will take time to progress, an experienced TBI attorney or personal injury attorney will help progress the case. Success in these cases will often mean a settlement that sets the victim and their family up with an appropriate lifecare plan for necessary future medical expenses and services and compensation for that which was taken from the TBI victim. If you or a loved one are the victim of a TBI, please reach out to an experienced TBI attorney to evaluate your case20.

From car accidents to construction accidents and cases of wrongful death, our dedicated personal injury attorneys are here to provide expert representation.

Additional Resources

Hyperlinked below are several organizations that people suffering from brain injuries or their families may contact if they are in need of information or resources:

  • ADEO: ADEO provides housing and wellness resources to people suffering from brain injuries.
  • The Dan Lewis Foundation: The Dan Lewis Foundation for Brain Regeneration Research is an organization supporting the creation of new pharmacologic treatments promoting neural cell regeneration, renewed synaptic plasticity, and axonal regrowth to improve the lives of people suffering from moderate and severe TBIs and their families.
  • Dansker & Aspromonte: The attorneys at Dansker & Aspromonte have years of experience handling TBI cases. Click here to see their page on traumatic brain injuries. Alternatively, you can call them at (516) 206-6723 to schedule a free initial consultation with one of their attorneys.

Footnotes

  1. Air and Liquid Systems Corp. v. DeVries, 586 U.S. 446, 452, 139 S.Ct. 986, 993 (2019); Restatement (Third) of Torts: Phys. & Emot. Harm § 7(a) (2010) (“An actor ordinarily has a duty to exercise reasonable care when the actor’s conduct creates a risk of physical harm.”).
  2. Vega v. Crane, 162 A.D.3d 167, 170, 75 N.Y.S.3d 760, 763 (4th Dep’t 2018); Woolley v. Coppola, 179 A.D. 991, 992, 578 N.Y.S.2d 729, 730 (3d Dep’t 1992).
  3. Vega, 162 A.D.3d at 170, 75 N.Y.S.3d at 763-64.
  4. Pacio v. Franklin Hosp., 63 A.D.3d 1130, 1131, 882 N.Y.S.2d 247 (2d Dep’t 2009). See also Weiner v. Lenox Hill Hosp., 88 N.Y.2d 784, 787, 650 N.Y.S.2d 629, (1996) (“The distinction between medical malpractice and negligence is a subtle one for medical malpractice is but a species of negligence. No rigid analytical line separates negligence and malpractice.”).
  5. Goldberg v. Horowitz, 73 A.D.3d 691, 693, 901 N.Y.S.2d 95 (2d Dep’t 2010).
  6. McMains, Vanessa. “Johns Hopkins Study Suggests Medical Errors Are Third-Leading Cause of Death in U.S.” HUB, May 3, 2016. Link
  7. Cockayne v. Bristol Hospital, Inc., 210 Conn.App. 450, 454-55, 270 A.3d 713, 720-21 (Conn. App. Ct. 2022).
  8. Rucigay v. Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, 194 A.D.3d 865, 866, 149 N.Y.S.3d 148, 151 (2d Dep’t 2021).
  9. Cygan v. Kaleida Health, 51 A.D.3d 1373, 1374, 857 N.Y.S.2d 869 (4th Dep’t 2008).
  10. Heraud v. Wiessman, 276 A.D.2d 376, 714 N.Y.S.2d 384 (1st Dep’t 2002).
  11. Nestorowich v. Ricotta, 97 N.Y.2d 393, 740 N.Y.S.2d 668 (2002).
  12. Friedmann v. New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, 65 A.D.3d 850, 884 N.Y.S.2d 733 (1st Dep’t 2009) (Catterson, J. dissenting) (“It is equally possible to surmise from the plethora of seemingly arbitrary and inconsistent determinations that courts have sometimes used the lack of a bright line rule in order to grant a plaintiff his/her day in court rather than dismiss on the grounds of an untimely pleading, or as in this case, the absence of a doctor’s affidavit.”).
  13. Smith v. Pasquarella, 201 A.D.2d 782, 607 N.Y.S.2d 489 (3d Dep’t 1994).
  14. Stanley v. Lebetkin, 123 A.D.2d 854, 507 N.Y.S.2d 468 (2d Dep’t 1986).
  15. McAlwee v. Westchester Health Associates, PLLC, 163 A.D.3d 549, 550, 80 N.Y.S.3d 401, 403 (2d Dep’t 2018).
  16. Id. at 550-51, 80 N.Y.S.3d at 403.
  17. Borawski v. Huang, 34 A.D.3d 409, 410, 824 N.Y.S.2d 362 (2d Dep’t 2006).
  18. Id. See Speciale v. Achari, 29 A.D.3d 674, 815 N.Y.S.2d 157 (2d Dep’t 2006).
  19. See Galioto v. Lakeside Hosp., 123 A.D.2d 421, 422, 506 N.Y.S.2d 725 (2d Dep’t 1986).
  20. McDougald v. Garber, 73 N.Y.2d 246, 538 N.Y.S.2d 937 (1989).
  21. Id.; Acevedo by Rodrigeuz v. New York City Health & Hospitals Corp., 251 A.D.2d 21, 673 N.Y.S.2d 656 (1st Dep’t 1998).
  22. CPLR § 3013; Fassnacht v. Hartman, 67 A.D.2d 676, 412 N.Y.S.2d 179 (2d Dep’t 1979) (holding that the complaint failed to meet the minimum pleading requirements of CPLR 3013 because it did not reference times, types of treatment that constituted the medical malpractice or negligence, and failed to state and number separate causes of action).
  23. See Lebetkin, 123 A.D.2d 854, 507 N.Y.S.2d 468.
  24. CPLR § 3121; Hoenig v. Westphal, 52 N.Y.2d 605, 422 N.E.2d 491 (1981).
  25. Id.
  26. CPLR § 3212.
  27. Brill v. City of New York, 2 N.Y.3d 648 (2004).
  28. Maliqi v. 17 East 89th Street Tenants, Inc., 880 N.Y.S.2d 917, 921 (Sup. Ct. 2009).
  29. See Lara v. New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., 305 A.D.2d 106, 757 N.Y.S.2d 740, 741 (1st Dep’t 2003).
  30. Id.
  31. CPLR § 4113.
  32. Vito v. North Med. Family Physicians, P.C., 16 A.D.3d 1039, 1040, 791 N.Y.S.2d 797 (4th Dep’t 2005).
  33. Weinstein v. Daman, 132 A.D.2d 547, 549-50, 517 N.Y.S.2d 278 (2d Dep’t 1987).
  34. Bell v. Agarwal, 55 A.D.3d 1310, 1311, 864 N.Y.S.2d 590 (4th Dep’t 2008).

 

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Un joven chino con discapacidad de desarrollo de 21 años caminaba con algunos amigos después de la escuela cuando salió al cruce de peatones contra la luz y un autobús de la ciudad que estaba girando demasiado cerca de la esquina lo golpeó.
Un ayudante de camarero de 20 años fue atropellado por un automóvil en Ocean Parkway en Brooklyn, lo que lo dejó en coma y con graves lesiones cerebrales.
Esta contable caminaba después del trabajo en Battery Park en el paseo peatonal cuando de repente fue golpeada por una motoneta de la policía que iba a gran velocidad.
Una pasante de teatro de 22 años caminaba por la intersección de la calle 42 y la Novena Avenida en Manhattan cuando fue golpeada por la puerta trasera de un camión que pasaba cuando la puerta abrio volando porque no había sido asegurado correctamente por el conductor.
La Sra. Y-H, pasajera en un tren del metro que descarriló.
Un ayudante de camarero de 20 años fue atropellado por un automóvil en Ocean Parkway en Brooklyn.
Un repartidor en bicicleta de 26 años fue golpeado por una camioneta Dollar Rent-A-Car que iba a gran velocidad en una intersección concurrida, causando múltiples fracturas en el cuello, espalda, brazo y pierna, así como daños cerebrales leves.
Christian, un niño de 4 años, fue llevado al hospital para una reparación rutinaria de párpados caídos. El hospital, en una medida de reducción de costos, había contratado sus servicios de anestesia en quirófano a una corporación que empleaba principalmente enfermeras anestesistas en lugar de médicos capacitados para administrar anestesia.
Un niño sufrió lesiones graves después de caerse mientras corría detrás de su autobús escolar y ser atropellado por las ruedas traseras. Este caso demuestra la habilidad de la firma para obtener compensación en accidentes que involucran autobuses escolares y menores.
Un joven chino con discapacidad de desarrollo de 21 años caminaba con algunos amigos después de la escuela cuando salió al cruce de peatones contra la luz y un autobús de la ciudad que estaba girando demasiado cerca de la esquina lo golpeó.
La Sra. Y-H era una pasajera en un tren del metro que descarriló.
Un ayudante de camarero de 20 años fue atropellado por un automóvil en Ocean Parkway en Brooklyn, sufriendo lesiones graves, incluyendo un coma. Aunque es un caso de peatón, el incidente involucra un vehículo y demuestra la experiencia de la firma en manejar accidentes graves de tránsito.
A pesar del hecho de que este caso fue referido a Dansker & Aspromonte LLP Associates por otro abogado 17 años después de que ocurriera el accidente, se obtuvo un veredicto impresionante a través de una investigación cuidadosa y una preparación incansable.
En uno de los casos más trágicos que ha visto esta oficina, dos madres y sus cuatro adolescentes conducían a una reunión de natación de la escuela secundaria en el New York State Thruway en una camioneta.
Este caso involucró a una niña de 6 años que estaba en una camioneta que fue golpeada por una ambulancia en un choque de varios autos en el Northern State Parkway en Long Island, Nueva York.
Una oficial de la Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York de 35 años sufrió lesiones graves mientras era pasajera en un automóvil policial en camino a una llamada de emergencia.
Un carpintero de 46 años cayó de una escalera que resbaló en el sitio de trabajo, lo que le causó lesiones significativas. Este caso ilustra la experiencia de la firma en accidentes de equipo defectuoso en entornos de construcción.
Un carpintero de 30 años cayó de una escalera en un sitio de trabajo en una tienda minorista, resultando en lesiones graves. Este caso subraya la capacidad de la firma para asegurar compensación en accidentes de caídas en proyectos de construcción.
Un inmigrante mexicano sin documentación cayó 30 pies desde un andamio en un sitio de construcción, sufriendo lesiones graves al impactar contra el cemento. Este caso demuestra la experiencia de la firma en caídas en el lugar de trabajo, comunes en la construcción.
Un trabajador de construcción sufrió fracturas en el hombro, clavícula, costillas y cadera, además de lesiones internas que requirieron múltiples cirugías. Este caso destaca la habilidad de la firma para manejar lesiones graves en el lugar de trabajo.
Baby S was born with a congenital hip dislocation which was not anyone’s fault. However, malpractice occurred when the doctors and hospital did not recognize the condition after she was born. Their failure to diagnose and properly treat the condition resulted in a slight but permanent deformity.
Julio, 16, was an outpatient at the Manhattan Children’s Psychiatric Hospital where he attended school and got psychiatric counseling and supportive therapy every day. The NYC Board of Ed operated the school. One day after school, Julio ran after his bus, which was leaving without him. He slipped and was run over by the back wheels, sustaining severe injuries, including bilateral hip fractures and a shearing injury to his buttocks. Board of Ed rules required that Julio was to be escorted to the bus. The NYCTA denied liability, claiming they weren’t negligent because Julio ran after the bus. The City denied liability because they claimed the school day was over. At trial, both the Board of Ed who had knowledge of Julio’s poor impulse control and was required to put him safely on the bus, and the NYCTA whose bus driver saw Julio running and made no effort to slow or stop the bus were found to be responsible.
Baby Taylor C. – Taylor’s mother had gained over 50 pounds during the pregnancy, was past due, and had a prolonged first stage and second stage of delivery. These are warning signs of an overly large baby. Baby Taylor was 9 lbs. 13 oz. Instead of delivery by C-section, which was clearly indicated, the attending physician elected a natural birth. When the baby was stuck in the pelvic area, excessive force was used to pull her out, injuring the nerves in her neck and causing partial paralysis of her left arm. The condition is known as Erbs Palsy. The case was settled during the trial. Fortunately, Baby Taylor’s injury improved over time.
Ayisha W- A young girl slid down a sliding pond in the playground of an NYC school. The slide was not installed properly and there was a gap between the metal on the side of the slide. As Ayisha slid down, her ring finger went into the gap and the top of it was cut off. The City argued that since it was just the tip of her finger it was not worth much money. At trial, it was proved that Ayisha had a devastating emotional reaction that affected every aspect of her life and self-esteem. The jury agreed.
A 46-year-old carpenter was working on a straight ladder which had been leaned against the wall on a jobsite. He fell when the ladder slipped away from the wall. As a result, he suffered facial injuries and a fractured knee that required surgery. The property owner and general contractor were found to be responsible because Jian S. should have been provided with a more suitable A-frame ladder or scaffolding.
A 30-year-old carpenter who was working at a job site in a retail store fell from a ladder onto both feet. He suffered bilateral calcaneus fractures requiring multiple surgeries.
An undocumented Mexican immigrant working on scaffolding at a construction site fell 30 feet onto the cement. He fractured his skull and vertebrae in his neck and back. It was shown at trial that the company he worked for failed to provide him with a safety line, which would have prevented his fall.
Following a 4- story fall, a construction worker at a West 17th Street construction site in Manhattan recently won a $5.5 million dollar settlement from the general contractor and building owner for failing to provide him with a safe workplace. Defendants had argued that the fall was the result of the 56 year old construction worker’s own carelessness but Dansker & Aspromonte Associates LLP lawyers were able to prove otherwise. As a result of his fall, the construction worker suffered fractures of his shoulder, clavicle, ribs and hip, as well as internal injuries which required multiple surgeries. These injuries required home care which was primarily provided by his wife who also received a payment of $500,000 as part of the settlement. To minimize their own responsibility, the general contractor and building owner claimed that the worker had made an excellent recovery when he had not. In order to prove the case, Dansker & Aspromonte Associates LLP retained 5 separate experts to illustrate the full extent of the worker’s injuries and the disabling effect they would have over the course of his life.
Maria, a housekeeper, was walking across Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn in the crosswalk when she was struck by a school bus and thrown over 25 feet. She sustained severe injuries, including multiple fractures. The bus driver claimed that he had a green light and was travelling at a safe speed. Unfortunately, Mrs. S. could not recall any of the facts of the accident. Our investigator combed the area for witnesses. He found a woman who lived on the sixth floor of an adjacent apartment building. Although she didn’t see the accident, she happened to look out her window and saw Maria’s body lying in the roadway down the street. Using this testimony, our accident reconstruction expert was able to prove that the bus had to be speeding to knock Maria that far from the crosswalk. The case was settled immediately after that testimony.
Our client was a married NYC Parks Department employee. On a snowy night in Staten Island, he was preparing his truck to spread salt on the roadways. He drove the spreader truck to the salt storage yard. As he waited alongside his truck, the operator of a front loader truck used to place the salt in the spreader lost control of the loading bucket. Sadly, he was struck by the bucket, suffered massive injuries and died in the hospital several hours later.
A 21-year-old developmentally disabled Chinese boy was walking with some friends after school when he stepped out into the crosswalk against the light and a City bus which was turning a little too close to the corner struck him. The young man had crippling injuries which prevented him from leaving the hospital where he died several months later. Despite the fact that eyewitnesses said the boy stepped into the street against the light, the law reduces an injured person’s share of liability in accordance with their mental capacity. At trial, it was proven through a guidance counselor from his school that he was intellectually comparable to a seven-year-old. Thereafter, the jury determined that this young man was not legally responsible for his actions and awarded 100% in his favor on the liability portion of the trial
In one of the most tragic cases this office has seen, two mothers and their four teenagers were driving to a high school swimming meet on the New York State Thruway in a van. When the driver suspected a flat tire, instead of pulling over onto the shoulder, the mother of two of the children inexplicably stopped the van in the right moving lane of traffic. Within a very short time, the driver of a tanker truck traveling at a steady 65 miles an hour who claimed not to see the stopped van, struck it at full speed, literally cutting the van in half. There were two survivors with grave injuries and four fatalities. We secured the maximum insurance that was available to cover these claims.
Following a 4- story fall, a construction worker at a West 17th Street construction site in Manhattan recently won a $5.5 million dollar settlement from the general contractor and building owner for failing to provide him with a safe workplace. Defendants had argued that the fall was the result of the 56 year old construction worker’s own carelessness but Dansker & Aspromonte Associates LLP lawyers were able to prove otherwise. As a result of his fall, the construction worker suffered fractures of his shoulder, clavicle, ribs and hip, as well as internal injuries which required multiple surgeries. These injuries required home care which was primarily provided by his wife who also received a payment of $500,000 as part of the settlement. To minimize their own responsibility, the general contractor and building owner claimed that the worker had made an excellent recovery when he had not. In order to prove the case, Dansker & Aspromonte Associates LLP retained 5 separate experts to illustrate the full extent of the worker’s injuries and the disabling effect they would have over the course of his life.
Un trabajador de construcción de 50 años estaba montando su bicicleta cuando cayó debido a un defecto en la carretera y sufrió pequeñas fracturas y daños cognitivos leves.
Un trabajador de mantenimiento de 31 años golpeó un sensor de presión de control de tráfico de la ciudad de Nueva York mientras montaba su bicicleta. Debido a un mal mantenimiento del sensor, el trabajador sufrió lesiones graves.
Una mujer y su novio estaban andando en bicicleta cuando entraron en un sitio de excavación sin protección en una zona completamente oscura bajo un paso elevado. La bicicleta de Rhonda cayó en un pozo y su cara se estrelló contra la carretera.
Un repartidor en bicicleta de 26 años fue golpeado por una camioneta Dollar Rent-A-Car que iba a gran velocidad en una intersección concurrida, causando múltiples fracturas en el cuello, espalda, brazo y pierna, así como daños cerebrales leves.
La madre de Taylor había subido más de 50 libras durante el embarazo, estaba atrasada, y tuvo una prolongada primera y segunda etapa del parto.
Una joven madre china por primera vez resultó herida debido a la negligencia médica de los médicos y el personal de lo que entonces era el Hospital Beekman Downtown.
Un bombero de 42 años, que antes había corrido más de 30 maratones, se cortó la pierna mientras luchaba contra un incendio.
Christian, un niño de 4 años, fue llevado al hospital para una reparación rutinaria de párpados caídos. El hospital, en una medida de reducción de costos, había contratado sus servicios de anestesia en quirófano a una corporación que empleaba principalmente enfermeras anestesistas en lugar de médicos capacitados para administrar anestesia.
Un guardia de seguridad resbaló en una superficie helada frente a un edificio propiedad de Metropolitan Life, lo que le causó una fractura de rodilla.
Una asistente de salud en el hogar de 56 años tropezó con un cable expuesto que se extendía desde una cabina telefónica en la plataforma del metro, resultando en una lesión que requirió un reemplazo de rodilla.
Un conductor de servicio se bajó de su vehículo para recoger dinero en el carril de un Burger King cuando cayó a través de una rejilla de alcantarillado rota, resultando en una caída de 4 pies y lesiones significativas.
Un trabajador de construcción indocumentado cayó desde un andamio a 30 pies de altura, impactando contra el cemento y sufriendo lesiones graves. Este caso muestra la experiencia de la firma en caídas graves en el trabajo, que se relacionan con incidentes de resbalones y caídas en entornos peligrosos.
Un niño de 16 años fue atropellado por un camión que estaba retrocediendo lentamente y quedó atrapado contra una pared, sufriendo una grave laceración en el bazo, que tuvo que ser removido.
Adjudicado al cónyuge. El Sr. S. era un empleado casado del Departamento de Parques de Nueva York. En una noche nevada en Staten Island, estaba preparando su camión para esparcir sal en las carreteras
En uno de los casos más trágicos que ha visto esta oficina, dos madres y sus cuatro adolescentes conducían a una reunión de natación de la escuela secundaria en el New York State Thruway en una camioneta.
Una pasante de teatro de 22 años caminaba por la intersección de la calle 42 y la Novena Avenida en Manhattan cuando fue golpeada por la puerta trasera de un camión que pasaba cuando la puerta abrio volando porque no había sido asegurado correctamente por el conductor.
Adjudicado al cónyuge. El Sr. S. era un empleado casado del Departamento de Parques de Nueva York. En una noche nevada en Staten Island, estaba preparando su camión para esparcir sal en las carreteras
Adjudicado a la familia. Un hombre de 49 años cayó por el hueco de un ascensor cuando las puertas del ascensor se abrieron, pero la cabina del ascensor estaba en un piso superior.
En uno de los casos más trágicos que ha visto esta oficina, dos madres y sus cuatro adolescentes conducían a una reunión de natación de la escuela secundaria en el New York State Thruway en una camioneta.
Este accidente ocurrió en el Bronx cuando Rafael C. estaba trabajando en un camión de saneamiento. El conductor perdió el control al girar el vehículo.
Una pasante de teatro de 22 años caminaba por la intersección de la calle 42 y la Novena Avenida en Manhattan cuando fue golpeada por la puerta trasera de un camión que pasaba cuando la puerta abrio volando porque no había sido asegurado correctamente por el conductor.Una pasante de teatro de 22 años caminaba por la intersección de la calle 42 y la Novena Avenida en Manhattan cuando fue golpeada por la puerta trasera de un camión que pasaba cuando la puerta abrio volando porque no había sido asegurado correctamente por el conductor.
En uno de los casos más trágicos que ha visto esta oficina, dos madres y sus cuatro adolescentes conducían a una reunión de natación de la escuela secundaria en el New York State Thruway en una camioneta.
Un bombero de 42 años, que antes había corrido más de 30 maratones, se cortó la pierna mientras luchaba contra un incendio.
Un Oficial de la Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York de 35 años era una pasajera en un automóvil de la policía que iba a una llamada de emergencia.
An undocumented Mexican immigrant working on scaffolding at a construction site fell 30 feet onto the cement. He fractured his skull and vertebrae in his neck and back. It was shown at trial that the company he worked for failed to provide him with a safety line, which would have prevented his fall.
Julio, 16, was an outpatient at the Manhattan Children’s Psychiatric Hospital where he attended school and got psychiatric counseling and supportive therapy every day. The NYC Board of Ed operated the school. One day after school, Julio ran after his bus, which was leaving without him. He slipped and was run over by the back wheels, sustaining severe injuries, including bilateral hip fractures and a shearing injury to his buttocks. Board of Ed rules required that Julio was to be escorted to the bus. The NYCTA denied liability, claiming they weren’t negligent because Julio ran after the bus. The City denied liability because they claimed the school day was over. At trial, both the Board of Ed who had knowledge of Julio’s poor impulse control and was required to put him safely on the bus, and the NYCTA whose bus driver saw Julio running and made no effort to slow or stop the bus were found to be responsible.
Baby Taylor C. – Taylor’s mother had gained over 50 pounds during the pregnancy, was past due, and had a prolonged first stage and second stage of delivery. These are warning signs of an overly large baby. Baby Taylor was 9 lbs. 13 oz. Instead of delivery by C-section, which was clearly indicated, the attending physician elected a natural birth. When the baby was stuck in the pelvic area, excessive force was used to pull her out, injuring the nerves in her neck and causing partial paralysis of her left arm. The condition is known as Erbs Palsy. The case was settled during the trial. Fortunately, Baby Taylor’s injury improved over time.
Ayisha W- A young girl slid down a sliding pond in the playground of an NYC school. The slide was not installed properly and there was a gap between the metal on the side of the slide. As Ayisha slid down, her ring finger went into the gap and the top of it was cut off. The City argued that since it was just the tip of her finger it was not worth much money. At trial, it was proved that Ayisha had a devastating emotional reaction that affected every aspect of her life and self-esteem. The jury agreed.