Ten years ago today I flew into NYC to attend a meeting of the Amicus Committee of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA). The Amicus Committee, of which I was, and still am, a member, submits amicus curiae (“friends of the court”) briefs in important cases on appeal…
Aw shucks, folks, it was nothin’, really . . . No, wait a minute. We are going to leave all modesty aside for a moment: Here’s the news: Michaels Bersani Kalabanka has been bestowed once again (for 2011) with a “first tier ranking” in U.S. News “Best Lawyers in America”…
Boring. That’s what reading medical records is. I’ve been reading and re-reading 15 years of medical records for a client whose case I am trying in a few weeks. Cup of coffee? Yes, Thanks. Yes, boring. Dry. Dull. It’s a sure fire insomnia cure. So why do I do it?…
Although I haven’t been to the New York State Fair yet this year, I read in the Syracuse Post Standard about an interesting – at least for a Syracuse New York personal injury lawyer like myself- exhibit. It’s called “Safety Town“, a creation of the New York State Office of…
Here at Michaels Bersani Kalabanka, our standard personal injury retainer agreement contains a phrase that basically tells the client, “shut up” (please). Clients are not supposed to speak with anyone about the case or the accident without our consent. Why? First, it’s pretty obvious why you should not speak to…
New York personal injury cases can take weird twists and turns, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Here’s one that took a dramatic turn for the better, twice! A client was badly, really badly, injured in an upstate New York car crash. But the at-fault driver (who…
Hey Mr. tough guy. You had a really good New York car accident case after that car pummeled you from behind. It was all his fault. You were just minding your own business waiting for light to turn green when — bang! — that bozo ran right into you. Then…
Most New York personal injury cases settle soon after the injured victim has finished her medical treatment. At that time, her personal injury lawyer and the insurance adjuster can see the full extent of the injury. At that time, most New York personal injury lawyers, including myself, sit the client…
People sue for different reasons, and usually for a combination of reasons. When accident victims hire me to file a New York personal injury lawsuit, they often seem apologetic for having to sue, explaining to me, “I’m not the suing type, but . . .”. Usually their voice turns a…
When folks find out I am a New York personal injury lawyer, it doesn’t take them long to ask me, usually with a snide grin on their face, about the McDonald’s case. The undercurrent of the question, no matter how it is posed, is something like this: “You scumbag personal…