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Welcome to our New York Personal Injury Web Site and Law Blog.

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:11:00 GMT

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Common Questions Your Car Accident Attorney should be able to Answer

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:35:00 GMT

If you watch a lot of legal dramas on television and think that you know what will happen when you initiate a lawsuit against someone after a car accident, you will be sorely disappointed. “Law and Order” is an entertaining show, but in real life that type of courtroom drama rarely happens. If you want to see something like that, go to superior court and sit in the main courtroom as a spectator. Your car accident attorney will settle your case long before you get close to those hallowed halls of justice.

As a general rule of thumb, our car accident attorneys in New York prepare each case as if they will end up in a trial, but they rarely do. Fault can be determined in a hearing, and once that’s been done the next step is to set a price on damages and medical expenses. The rest of the process is negotiations and haggling over price and terms of payment. It doesn’t take a judge’s input for two parties to come to an agreement, unless they reach an impasse of some kind and need to go that route, which rarely happens.

The common questions that your attorney should be able to answer for you pertain mainly to the amount of money you are suing for and how long you can expect to wait before you receive it. Once a personal injury attorney has been through the initial hearings and fault determination, those answers should be readily available. If you’re dealing with our firm, we may have them sooner for you. Jeffrey J. Shapiro has been practicing law since 1979 and our staff can estimate how a case will go almost as soon as we first hear about it. All cases are different, but procedure in many is often the same.

What if the responsible party doesn’t have insurance? Can you go after personal assets? Is there a cap on how much you can get? If the responsible party does have insurance, and that insurance only covers so much, can you sue for the remainder and get it? These are all both great and common questions you can ask your attorney. You should get a quick and concise answer. If you don’t, you are obviously dealing with the wrong law firm. Call us and we’ll set you on the right path.

Our Personal Injury Attorneys will Get You the Settlement You are Entitled To

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:35:00 GMT

From the moment you announce to your family and friends that you’ll be pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against someone, you will be bombarded with opinions about how much you can get. Most of these estimates will be ridiculous, some might be believable, but all are inaccurate unless they come from a qualified personal injury attorney. There are factors involved in each case which are not the same as those that make up any other case. Even if you know someone who has been through a similar experience, it doesn’t make them an expert on your situation.

Take a car accident, for example. Car accident attorneys need to first determine fault before they can come up with a number that equals the damages being sought. This number will include replacement costs for the vehicle, any property damaged, and medical expenses. It could also include lost wages, pain and suffering, and a set-aside for future medical bills if complications are expected. The amount and structure of each settlement is entirely different from any others.

Medical malpractice cases are also very dissimilar from one another. Of all the categories of personal injury lawsuits, the set-ups and settlements of doctor malpractice cases are perhaps the most diverse. To begin with, there is usually more than one responsible party involved and there are often long term conditions and quality of life issues to take into account. Those backyard “experts” that are making all the noise to you right now are probably making statements like, “Back and neck injuries are worth more” or “Tell them you’re still getting headaches”. Pay no attention to any of it.

If you have been injured and are not at fault, you are entitled to a settlement. Only a qualified attorney can help you determine what that settlement will be and how it will be paid to you. Everyone has an opinion. There are a number of old sayings about it and how everyone also has a certain anatomical feature; the two are alike when the former is unsolicited and based on erroneous information. You can listen to those folks if you like, but for real information about what you’re entitled to and how to get it, you’ll need to talk to a personal injury lawyer. There are a few of them at our office if you need help.

You need Qualified Legal Representation for a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:40:00 GMT

Take a look at your last health insurance statement and you’ll be able to see the amount of money that the medical industry has to play with. You, as an individual, do not have a prayer going up against funding like that unless you have a qualified legal representative with experience in medical malpractice cases. There is a long and tedious process involved when it comes to a lawsuit against a doctor or medical institution of any kind. For those without experience, it can also be extremely frustrating.

Our firm did not become one of the premier medical malpractice attorneys in New York by handling just a few cases. We have spent years defending those who have been hurt or neglected by their medical caretakers. Jeffrey J. Shapiro has been a personal injury attorney since 1979 and still fights just as passionately today as he did back then. He is a good example of the qualified legal representation we are talking about here. When you go into court, you can be certain the other side will have some of the top lawyers in the country on their side, so you’ll need to respond in kind.

As a personal injury law firm, our goal is to make sure that each and every client receives the compensation they are entitled to. In a medical malpractice case, the path to getting that compensation could be a bit rocky. At the beginning of each of these cases, we inform our clients that it will take some time and that they need to be as patient as possible. The first offer may sound good, particularly if there are outstanding bills that need to be paid, but the final offer will be much better. That’s where the experience of our attorneys is most valuable, knowing when to take what’s on the table.

Most doctor malpractice cases don’t end up at trial. As a responsible law firm, our goal is not to damage a doctor’s reputation, but to get the aggrieved party adequate compensation to pay medical bills and compensate for any decline in quality of life. We try to keep that process as impersonal as possible. Mistakes must be paid for, but in most cases they are just that, human mistakes. We’re not out to “punish” anyone, but simply to get our clients what they are entitled to.

When to Seek Out a Car Accident Attorney in New York

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:40:00 GMT

The time to seek out a car accident attorney in New York is immediately after you get into a car accident. Don’t wait to see what the insurance company will offer you or try to evaluate your case on your own, and please, do not listen to that one friend who thinks he knows it all because he has gotten three settlements from car accident cases and is currently seeking a fourth. He’s one of those people that looks for the lawyer first and then seeks out an ideal accident situation. We as a firm want no part of that type of behavior or of those who prey on the misfortunes of others.

If you have a legitimate case and need a personal injury attorney to represent you after a car accident, you should call us right away and set up a time for a consultation. If you have been injured and are hospitalized, we are happy to come to you and take your statement while you are recovering. We’ll get the paperwork started and make sure that all of the medical bills that are accumulating during your stay will be included in the settlement amount we ask for. You don’t need to worry while you’re in pain about whether or not you can handle the medical expenses.

In addition to personal injury, you’re most likely looking at damage to your and another vehicle and property damage. When an accident is clearly the other parties fault, these expenses will be assessed to the responsible party without too much trouble. The values of automobiles and most property such as light/utility poles and signs are pre-determined by the municipality or state that owns them. If responsibility for the damage is unclear, the amounts are set and a hearing is scheduled to determine fault. Once that is done, negotiations can begin for a final settlement amount.

If you live in New York and require the services of a car accident attorney, don’t wait before making the call to our offices. There is a statute of limitations on the filing of these cases and you’ll want to get your paperwork in as early as possible. There is also usually a significant waiting period before a case is heard, especially if you’re filing in New York City. As a firm, we handle dozens of cases every year, securing some significant settlements for our clients. Call us today and we’ll make yours our number one priority.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New York Fight for your Rights

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:40:00 GMT

What is the primary purpose of a medical malpractice attorney in New York? Just as it is in any other state, these specialty personal injury lawyers fight for the rights of those who have been victimized by the negligence or mistakes of medical professionals. When you check in to a hospital or go to a doctor’s office for a procedure, you are placing your health and often your life in that doctor’s care. They are highly trained professionals and are held accountable to a higher standard because of that. Mistakes are not okay.

Doctor malpractice often leads to serious consequences, sometimes permanent disabilities. As a firm, we have represented a number of clients who have received multi-million dollar settlements because their quality of life was significantly affected by mistakes made by the doctor. As individuals, these innocent victims were unable to go up against the money and legal resources available to those in the medical profession. With our help, those seemingly untouchable parties were made to pay for their mistakes. Their actions may have been unintentional, but the results were devastating.

You have every right to expect quality care and no unforeseen side effects from any surgical or basic medical procedure you go to your doctor for. They have taken an oath to provide you the best care possible. When they fail to do that, you can sue them for medical malpractice. If you feel that you have been victimized in any way, call us and set up a time for a consultation. We’ll take a look at all the details of the case and get you the financial compensation you rightfully deserve.

The medical malpractice lawyers New York residents deserve are the ones who care about their clients. At our firm, we don’t just look at each case for the amount of money it can bring in for us; we look at each individual who walks through the door and we see people who really need our help. That help is available to you. Don’t shrug off what seems to be a minor mistake because it may have major long-term consequences. Call us and let someone with experience evaluate your situation.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in New York Fight for your Rights

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:25:00 GMT

Our Firm has multiple Attorneys that Specialize in Car Accidents

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:30:00 GMT

Finding a car accident attorney in New York is fairly easy. Open up the Yellow Pages or do a quick Google search and you’ll find hundreds of legal professionals that advertise their expertise in the area of auto accident lawsuits. What you will not find when you search that way is any indication of the size or experience of the team that is behind the lead attorney. Led by Jeffrey J. Shapiro, our firm has over twenty-five years experience, and is considered by many to be one of the best legal staffs in New York City.

It’s important to hire a good personal injury attorney after you’ve been in a car accident, particularly if you’ve sustained any kind of physical injuries as a result of the crash. That attorney can be the finest in New York City, but he’ll need to have some kind of support if you expect to see a settlement any time soon. Each of the lawyers in our office has a specific area of expertise that complements the skills of others on the team. This combination of specialties is what makes us the successful firm that we are.

Wading through the complexity of some of the laws involved in a car accident case often requires a number of man-hours before the proper arguments and precedents for a case can be found. A car accident lawyer working solo can easily become overwhelmed, but a team working together can get results in a timely fashion. By delegating responsibility, our firm is able to put a case together in a matter of days and get you the settlement you need before you experience a financial hardship.

What were the circumstances of your car accident? In some cases, the issue of responsibility is clear, while in others it can be uncertain. Usually, if you get hit from behind it’s the other driver’s fault, but there are exceptions. Hit a parked car and you will have to pay for damages, unless you hit a door on that parked car that is open in a moving lane of traffic. The other party will normally be liable for damages in that circumstance, but what if they are injured in the collision? Who pays for that? For answers to these and other questions, give us a call.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New York can get your Family What They Deserve

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

When you are incapacitated due to medical malpractice, it doesn’t just affect you; it affects everyone around you. Your inability to work, or even to perform the most basic of daily tasks, creates a huge burden on your loved ones. When you’re the main financial support for your household, the consequences of the doctor’s mistakes can be devastating. If you are in that situation, our medical malpractice attorneys in New York can help you by getting your family what they deserve.

There comes a point in time after an incident of medical malpractice where the victim resigns themselves to their fate. This is inevitable, because the injuries have to be dealt with in order to move on in life, in spite of the pain. The family of the victim often finds it more difficult to deal with the situation that the victim themselves. As personal injury attorneys we take this into account when we set the amount we’re going to go after in a legal action against the responsible party.

Medical malpractice lawsuits produce some of the highest judgments awarded by the courts in any state. In New York, our attorneys have won many cases where the judgment was over a million dollars. In one instance, one of our clients was awarded over twenty million dollars for an injury sustained while undergoing a hysterectomy. She is currently confined to a nursing home due to the severity of her injuries and the after-effects she suffered from them, but her family’s financial burden has been relieved to some extent.

Instances of medical malpractice and negligence often create medical problems so horrific that no amount of money could ever make up for them. In the case listed above, the plaintiff went in for a routine surgery and ended up with a perforated bowel, peritonitis, and later on a serious PICC line infection that resulted in a heart attack and a stroke. Her quality of life will never be the same, but her medical bills will be paid because of our attorneys’ efforts. Your family doesn’t have to carry a burden either. Call our offices for more information about medical malpractice compensation.

Is there such a thing as Birth Injury Lawyers?

Jeffrey J. Shapiro — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:30:00 GMT

Birth injury lawyers are personal injury attorneys who specialize in cases where infants or pregnant mothers have been the victims of medical malpractice during the actual birth process. This area of the law is fairly complex, as some of the defects and injuries that are present in a newborn aren’t always clearly the fault of the doctor or medical team that handled the procedure. When confronted, they will most certainly deny responsibility, so it is up to the attorney that handles the case to prove liability.

The personal injury attorneys in New York who handle birth injury cases are those who specialize in all forms of medical malpractice lawsuits. Our firm, led by Jeffrey J. Shapiro, has over twenty five years experience fighting the medical establishment and holding negligent doctors responsible. Sometimes the injuries sustained are accidental, but at other times they are the result of poor preparation or procedures not followed. These are the instances where significant judgments are awarded to plaintiffs.

An infant cannot tell you when something is wrong, but a mother can tell when her child is suffering. You can expect to have some complications while giving birth, but injuries to the parent and/or the child due to mistakes can cause long lasting, even permanent damage. Don’t take the doctor’s word for it when he or she claims it’s normal. Get a second opinion and come to us if you feel there has been any type of malpractice or neglect. Our attorneys have experience in this area and can assist you in determining who the responsible party is and exactly what they should be held accountable for.

Doctors are human, but their mistakes can cause the quality of life for the victim to deteriorate rapidly. When that victim is a child, the results can be truly heartbreaking. Medical professionals, no matter how unintentional their actions are, need to be held accountable when their actions affect someone’s long-term health. Even if the damage done can be corrected, you should still not have to pay the bill for it. Come and see us and we’ll file a medical malpractice lawsuit on your behalf.