A few of our successes from over the years

Verdicts & Settlements

$5 million

Construction site accident

While laying flooring tile for a new fast food chain restaurant in Manhattan, a 31 year old worker was struck by a 4×8 foot piece of 3/4″ plywood which was improperly secured and fell from its moorings, causing severe injuries and required multiple spinal and knee surgeries. This case settled at the start of jury selection.

$4.5 million

Wrongful death following surgery

Twenty-nine year old single mother of four died following surgical complications from a gastric bypass at Jacobi Medical Center. Several months after giving birth to her fourth child and struggling to lose weight, this mother underwent surgery for weight reduction and developed a severe post-operative infection with leakage of feces into her peritoneal cavity, which progressed to sepsis and peritonitis, all of which the young resident physicians failed to diagnose and timely report to the attending physician, contrary to stated hospital policy.

$3.75 million

Construction Accident

In Suffolk County, a 29 yr old non-union laborer carrying boxes of tile on the second floor of a condominium unit under construction tripped over sheet rock and fell 10-12 feet to the floor below. The temporary safety rails on the second floor had been prematurely removed, subjecting the workers to an elevation- related danger. After four spinal surgeries, undergoing two cervical and two lumbar fusion surgeries and a right knee arthroscopy, the case settled for $3,750,000 before defendants’ depositions. The full value of this case was discounted by a history of several prior strikingly similar spinal injuries, although surgery had never previously been recommended.

$3.5 million

Bus Accident injures Passenger

An MTA Bus rear ended a cable truck due to driver inattention. The force of the sudden deceleration caused a 56 year old passenger on the Q39 bus to fall violently to the floor, injuring her neck, back, and shoulder. After prevailing on liability by motion practice, the case proceeded to trial for damages. After a two week trial, just before closing arguments, the case settled for $3.5 million.

$3 Million

Fall from scaffolding

Sixty year old construction worker fell 10 feet after scaffold he was working on snapped, sending him plummeting down to the sidewalk below. He was not provided with safety equipment on the job site and after a summary judgment motion, the Court awarded him liability against multiple defendants. Plaintiff underwent a cervical and lumbar fusion surgeries. Settled on the second day of damages trial.

$2.725 million

Wrongful death

NYC Sheriff deputies, without training or authority to pursue, engaged in high speed chase thru residential Bronx community of scofflaw for expired parking expired tickets; fleeing vehicle ran red light and broadsided a 28 year old client’s vehicle, killing her and seriously injuring brother. She left a one year old child without a mother.

$2.713 million

Pedestrian struck by bus

Fifty-four year old teacher was struck by a school bus while in crosswalk on her cell phone. Underwent cervical and lumbar fusion surgeries. After a six week trial, the jury found the bus driver 100% negligent in causing the accident and concluding that the pedestrian’s use of a cell phone was not a contributing cause of the accident. The jury awarded her $2,713,000 in damages and the bus company paid the complete award without an appeal given a high-low agreement.

$2.5 Million

worker on ladder collapsed

A forty-nine year old construction worker building town houses in Williamsburg was injured while hanging sheet rock when his A-frame ladder collapsed. He sustained shoulder and back injuries, requiring surgery. The case settled during trial.

$2.33 million

Sideswipe motor vehicle accident

Venued in Court of Claims, Manhattan.
Forty-five year old housewife suffered herniated cervical discs which required a double level cervical fusion and will likely require future surgery. NY State lost both the liability and damage trials.
Defendant’s examining neurosurgeon, who was not called by the defense, was subpoenaed to testify for plaintiff and he supported the contentions of the victim’s own treating physicians and agreed that, over time, her condition would worsen through the natural degenerative process, which had been significantly accelerated as a result of the accident trauma.
A portion of the future award was structured in accordance with Art 50-b and no appeal was taken.

$2.3 million

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Port Authority failed to clear snow and ice or otherwise open a path into a building at JFK, causing 53 year old mailman to slip and fall, injuring wrist. Subsequent wrist surgery led to reflex sympathetic dystrophy, limiting use of dominant hand, resulting in trial verdict against Port Authority.

$2.1 Million

Disabled Police Administrator re-injured

A 49 year old restrained rear seat passenger traveling in an Access-a-Ride car was rear ended by a commercial pick up truck in Manhattan. Plaintiff underwent a triple level cervical spine surgery just six months later. She was on disability for a prior car accident eight years earlier; however, there was a significant aggravation of her prior condition and the need for treatment was far more extensive and invasive.

$1.65 million

Erbs Palsy

OB-GYN malpractice; improper vaginal delivery of breech birth, causing brachial plexus injury with permanent contracture of infant’s arm.

$1.55 million

Ladder collapse results in laborer’s fall

While ascending a 21 foot extension ladder to install a ventilation fan in a roof above a Bronx auto body shop, this 29 year old man fell twenty feet to the sidewalk below when the ladder collapsed, an incident which was captured on defendant property owner’s surveillance video. Plaintiff fractured his wrist and a couple of ribs, as well as sustained nerve damage in his neck that required surgery. He wished to avoid trial in view of his prior criminal history.

$1.49 Million

Parking lot Car Accident Injury

In March 2020, just at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, Stern Law Firm was able to settle a New York County Supreme Court case involving a 19 year old girl who was struck as her car was passing a parked car, that pulled into her. This young woman suffered through two surgeries: Lumbar laminectomy/ microdiscectomy and subsequent lumbar facetectomy and fusion. The initial offer from the insurance company a year prior was $9,000.

$1.45 Million

Improper Safety on Jobsite

34 year laborer suffered a crush injury of his left thumb when 500 lb roof cutting device fell on his hand while his crew was manually lifting it without proper safety devices, which were available when job began. He fractured the thumb and experienced CRPS/RSD.

$1.3 Million

Collapse of Extension Ladder

While doing renovation of the roof of a two story building, a 29 year old welder with a prior criminal conviction fell when his 21 foot extension ladder telescoped downward due to a defective locking mechanism, causing him to fall to the sidewalk fracturing his wrist and herniating a spinal disc in his neck, requiring spinal surgery. The case settled on the eve of trial.

$1.25 million

Fall at Construction Site

38 year old elevator contractor slipped and fell on debris covered stairs left by other contractors, which aggravated his prior back condition and required back surgery after 3 years of physical therapy.

$1.1 million

Collision on N.Y.S. Thruway

Forty-eight year old female driver was rear-ended on New England Thruway. No lost earnings claimed but future medicals were projected to be several hundred thousand dollars. The defendant driver claimed he was cut off by a phantom vehicle but an independent eyewitness challenged his claim as false. We agreed to a high-low premised upon winning or losing on liability, which eliminated the risk of an appeal of the verdict. The jury returned an unanimous verdict in plaintiff’s favor, triggering an automatic settlement of the higher figure.

$1 million

Missing Window Guard

A two year old toddler fell from a 4th floor window without a window guard. Miraculously, she survived. She sustained multiple facial fractures with partial loss of vision in her left eye. Following the landlord’s depostion, the case settled for the full insurance policy.

$950,000

Bicyclist struck by car

While crossing the street in a crosswalk, a 25 year old bicyclist on his way to work was struck by car which ran a stop sign. He had back surgeries and this case settled prior to depositions when the automobile carrier tendered near its full policy limits prior to depositions.

$750,000

Assault in Bar causes significant damage to outer ear

In a jealous rage in a Southampton nightclub, the son of a wealthy diamond dealer, stuck our client, a young stockbroker, in the side of his head with a beer bottle, nearly severing his ear. Four hours of reconstructive surgery reattached ear with good cosmetic result. Although insurance companies will not indemnify for criminal actions or intentional assaults, the assailant personally paid $750,000 out of his trust fund within a week of the incident. This case set a record based for the highest recovery in the shortest time!

$750,000

Rear End Collision (Car Accident)

In Nassau County, on Hillside Avenue in Williston Park, a 19 year old man drove his car into oncoming traffic and then woke up and pulled back into the left lane in time to rear end a 48 year old part-time female account clerk. As a result of the accident, our client suffered a tear of the TFCC in the wrist, which required a right cubital tunnel release, along with neck and lower back herniations and nerve damage which required a double level cervical fusion. Shortly after the matter was placed on the trial calendar, the case was settled for $725,000.

$710,000

Automobile Accident

Arthroscopic knee surgeries for mother & daughter. Town of Hempstead water truck lost control on ‘black ice’ and hit clients head on; resulting in lumbar disc injuries and torn cartilage in knee. One of highest verdicts on record against Town of Hempstead.

$700,000

Rear end collision

Forty year old cable installer was rear ended while approaching the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Cervical and lumbar herniations, requiring fusion surgery.

$675,000

Motorist struck by Traffic Control Officer

NYCTA car ran light without lights and sirens on, broadsided a 45 year old woman in Manhattan and caused knee injuries requiring surgery, post-traumatic stress disorder.

$650,000

Car Crash After Running Red Light

While defendent driver admittedly was arguing with his girlfriend and not paying attention, he ran red light and broadsided an SUV, flipping it over and injuring its 39 year old driver. The driver who had prior similar back and neck injuries which had already disabled him, required surgery. Case settled in Nassau County prior to jury selection.

$600,000

Slip & Fall on Ice in Apartment House Parking Lot

A sixty five year old Yonkers resident slipped and fell while exiting a car in the parking lot of her apartment house. A neighbor testified that the landlord improperly placed different sized gutters which lead to a bad joint connection resulting in chronic problems during the winters as the snow melted and formed an icy surface in the area where the victim fell. She underwent spine surgery, which constituted an aggravation of a previous disability.

$525,000

Missing stop sign causes accident

Maintenance supervisor at hospital, 40 years old male, suffered exacerbation of neck and back disc herniations when a car went thru a four way stop sign-controlled intersection with a missing stop sign. After the other driver tendered its policy, the case proceeded against the City of New York Dept of Transportation. Settlement reached just prior to closing arguments at trial.

$500,000

Car runs red light with headlights off

31 year old store clerk struck defendant’s car as defendant ran a red light with its headlights off, resulting in $11,000 in property damage and millions of dollars in projected future damages and pain & suffering. Due to lumbar injuries, surgery was required to fuse damaged vertebra. Unfortunately, defendant had only $500,000 in insurance coverage and the policy was tendered after case was placed on trial calendar.

$500,000

Trip and fall on broken curb

Security Guard, 57 years old male diabetic, sustained a bi-malleolar fracture of ankle requiring surgery with placement of hardware and pins, when his foot got stuck in a broken curb side adjacent to parking lot of the building where he works. He had made repeated complaints to landlord and managing agent to fix the broken curb problem. Settlement during jury selection.

$450,000

Rear end motor vehicle accident

Tried to verdict in Supreme Nassau.
Forty-two year old Hempstead woman sustained two lumbar disc herniations. She missed only one week of work as a child care worker but continued to be plagued by severe lower back pain for nearly four years since accident through the time of trial. The award was exclusively for past and future pain & suffering plus interest.

$450,000

Parade Float Cook struck by overpass

During Jamaican Day Parade, this 40 year old cook sustained a non-displaced skull fracture while sitting on a stereo speaker on the back of the float he was riding on, when float driver drove under a bridge, causing him to strike his head on the underside of the bridge due to inadequate clearance and the driver’s failure to warn his 50 float guests of low clearance and danger.

$430,000

Car hit by under-insured Truck

Multiple fractures and multiple surgeries in auto accident in Bronx. Client sustained fractures of nearly every bone in her body and underwent over 18 surgeries. Value of case was well into the multi-million dollar zone, except truck only had $500,000 in coverage and several other injured victims all had to share a woefully small amount of insurance coverage.

$375,000

Fell in Hole Exiting Bldg

21 year old volunteer at Bronx HeadStart program, fell into 5 foot uncovered hole while exiting building door, while principal was inside, standing next to door watching plumber (who dug hole) repairing pipes. Hole was dug while client was inside building, assisting teacher. No effort was made to lock or secure door, or otherwise place warnings. Lumbar bulge with radiculopathy. Jury found defense orthopedist and radiologist not worthy of belief.

$375,000

Elderly Diabetic poked in eye

Product liability case involving 77 year old diabetic woman, who was injured as she attempted to get out of K-Mart wheelchair with swivel shopping basket. Poorly designed basket, which had been lifted, fell as the customer stood up in wheelchair, stabbing her in eye. Nassau County jury awarded $500,000, which was reduced by a degree of comparative negligence by plaintiff.

$350,000

Slip and Fall

Fifty-one year old Brooklyn woman, out on disability for an anxiety disorder, slipped and fell in a hallway puddle outside her apartment unit in a NYC Housing Authority building in Coney Island, dislocating her elbow. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where the dislocation was reduced manually. Non-surgical case with slight loss of extension (arm no longer fully straightened) was settled after jury selection with waiver of medicaid lien. Three witnesses were prepared to testify about complaints of leaky pipe in common area outside apartment and engineering expert was ready to show age and chronicity of problem.

$350,000

Motorcyclist Rear Ended by Drunk Driver

While stopped at a red light, this 39 year old motorcyclist was struck in the rear by a SUV operated by a drunk driver.

$300,000

Rearend Collision

This Nassau County woman suffered permanent back and neck injuries when she was rear ended while stopped at a red light. She was treated with physical therapy and epidural injections for three years from the time of the accident until the time of the trial. The case was tried on damages only and the Nassau County jury awarded her $300,000 in this non-surgical case, which coinsidentally was the exact amount of the GEICO insurance policy, which they promptly paid.

$300,000

Apartment Ceiling Collapse

54 yr old woman sustained torn rotator cuff of right shoulder, when her apartment’s bathroom ceiling collapsed. Had reported leakage problem from bathroom in apartment above hers but landlord was slow to respond. Jury found landlord 100% at fault and awarded $300,000 in this non-surgical case.

$300,000

Rear End Collision

Arbitration award of full UM-SUM policy for 47 year old Nassau County accountant, who was rear ended on Meadowbrook Parkway. In addition to sustaining multiple disc bulges and herniations, she suffered numbness and serious scarring to her breast, when the incisional sutures from a recent breast reduction surgery opened upon being struck by airbag, which deployed when her car was pushed into the stopped car in front of her.

$175,000

Taxi Cab ran stop sign

Sixty-five year old passenger fractured toe and sustained multiple herniated lumbar discs. Limited coverage, limited recovery during trial.

$245,000

Premises negligence in Manhattan

While returning to work from lunch break, this 57 year old pedestrian, was struck by box thrown blindly off a truck, while it was unloading a delivery. She was knocked over while walking by the open side door of the grocery delivery truck and fell into the open sidewalk vault and down into the basement, fracturing multiple ribs and suffering herniated spinal discs.

$200,000

Boy fell on excavated sidewalk outside his city shelter

A four year old cerebral palsied child toppled out of his wheelchair and lacerated his scalp, requiring the placement of two staples, when his mother attempted to maneuver her way back into their apartment building over an excavated sidewalk, using a makeshift bridge which was too narrow. The sidewalk construction workers ignored requests to broaden the bridge width because handicapped child needed to get in and out of building. Child developed seizures sixteen months later but causal connection was questioned. Case settled shortly after defendant-proposed mediation during course of depositions in Bronx. Highly sympathetic young plaintiff.

$150,000

Facial Scarring: Horsing around in school

An eighth grade student in the Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District suffered a inch long forehead laceration when she was bumped by fellow students who had been horsing around in the gym locker room before class. She fell face forward into the corner of a locker and sustained a mild cosmetic deformity to her pretty face. The settlement was paid shortly before trial by one of the two girls homeowner’s insurers (the other child was uninsured).

$125,000

Mouse paw in frozen spinach

Young mother was preparing pesto sauce for pasta dinner, using package of frozen Seabrook Brothers spinach, which contained mouse parts. She actually was eating the sauce when she got mouse paw stuck in her teeth while chewing. Diligent investigation obtained records of exterminator who had issued multiple critical warnings of rodent entry into defendant’s factory, which could have been prevented by placement of an inexpensive door sweep. This was one of the largest recoveries for purely emotional injury in food consumption case in Nassau Supreme Court.

$195,000

Slip & Fall snow and ice

52 year old woman sustained herniated discs and nerve damage when she slipped and fell on snow while walking her dogs on an un-shoveled sidewalk, six days after it had last snowed. In 2003, a new statute shifted liability from the City of New York to the abutting commercial property owners and multiple dwelling owners under NYC Administrative Code Municipal Law 7-210. Here the landlord did not reside in the property and there were more than three separate residences in the house, exposing him to financial liability for failing to maintain the sidewalks in front of his house. The property owner’s insurer was eager to resolve this case, which involved a torn rotator cuff and lumbar herniations with radiolopathy, none of which required surgery. At the time, the client had been out of work on disability so the economic loss was limited to the medical expenses which exceeded $30,000.

$150,000

Facial Scarring: Horsing around in school

$125,000

Mouse paw in frozen spinach

$125,000

Frame Fell off Shelf on victim in OddJob Store

55 year old customer was struck in nose by wooden frames improperly secured on high shelving in store, required two surgeries to repair nasal fractures.

$125,000

Frame Fell off Shelf on victim in OddJob Store

55 year old customer was struck in nose by wooden frames improperly secured on high shelving in store, required two surgeries to repair nasal fractures.