You’re visiting your mother at her building in the Bronx, and you trip over a slab of uneven concrete on the pathway to the door…what happens now? What about if you slip on a newly-mopped floor in a retail store because you didn’t see a ‘wet floor’ sign posted? Imagine another scenario: You’re an apartment tenant and you have a fall accident when the railing along the stairs gives way–what do you do then?

You just might have the right to file a premises liability lawsuit.

What is a Premises Liability Lawsuit?

Premises liability cases are lawsuits brought against a property owner, manager, or other authorized persons when you are injured on someone’s property because of negligence. If you are on the property legally (for example if you were invited, you live there, or you work there) and are not trespassing, and you have an accident caused by a hazardous or dangerous conditions on that property, you may be eligible to file a premises liability claim against the property owner.

Proving negligence can be tricky, but an experienced premises liability lawyer will help you each step of the way. But does filing a claim against the property owner really help? And if you win your premises liability case against the property owner, what can you expect?

What is a Premises Liability Accident?

When you are on someone else’s property, you have the reasonable belief that you will be safe there. That isn’t always the case. The property owner may not maintain the property as required by law, and in those cases accidents can happen and people may be injured.

Common types of premises liability accidents include: Slip and fall accidents, inadequate security, falling into an unsecured swimming pool, being bitten by an unsecured pet, trip and fall accidents, or exposure to hazardous conditions. If you can prove that the property owner knew about the unsafe condition and/or the lack of a safe environment and failed to warn visitors, you can seek compensation through a personal injury claim/premises liability injury claim.

What Damages Can you Receive for Premises Liability Claims?

You may wonder, “if I get injured through no fault of my own on someone else’s property, what can I expect in monetary compensation?” This is a critical question and depends on numerous factors — if you have a case at all. Injuries, medical expenses, and lost wages add up quickly for negligence victims; it is imperative that you speak to a qualified personal injury attorney who has handled premises liability cases in the past.

Yes, you can get a payout through the insurance company, but many times that isn’t enough. You deserve to recover compensation that will allow you to heal and thrive after your accident. But what types of damages can you receive from your premises liability claims?

Medical Expenses/Bills

Dangerous conditions lead to accidents, and serious injury can occur. Those injuries need medical treatment, but that isn’t cheap. Thankfully, one of the damages covered in a premises liability lawsuit or settlement is medical bills. When you recover damages from the owner of the unsafe property, you can use that money to pay for immediate medical treatment, bills accrued because of the serious injury, and any future treatment.

Damaged Property

In the case of damaged property, like a car accident caused by a poorly maintained parking lot, you have the right to seek compensation to cover the costs of repairs of the property (your vehicle) or complete replacement of the property that was damaged.

Loss of Income/Lost Earnings

If your injury is so severe that you cannot work, you can seek damages covering the wages you lose from not working.

Diminished Future Income/Earnings

If the injury requires long-term treatment, or the injury has dramatically diminished your ability to earn a living, you are allowed to seek damages to cover any future lost income directly caused by the premises liability accident.

Pain and Suffering/Emotional Distress

Injuries cause more than physical pain; though physical pain can be substantial, injuries may also cause emotional distress–and you should be given restitution for that from the person held liable for your pain and suffering.

How do I File a Premises Liability Claim?

Your first step is calling for a free consultation with a New York City premises liability attorney. Experienced premises liability attorneys will help explain liability law, what you can expect during your premises liability case, and assistance in gathering the information to prove that the property owners are fully or partly responsible for your injuries. A premises liability claim is complex and requires extensive knowledge in applicable laws and statutes. Because the laws differ from city to state and beyond, a lawyer is an essential part of the claims picture.

In order to do all that, however, you must be able to prove the defendant’s negligence or the property occupier’s failure to provide a safe environment or keep the property safe. Experienced premises liability lawyers will help you gather the documentation needed (medical reports, law enforcement incident reports, photos, witness statements, written complaints, etc…) to prove the property owners are at fault for the unsafe conditions. Premises liability attorneys work directly with insurance companies, law enforcement officials, and property owners to secure your rights to financial compensation. Your attorney will also provide legal advice and guidance as your case works its way through the court system.

Once your case is won, you, as the injured person, are entitled to compensation, and you can focus on getting your life back on track. If you are injured through no fault of your own, seek medical attention immediately. Once your injuries have been stabilized, place a call to a personal injury attorney to learn the facts about a premises liability claim and what it takes to be successful in your claim.

With a population of almost 8 million, living within 306 square miles, New York City is packed with people, many of whom live or work in buildings owned by other people. In many cases, those properties are well-maintained, safe, and secure. However, in just as many cases, there are properties that are dangerous to the health and safety of those who live there.

In that latter case, what happens if you’re injured on a property owned by someone else? Does the property owner have a legal obligation to pay your medical bills or cover your loss of income?

Here is what you need to know about New York premises liability claims.

What is Premises Liability Law?

A premises liability lawsuit can hold the New York property owner liable for any damage to persons or property while on the premises. Property owners are required to show reasonable effort to maintain a safe living or working environment for tenants, employees, or visitors. Failure to provide that safety creates a “premises” liability, either through negligence, neglect, or willful ignorance of conditions. If a person is on the property legally as a tenant, guest, or employee and the injury or property damage is caused by the owner’s negligence, then the injured party has the right to seek compensation through a premises liability claim.

What is Covered Under a Premises Liability Claim?

Before seeking out a New York premises liability attorney, ask yourself the following questions:

Was I on the property legally?

Do you work there, live there, or were you visiting someone who lives there? Proving the legal right to be on the property can be easy, especially if you have a signed lease agreement, an employment contract, or can prove you were invited to be on the property by someone with a legitimate reason for being on the premises. This means that those on the property illegally (an unknown trespasser, child trespassers, or those in designated off-limits areas) may not have the right to file a claim because the property owner cannot be held liable when they were unaware and unable to warn the trespassers of hazardous conditions.

Was my injury caused by an unsafe or dangerous condition?

Was the wiring faulty? Was the tile uneven? Was the dog improperly secured? Were warning signs missing or improperly labelled? Can you prove that the property owner has ignored obvious and potential dangers?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, contacting a premises liability lawyer to file your premises liability claim is your next step.

What Injuries are Covered by Premises Liability Laws?

Whether at home in your apartment, at someone’s house, or at work in a restaurant, you have the right to live, visit, and work in a reasonably safe condition. However, that isn’t always that case. Common situations that often lead to premises liability cases include:

• Slip/trip and fall accidents
• Dog bites/injuries
• Swimming pool injuries
• Improper/poorly trained security
• Burns/Cuts/Broken Bones
• Damage to personal property (vehicles, dwelling contents, etc…)

There are numerous other situations that may lead to a premises liability claim. It is critical to speak to a qualified attorney to learn your rights and responsibilities should you be injured on someone’s property.

What are the Claim Limitations?

One of the first questions liability lawyers will ask is if you can prove that the property owner was negligent. In the case of tenants in apartment buildings, tenants are responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of their units, with the exception of latent defects (improperly installed flooring, improperly anchored cabinets, etc…), hidden damage, and poorly repaired or maintained “public” areas like the stairwell, lobby, parking lot, or laundry facility.

Comparative Fault in New York

New York premises liability laws follow the principle of “comparative fault”, which means that if the injured person cannot prove that the injury was caused at no fault of the landlord or owner, then they are not eligible to recover compensation for their injury. That means that if the injury was caused by something you broke, repaired poorly, or failed to property maintain, the property owner may not be liable.

However, if you can prove that the owner failed to act toward the safety of their tenant, workers, or property visitors, you may have a case and the chance at maximum compensation for the resulting injuries.

How do I File A Premises Liability Claim?

When you are on someone else’s property, you have the reasonable right to be safe from injury. The business owner or property owners have a legal duty to ensure they’ve made the premises safe. You should never have to wonder, “Is the property safe?” Being on someone’s property makes them responsible to protect visitors, and they should be held accountable for any injuries caused while you are on that property. You are putting your well-being in their hands, and when you suffer injuries because of unsafe conditions or hazardous conditions, the owner of the unsafe property must be held responsible.

Obtaining Documentation

To file a premises liability claim, the first step is to gather all the necessary evidence to help with your premises liability case. This is where your attorney is invaluable; your premises liability attorney will do most of the difficult leg work; obtaining the documentation from the hospital, insurance company, and law enforcement. If required, documents you can provide to help move things along faster will always be a benefit.

The documentation an attorney will obtain may include:

• Records of safety reports showing consistent negligence by the property owners.
• Witness statements from people who were there when the injury occurred or they have seen the unsafe condition that caused the injury.
• Medical records that document the injuries sustained during the accident.
• Photos of injuries/damage caused by accident.
• Documentation showing proof of lost wages/loss of employment, or decrease in expected quality of life (bills, mortgage statements, etc…)
• Insurance bills/statements
• Any photographic or video evidence showing the specific unsafe/hazardous condition (unfenced pool, broken glass in the walkway, unchained dog, icy/slippery stairs, etc…).

Set up a free consultation with an experienced NYC premises liability lawyer, who will sit down with you to discuss your case, including whether or not you have the ability to file a premises liability claim based on your information and/or injuries. Your attorney will work directly with insurers, property owners, and law enforcement officials to document the incident, file paperwork with the court system, and provide legal advice to injury victims.

Because the laws differ from city to state and beyond, a lawyer is an essential part of the claims picture. With a premises liability attorney on your side, you can get the peace of mind you need to move forward.

In our previous blog, we discussed how to determine liability in a pedestrian accident case. This time, we’re going to go into detail about what constitutes fault, and what you and your lawyer will need to prove in order to win your case. In any case you need an experienced Brooklyn Premises Liability Accident Lawyer to go to work for you.

Liability recap.

As a quick recap of our last post, the reasons a property owner could be held liable for your injuries include:

• The property owner caused the spill or circumstance that led to your injury.
• The property owner was aware of the hazard and failed to address it.
• The property owner should have been aware of the issue as a “reasonable” person would have discovered it.

What is acting reasonably?

To determine whether the property owner acted reasonably to address or prevent the situation from occurring. Some key factors to consider are:

• Does the property owner have a routine maintenance checklist and procedure for identifying potential hazards? If so, was it documented?
• If you tripped over something, did that item serve a purpose? Or, was it left there out of carelessness?
• Should the property owner have addressed the item or hazard that made you trip? This includes a slippery surface, a spilled item, a bunched rug, an uneven spot in the carpet, an obstruction in the walkway, etc.
• Was there adequate lighting and signage to warn customers of the hazard?
• Should the property owner have anticipated this hazard causing a problem?

Did your carelessness contribute to your injury?

This might be more difficult to admit, but sometimes our own carelessness results in an injury. According to All Law, in almost every slip or trip and fall case, you must decide whether your carelessness contributed to the accident. The rules of “comparative negligence” help measure your own reasonableness in going where you did, in the way you did, just before the accident happened. 
For example, you must determine whether you were acting reasonably, had a legitimate reason for being in that location, you were aware of your surroundings, and you were not overly distracted.
Accidents happen- that’s a fact. However, if you or someone you love has experienced a premise injury in New York City, you might have a case.

Contact Your Brooklyn Premises Liability Accident Lawyer 

If you or a loved one has been injured while on the property of another, you need to contact a very skilled and experienced lawyer to take your case. You need to look for an attorney who has successfully handled other premises liability cases. A lawyer who is determined enough and thorough enough to investigate and collect all the necessary evidence to prove the negligence and get the best possible result for you as the client. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation today.

There are countless reasons people are injured in slip and fall accidents in New York City each year. Whether it’s uneven pavement, icy sidewalks, debris or slippery stairs, there’s no shortage of ways pedestrians can become injured on their daily commutes. But, who do you turn to if this happens? And, more importantly, who is going to pay for your medical bills and recovery? In this article, we’re going to cover who could be held liable and who will pay for your injuries. However, it’s important to note that this process is complicated and many businesses don’t willingly offer to pay for your injuries, which is why you need an experienced Brooklyn Premises Liability Accident Lawyer to go to work for you.

Deciphering who is responsible. 

There are premise liability laws that cover potentially hazardous conditions on someone else’s property-namely a business. According to All Law, for a property owner to be held legally responsible for injuries sustained by an individual slipping and falling, one of the following must be true:

• That the property owner knew about the dangerous condition and did not attempt to correct it
• The property owner should have known about the dangerous condition and should have taken steps to prevent injuries, as a “reasonable person” would have done
• That the property owner created the dangerous condition which led to the accident

Essentially, any judge or lawyer is going to look at whether or not the owner of that space took enough precautions to keep pedestrians and customers safe. This entails:

• Keeping the property clean
• Following code
• Keeping the property safe- including being well-lit and without obvious obstructions
• Ensuring warning signs are posted wherever applicable

Other factors to consider regarding fault is if the owner of the property knew about the hazard, attempted to fix it, and whether or not the injured person or persons were careless in their actions, which led to the injury.

Who pays for the injury?

If you and your lawyer have determined the property owner is at fault, your next question is likely “How much money do they have to pay?” The figure in question depends on a variety of factors, including:

• Your medical bills
• Level of pain and suffering
• Lost wages and whether you are able, once healed,  to go back to the same job due to injuries

Determining your compensation for pain and suffering isn’t a cookie cutter formula and is something that is dependent on your injury and condition. An experienced attorney will be able to guide you and recommend what the case is worth.

Contact Your Brooklyn Premises Liability Accident Lawyer 

If you or a loved one has been injured while on the property of another, you need to contact a very skilled and experienced lawyer to take your case. You need to look for an attorney who has successfully handled other premises liability cases. A lawyer who is determined enough and thorough enough to investigate and collect all the necessary evidence to prove the negligence and get the best possible result for you as the client. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation today.

Have you or a loved one been hurt or even fatally injured while on the job as a construction worker in New York City?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one in 10 construction site laborers are injured each year in serious accidents. Moreover, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says this statistic accounts for approximately 150,000 construction site accident injuries each year.

In 2019, more than 5,300 people were fatally injured while on the job. About 20% (1,061) of worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2019 were in the construction sector. This accounts for one in five worker deaths for the year, according to OSHA.

NYC Construction Accident Statistics

• Workplace fatality rates are trending upward in New York’s construction industry.
• Non-union construction sites are especially dangerous for workers.
• Employers who violate health and safety laws also cause worker fatalities.
• Latino construction workers die at a disproportionate rate due to falls and employers’ “willful” violations of health and safety laws.
• Wage and hour violators are more likely to be safety and health violators.
• The New York City construction sector, which employs 3% of the city’s workforce, has the highest occupational death rate: 34% of all workplace deaths across various industries. For Los Angeles and Chicago, the rates are 32% and 24% respectively. The NYC sector with the next highest occupational fatality rate was the trade, transportation, and utilities industry, accounting for 20% of all workplace deaths.

Common Fatal Construction Accidents

The most common types of fatal construction accidents in the U.S., according to OSHA’s “fatal four” are:  

• Falls
• Being struck by an object
• Electrocution (overhead power lines and electrical hazards)
• Workers getting caught in/between things

These “fatal four” types of accidents are responsible for more than 64% of construction worker deaths.

Let’s take a look at the fatal four causes of construction workplace injuries.

Falls on Construction Sites

Fall hazards are the leading cause of death among construction workers. In 2019, they were responsible for 403 of the 1,061 construction fatalities. Looking at the most frequently cited OSHA standard violations for the construction industry in Fiscal Year 2020 (October 2019 – September 2020), it’s no surprise that falls accounted for nearly 38% of all construction worker fatalities.

Fall Hazards: Claims Scenarios

• A 59-year-old construction worker fell 18 feet to his death on a site in Times Square, and a 62-year-old surveyor was on a 16th floor platform in a build on the West Side of Manhattan when it collapsed and he fell 10 stories. Both of these deaths were potentially preventable.
• In another incident, a construction worker fell from the upper level of the Verrazano Bridge and struck a beam and broke both legs. His rescue involved cutting through a fence.
• A contractor working on a residential building on the Upper West Side was seriously injured when he fell from a crane and required firefighters to do a difficult high-angle rescue.
• On the Upper East Side, a laborer was working on the 6th floor of a building when he fell onto a piece of steel and had to be put in a basket and lowered six stories to the ground level for medical attention.

Proper Fall Protection

General fall protection measures include:

• Properly training construction workers in fall protection and prevention best practices prior to beginning each job
• Ensuring proper personal protective equipment (belts, lanyards, lifelines, fully body harnesses) is utilized

Being Struck By Objects

Anything can fall and injure other workers including tools, rolling objects, vehicle or equipment strikes, and people themselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 50,000 “struck by falling object” OSHA-recorded incidents every year in the U.S. That equals more than one injury caused by a dropped object every 10 minutes.

Proper safety equipment and following all safety protocols could prevent thousands of falling objects. Most construction sites have fall protections in place for workers, including harnesses and being tied off, but only a few extend those protections to tools and equipment.

Electrocution

All construction workers, including bricklayers, welders, plumbers, carpenters, drywallers, and even painters are at risk of electrocution onsite. Electrical hazards include electrical sources, damaged or bare wires, and electrocution from equipment coming into contact with live overhead power lines and wires. These account for hundreds of accidents and injuries per year, including deaths.

An average of 40% of construction worker deaths from electrocution are the result of contact with overhead power lines. These power lines are very close to workers in heavy machinery like cranes, bucket trucks, scaffolds, those on ladders, and more. Workers can also be electrocuted in crawl spaces, attics, ceilings, and other areas. Electrocution can result in injuries like broken bones, brain damage, nerve damage, heart attacks, and even death.

In July 2017, for example, a construction worker was critically injured while working on the roof of a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper. Proper training and basic electrical safety knowledge and precautions (including how to operate portable electric tools) would be able to prevent many of these incidents.

Electrocution Protection

Protective measures for the electrocution hazards, one of the fatal four hazards in construction, include:

• Conduct a risk assessment
• Determine where electrical hazards are
• Use testing equipment
• Ensure workers are properly trained in electrical equipment
• Utilize voltage breaker and ground fault circuit interrupters
• Use cord protectors
• Never work in wet conditions

Workplace Hazard: Getting Caught In or Between Things

Getting caught by objects or in between two objects is extremely dangerous, and accounts for more than 7% of construction accidents, the last of OSHA’s fatal four causes of injuries. While that may not seem like much, it adds up to about 70 annual deaths of workers who are killed when caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, and struck, caught, or crushed in a collapsing structure, equipment, or material. This often leads to very dangerous or precarious rescue attempts and can be a painful recovery with the potential for a permanent disability when the worker survives.

According to an OSHA training guide, the key factor in making a determination between a “Caught” event and a “Struck By” event is whether the impact of the object alone caused the injury. When the impact alone creates the injury, the event should be recorded as “Struck By.” When the injury is created more as a result of crushing injuries between objects, the event should be recorded as “Caught.”

Examples of Caught In/Between incidents:

• Cave-ins (trenching).
• Being pulled into or caught in machinery and equipment (this includes strangulation as the result of clothing caught in running machinery and equipment). 
• Being compressed or crushed between rolling, sliding, or shifting objects such as semi-trailers and a dock wall, or between a truck frame and a hydraulic bed that is lowering.

Some of the working conditions that contribute to caught in/between hazards include:

• Machinery that has unguarded moving parts or that is not locked out during maintenance.
• Unprotected excavations and trenches.
• Heavy equipment that tips over.
• Collapsing walls during demolition.
• Working between moving materials and immovable structures, vehicles, or equipment.

Protective Measures for Caught In/Between Incidents

• Use properly guarded machinery.
• When using a tool, never remove a safety guard.
• Protect power tools and operating equipment with dangerous moving parts.
• Don’t wear loose clothing.
• Ensure equipment is de-energized and cannot be accidentally started. Before servicing and changing accessories such as blades, bits, and cutters, disconnect tools when not in use.
• Before performing maintenance or repairs on a vehicle, turn it off. Lock out the power source to the equipment if at all possible. Before making repairs or when the equipment is not in use, lower or block the blades of bulldozers, scrapers, and similar equipment.
• Always be aware of the heavy equipment around you and keep a safe distance from it.
• Ascertain that all loads carried by the equipment are stable and secure. Keep out of the swing radius of cranes and other heavy machinery. Wear a seatbelt if necessary to avoid being thrown from a vehicle and being crushed by the vehicle if it tips over.
• Protect yourself on excavation sites and avoid working in unprotected trenches that are 5 feet or deeper.

Labor Law in NY: Occupational Safety

New York Labor Law Section 240 (1), also known as the “Scaffold Law,” provides special rights of recovery to construction workers who are injured due to elevation injuries – i.e., falling from scaffolding. The law also covers cases by falls, as well as workers being hit by objects coming from heights. The law imposes absolute liability against the owner, general contractors and/or their agents. Liability is assumed. Source.

The Labor Law was put into place to protect workers and to hold their employers and third parties accountable for providing a safe workplace. The number of workers hurt and killed in the construction industry in New York has surged over the last several years, particularly with the building boom the City has experienced.

In addition, the rise in deaths and injuries — mostly among undocumented immigrant laborers — far exceeds the rate of new construction over the same period. It is stark evidence of the view increasingly held by safety inspectors, government officials and prosecutors, that safety measures at these job sites are woefully inadequate.

If you or someone you know has been injured in any way on a construction site, contact the experienced construction attorney at the Law Office of Nicholas E. Tzaneteas immediately. We can help you get compensation for medical bills, therapy, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.

For example, when one of our clients fell off of a ladder while working at a construction site, he had multiple knee surgeries and a surgery to his lower back.  He continued to receive treatment and is permanently disabled. After a lengthy trial a jury awarded him $6.1 million. 

Another construction client also fell off a ladder while on the job. He had multiple wrist surgeries and re-injured his lower back from a prior accident which now required surgery.  He continued to receive treatment and is permanently disabled. His case settled for $2,250,000.

Let us help you get the compensation your deserve.

We have won millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, and we will continue to fight for your health and safety in New York City. For almost 20 years the Law Office of  Nicholas Tzaneteas has earned a reputation of being tenacious and intelligent, and has taken on The City of New York and its municipalities, insurance companies, and corporations to make sure our clients are fairly compensated for the injuries they have sustained due to the negligence of these entities.  

In the article, we are going to discuss different types of cases, laws, and what you can do to protect yourself when it comes to construction accidents, premise liability, medical malpractice, and police brutality incidents.  

Construction Accidents

As a construction worker you are potentially in danger every time you go to work. When your daily work includes high-risk tasks like operating heavy machinery, climbing and working on temporary scaffolding, repairing weak structures and infrastructure, climbing and working from tall heights, and even sometimes working underground, you are constantly at risk of injury and even death. And if something should happen to your body, how can you continue to make a living?

When a construction worker is in an accident, or if a passer-by is injured by construction equipment or workers, you need an experienced construction accident lawyer to take your case. We can help determine if you have a case, and if so, we will fight on your behalf to make sure that all negligent parties involved cover lost wages, medical bills, physical therapy, pain and suffering and more.

New York Labor Law section 200, 240, and 241 are in place to protect construction workers, and you will want a construction accident attorney who understands those laws thoroughly.

Some ways you can be injured on the job include:

• Falling debris
• Collapsing ceilings
• Falling from ladders
• Malfunctioning or defective equipment or machinery
• Negligence
• Broken equipment or tools
• Weak infrastructure
• Operator error
• Broken or weak scaffolding
• Falling into improperly covered or secured openings or holes

If and when you are injured on a construction site, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should also document the scene of the accident and your injuries, and get contact information from eyewitnesses. We will take care of interfacing with the insurance companies, obtaining your medical records, interviewing the witnesses and more.

We recently won $2,250,000 for our client, who fell off a ladder while working at a construction site. He had multiple wrist surgeries and re-injured his low back from a prior accident, which then required surgery.  He continued to receive treatment, but is unfortunately permanently disabled.

Premises Liability

Premise liability refers to being injured while on someone else’s property AND it being the property owners fault, due to negligence. This most often refers to slip or trip and fall injuries, but technically includes all unsafe conditions, such as missing or broken stair rails. When you are invited onto someone’s property, you have a reasonable expectation of coming into a safe environment and not being injured.

When these accidents happen, the cases can be challenging because we need to  prove that the property owner knew of the dangerous condition or circumstance and neglected or chose not to fix it. You definitely need to speak with an experienced premises liability attorney who has pursued these claims before.

Other accidents that can be premises liability claims are injuries sustained on an amusement park ride or injuries of any kind on other private property. In order to have a case in these instances, you must have been on that property lawfully and not behaving in an unsafe manner. Examples of this include being intoxicated or doing something of your own volition, such as jumping from a roof into a pool and being injured.

Your injuries resulting from premises liability accidents may be anything from a bruise to a broken bone or even more severe. Here are two cases we recently won:

• Our client is a 19-year-old nursing student, who sustained a severe back injury after being struck by a ceiling that fell on her while she was cleaning a bathtub. The ceiling had leaked many times before, and the landlord had been notified but failed to repair it properly. After treatment and multiple therapy visits failed to help relieve the pain, she had back surgery. A jury in Brooklyn awarded a total of $6,894,132 in compensation to our client.
• Our client slipped and fell while working in a NYC building. As a direct result, he underwent three knee surgeries and eventually was told he could no longer work. He was awarded $800,000 to cover his surgeries and lost wages.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is defined as any act or omission by a physician or healthcare professional  that deviates from accepted norms of practice when treating a patient, and that results in an injury. Medical malpractice is a specific subset of tort law that deals with professional negligence.

Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose major diseases is a form of malpractice and negligence, because often the sooner a disease is caught, the higher likelihood of a full recovery. Especially when reasonable tests should have been run but were not, or when a patient’s request is ignored.

Some of the most common medical malpractice cases include:

• Failure to diagnose cancer or other serious diseases
• Delay to treat or failure to diagnose a medical condition
• Cerebral palsy & brain damage
• Erb’s palsy
• Gynecologic surgical errors and malpractice
• Birth injuries
• Hospital negligence
• Emergency room errors
• Medication errors or wrongly prescribed medications
• Surgical errors & complications
• Anesthesia errors

Medical malpractice is a highly technical type of law and these lawsuits can be extremely difficult to prove as there are so many medical waivers in place when physicians perform operations and procedures. If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice or think you may have been, reach out to us today. The Law Office of Nicholas Tzaneteas is very experienced in medical malpractice cases and winning fair compensation for our clients. A strong medical malpractice lawyer will understand the medical field, be able to obtain and understand medical records, find and work with expert witnesses, have strong anatomical knowledge and be very versed in medicine.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

According to data released by the New York City Police Department, over 500 collisions involving cars, taxis, and pedestrians happen every day. These numbers of NYC car accidents are pretty staggering and represent a very real threat to the safety of everyone moving around the city on a daily basis. If you find that you have been involved in an accident involving a car or taxi, Immediately focus on your health and safety and get medical attention, but then reach out to a qualified and experienced car accident attorney for assistance.

If you have been injured in any way, including cuts, bruises, broken bones, traumatic brain injury, or anything else, you could have a legitimate claim against the party at fault.

The Law Office of Nicholas E. Tzaneteas is a leading personal injury attorney with a track record of successes, both in and out of the courtroom. Mr. Tzaneteas is often called upon for some of the most challenging cases involving injury or death at the hands of others. We have won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Some of our recent case highlights include:

• $1,997,776 Verdict – our client was a 49 year-old woman who was injured in a vehicle collision with a box truck. As a result of the accident, our client received significant injuries to her neck, back, and shoulders. After seeking medical treatment – including several surgeries — and physical therapy, she still struggles with severe pain in her neck and back. At trial, the jury found the trucking company 100% responsible for the accident and injuries received, awarding our client a verdict for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses.
• $4,300,000 Verdict – our client, a 58 year-old bus driver, was injured by a head-on collision by a motor vehicle. Our client suffered extensive injuries to her neck, back, and lower extremities. After four painful surgeries, the woman was left unable to return to work. With our help, she received compensation for her medical expenses as well as pain and suffering and lost wages.
• $2,800,000 Settlement – another client, this time a 58 year-old woman from Brooklyn, was injured during an automobile accident. She required several surgeries to correct injuries to her lower back and knees. The case settled during trial, thanks to the experience and legal guidance of Nicholas Tzaneteas.
• $1,953,102 Settlement – after receiving injuries to his lower back, hip, and knee in an automobile accident, our client, a 50 year-old man from Brooklyn, sought medical treatment. He underwent several surgeries, allowing him to resume work. When the case went to trial, we were able to obtain a substantial settlement after four days of testimony.

It is important to make a police report following a motor vehicle accident, as well as document any injuries. An experienced motor vehicle lawyer will help you navigate insurance companies, the legal battle, and understand your pain. We will make sure to get you the compensation you deserve, to help you with medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.

Contact The Law Office of Nicholas E. Tzaneteas today. You deserve lawyers who will fight for you, and help you throughout the process of your lawsuit — from filing a claim to tracking down witnesses, to listening when you need to be heard. We are here to protect your basic rights as citizens to feel safe in your community.