Author Archives: Morrison Wagner

November 20, 2015 News
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Multiple injuries after drag racing car crash on Long Island

New York – Police in Hempstead, NY responded to a car accident that was apparently caused by two vehicles that were drag racing on public streets. Nassau County police note that car racing on public streets is illegal due to the dangers that it creates for other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. The high speed nature of these types of motor vehicle accidents makes them even more serious, even deadly. According to experts, a speeding driver is bad enough, but add to it the adrenaline rush and competitive edge of the racing drivers, it makes for a dangerous cocktail that can injure and kill. Emergency medical responders arrived with several ambulances to treat the injured driver and passengers of the car accident. They report that one of the cars struck a utility pole and left several people in the vehicle with extensive injuries. The female driver suffered the most serious of the car crash injuries. Police have indicated that the other car fled the scene of the collision and that driver is being sought out by investigators. Public safety advocates say that reckless driving, including car racers, are an all-too-common problem on the highways and local streets. They have demanded more action by police and governmental officials to secure the roads against negligent drivers. The injured driver in this case has been charged with several violations, including reckless endangerment, reckless driving and others. The woman can also face a personal injury lawsuit from the other injured victims due to her negligence. See details about the car race collision here.

Illustrative photo by W. Robert Howell from Charlotte, NC, United States (still here.) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

November 18, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$350,000 – Premises Liability – Slip & Fall Causes Ankle Fracture

When D. Kustov was 33 years old, she had a slip and fall accident while walking on private premises in Jamaica, New York. The accident caused her to break a bone in her ankle that required an open reduction internal fixation operation. The pain, swelling and difficulty walking remained and she was confined to bed for several weeks. Over that time, Ms. Kustov discussed her legal rights with the preeminent slip and fall injury lawyers of Morrison & Wagner, LLP in Manhattan. A grievance was filed against the property owner for negligent maintenance, along with a lawsuit for financial compensation. They asserted that the owner’s negligence created a dangerous condition that directly caused Kustov’s fall and injuries. After meticulous negotiation, the ankle injury victim won a settlement of $350,000 from the landlord of the property.

Read about more trip and fall cases here and here.

Photo by Wkc3 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

November 17, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$250,000 Payment to Passenger Injured in Truck Accident

Ruth Pianka, a 57-year-old bookkeeper, was a passenger in a truck when it was rear ended in a motor vehicle crash in the Washington Heights section of New York City. She sustained multiple injuries during the truck accident and was treated in the emergency room and then by several specialist doctors. The doctors diagnosed injuries of her shoulder, hip and knee. The crash victim also had neck and back injuries with significant pain. She underwent a shoulder surgery and endured therapy as well. The pain and injuries persisted and she developed emotional injuries in addition to the physical injuries.

Soon after the accident, Ms. Pianka spoke to friends in the neighborhood who recommended she contact the experienced car accident lawyers at Morrison & Wagner, LLP. They assisted the truck accident victim and filed a personal injury lawsuit in Kings County Supreme Court. The case named both the owner of the truck and the driver of the car that hit them as defendants. After negotiation, the defendants agreed to settle the case, paying Ms. Pianka $250,000 for her injuries, pain and suffering from the rear-end accident.

Photo by Werner Vermaak (originally posted to Flickr as Immobilized Patient) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

November 13, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$200,000 Award to Family of Pedestrian Killed by a Snow Plow

Ms. McCullough was 70 years old when she was struck and killed by a snow plow truck in February. She was crossing the street when the truck accident occurred, leaving her with fatal injuries. The woman’s two daughters were left heartbroken without their mother. They turned to the well-known accident law firm of Morrison & Wagner, LLP for advice. After full consultation on the case, they sued for wrongful death, contending that the truck driver was negligent and caused the crash. The demand for financial restitution explained that the pedestrian accident could have been avoided if the negligent driver was more careful and in better control of his vehicle. The skilled accident attorney successfully negotiated a settlement and the defendants conceded to compensate the accident victim’s family $200,000.

If you or someone you know was injured due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to contact an experienced injury lawyer.

Photo by Michael Rieger (from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

November 13, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$1,850,000 Settlement After New York Hospital Missed Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

The doctors missed the breast cancer diagnosis when Marcia Lee first came to the Manhattan hospital for evaluation. She was shocked to discover that not only did she have the cancer, the hospital’s failure to diagnose it earlier left her in a worse condition. She was only 45 years old and determined to fight both the cancer and the injustice. Ms. Lee spoke to a top medical malpractice lawyer in NY who explained her rights. A medical malpractice lawsuit for failure to diagnose cancer was filed against the hospital and its doctors. The defendants subsequently concluded the case against them by giving the misdiagnosis victim a $ 1.85 Million settlement.

Have you, or someone you know, suffered from doctor or hospital negligence? Please let us know – it’s a free consultation! You can also read about additional winning medical malpractice cases here.

Photo by Bill Branson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

November 13, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$ 1.45 Million Premises Liability Settlement – Man Electrocuted in Stairwell

Dennis Marruco was electrocuted while walking up the stairs of a New York financial institution. He sustained significant burns and a fracture of his left arm. In addition, the burn victim suffered a spinal injury with fractured vertebrae. Trauma surgeons performed an operation to repair his arm with plates and screws. Mr. Marruco explained that the real estate management company should have done their due diligence to prevent such an accident. He was left injured and knew that he needed help to recoup the money that he had lost due to the institution’s failure.

The 67-year-old accident victim approached the successful injury lawyers of Morrison & Wagner in Manhattan, New York with a simple phone call. They helped Marruco submit a premises liability lawsuit against the financial corporation and the realty management company. He demanded restitution for his accident injuries as well as his pain and suffering. The man’s diligent lawyer explained that negligent maintenance had been performed and therefore the defendants had not protected the public from an inevitable electrocution and injury. The defendants agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying the injured man $1,450,000. Here’s another premises liability case that was successfully handled by the winning attorneys of Morrison & Wagner, LLP.

Photo by Kevin.B (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

November 04, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$500,000 for Injured Worker After Ceiling Collapsed On Her

Ms. Padilla was at work when the ceiling suddenly fell down onto her. She sustained injuries during the accident to her shoulder and spine. The injured victim underwent a complicated operation on her shoulder to repair the damages but never fully recovered. Her doctors sent her for physical therapy for the neck and back injuries as well as her shoulder injury. After being referred to the winning New York law office of Morrison & Wagner LLP, she explained the case to her accident attorney. Her experienced lawyer contacted all of the treating physicians and gathered the necessary details in order to file a premises liability lawsuit.

The team at Morrison & Wagner guided Ms. Padilla throughout the injury lawsuit and they succeeded in getting a settlement of $500,000 for the injury victim. Read about more premises liability cases and their successful outcomes here.

Photo by M. T. Harmon [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

November 01, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$990,000 Worker’s Compensation Settlement – Electrician injured hip and pelvis on the job

Mr. Sabet, an electrician in New York City, worked for a contractor when he suffered an injury to his hip and pelvis. His on- the job injury required two orthopedic surgeries and extensive physical therapy. Despite his medical care, Mr. Sabet contended that he was left with physical disabilities that would prevent him from returning to work as an electrician.

He consulted with the well-known worker’s comp lawyers at Morrison & Wagner LLP, an injury law firm in New York City, with a successful history of recovering money for work accident victims. With their help, Sabet filed an injury lawsuit against his employer, demanding compensation for damages, pain and suffering.

Details of the worker’s injuries, his pain and suffering as well as past and projected future expenses — due to the injury — were submitted by experts, as part of a life care plan. Morrison & Wagner contended that due to the injuries, the disabled worker would be restricted in his available lines of work, required re-training to adapt to new lines of work, and would not be able to return to his professional career.

Morrison & Wagner LLP succesfully resolved the work injury claim. The employer settled the case and agreed to pay $990,000 to the NY work injury victim.

Have you been injured at work? Tell us about it – it’s a free consultation!

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Pacific Region’s [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

October 28, 2015 News
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Seat back failures during car crash can cause serious injuries

Research data shows that during a car accident, the back of the driver’s seat can break, causing severe injuries. The worrisome thing noted by experts is that this is true even of cars that meet the most current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) guidelines. The concern involves not just the driver’s seat but also the seat back of the front passenger, according to specialists. They note that the problem is not limited to any one car manufacturer and is a well-known dangerous condition that has been ignored for way too long. The car seat failure often occurs during a rear-end accident where the vehicle is hit from behind. The force of the crash is transferred into the seat back which then buckles and cracks under the pressure. The person sitting in the seat is then violently thrown and injured, even when wearing a seatbelt. Common injuries can include spinal injury, paralysis and internal bleeding from lacerated organs. Activists familiar with the problem explain that passengers in the rear seat of the vehicle, often little children, are also prone to suffer severe injuries and wounds due to the defect. Children have been known to suffer facial injuries, head injury and even death after being struck by pieces of the seat. Cases have been documented of the headrest breaking off and striking the back seat passenger as well.

Car safety advocates have expressed outrage over the fact that the federal government and car makers haven’t properly fixed the hazard. They insist that the federal regulations must be changed to force factories to reinforce the seats so that they don’t collapse or snap during a high force impact of a motor vehicle collision. Some have pointed out that not doing so may be considered negligence and expose the negligent parties to accident lawsuits. You can read more about the weak federal safety standards and deadly problem here.

Illustrative Photo (Altered to obscure license plate): Joe Shlabotnik [License]

October 16, 2015 News
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Police officer arrested for hit-and-run accident in Long Island

New York – The driver of a pickup truck that hit a motorcyclist in Suffolk County, NY was arrested for fleeing the scene of an accident with injuries. Reports show that the arrested driver was, in fact, a police officer who was off-duty at the time of the motorcycle accident. He apparently fled the scene and left the injured motorcycle driver in critical condition. The cop turned himself in to police the next day and charges are being assessed by prosecutors. The police investigation includes looking into whether or not the officer was drunk driving or possibly driving under the influence of drugs, leading to the vehicle crash.

Doctors explain that the nature of the collision was quite severe, with a large pickup truck striking the much smaller motorcycle. The truck accident investigation will also likely focus on the evidence found on the truck. The driver of the hit-and-run vehicle faces criminal charges as well as a civil personal injury lawsuit. The fact that he left the accident scene with a person who had suffered bodily injuries opens him up to several charges. In the meantime, he has been suspended from his job as a police officer. Check out more about this police officer involved in the accident here.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Chris Yarzab [License]