Central New York Injury Lawyer Blog

Central New York Personal Injury Law Firm’s Good Deed For 2011: Michaels Bersani Kalabanka Helps Save “Camp Rotary”.

January 2, 2012 | by Michael Bersani

Nothing brings Auburn and Cayuga County, NY, together like an attack from outside forces. Just as the ancient Greek city-states came together to fend off attacks from their ancient common enemy, Persia, all of Auburn and Cayuga County recently united to fend off an attack by the National Texas-based Boy Scouts of America. And Michaels Bersani Kalabanka is proud of its role in that battle. Here’s what happened, and what we did about it:

The Texas-based Boy Scouts of America forced the Auburn-based local Cayuga County Council Boy Scouts to “merge” with a larger local council, “Long House” Council, which occupies Onondaga County and other territories to our north. As part of the “merger”, the Texas-based Scouts were forcing the transfer all the Cayuga County Council’s assets to Long House Council, taking them out of local control. One gem-of-an asset was “Camp Rotary”, a 33-acre camp located on the east side of Owasco Lake and used by local scouts since 1910. It was clear, and neither the cash-strapped National Scouts nor the equally economically distressed Long House Council denied it, that once they acquired Camp Rotary, they intended to sell it off to developers for cash. To make matters worse, Camp Rotary sits right next to the Auburn YMCA’s “Camp Owasco” and the local Girl Scout Camp. Those groups were not anxious to have development so close by.

So the not-for-profits and good citizens of Cayuga County and Auburn bound their forces to fend off the attack, with the battle cry, “Save Camp Rotary”! Local leaders came to Michaels Bersani Kalabanka looking for legal representation for the local not-for-profit which held title to Camp Rotary, the Owasco Camp Association. Michaels Bersani Kalabanka took on the case, stood up to the big national Scouts in Court, and after a year and a half of tough-fought litigation, helped negotiate a settlement that culminated in Auburn’s YMCA acquiring the Camp for a relatively small sum of money – $350,000 (it is easily worth over $1 million). It is now saved forever for local youth use! You can read several news reports about the battle here, here and here.

Central NY Injury Lawyer: City Should Be Held Responsible For Adoptive Parent’s Abuse Of Children

December 31, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

I read in the New York Times about a lawsuit on behalf or10 disabled Children fraudulently adopted by a Queens, New York woman more than 15 years ago. It is an extremely disturbing case. Anyone who loves children, swallow hard before reading further.

The lady used different aliases to adopt severely disabled kids (autistic, etc.) who clearly weren’t wanted by anyone else, then pocketed the support subsidies from the City, spent them lavishly on herself, all while keeping the kids locked up at “home” and out of school. Well, I guess you could say they got some “schooling”, but it was the school of “hard knocks”: They were caged, handcuffed, and beaten every day of their young lives.

The kids are now mostly in their early adult life and, guess what, they want justice. Wouldn’t you? Now mostly in their 20s, they are asking for money to pay for the psychological and other services and treatment they will need for the rest of their lives and to be compensated for their years of suffering as well.

New Year’s Resolution Idea From Central NY Car Accident Lawyer — Throw The Cell Phone Or Smart Phone In Your Trunk

December 26, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

Having trouble finding a New Year’s resolution? Let me help. Forget about losing weight. Been there done that — or not!. That commitment usually lasts for only a few weeks. Here’s one you might be able to stick with, and that could save your life:

Promise yourself that, beginning January 1, you’ll start throwing your smart phone or cell phone in the TRUNK of your car whenever you drive. Don’t just commit to not using your smart or cell phone — as long as it’s sitting next to you and on, you will. If you don’t believe me, and think you can resist the temptation of answering the phone while you are driving, or of sneaking a peak at an incoming email or text message when you hear that little “beep” , take a look at this New York Times article, titled “U.S. Safety Board Urges Cellphone Ban for Drivers“. The article cites to several well-researched studies proving that smart phones and cell phones are every bit as addictive — and as dangerous to your health when you drive with them — as cigarettes.

Why can’t you resist the urge to answer, or to check that text message? Because you have a well-rooted, natural human urge to interact with other humans, especially when you are isolated and deprived of their company – as when you are alone behind the wheel.

Neck Injury That Starts Out As A $100,000 Case Ends Up Settling For $1.4 Million.

December 24, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

A client of mine is having a very merry Christmas indeed. I already blogged about his Waterloo, New York car accident case. Guy was passenger in his buddy’s car, who was stopped and waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn left into a driveway. Driver from behind, lost, looking at a map while driving, rear-ends them at full speed, causing them to flip over. Our guy ends up with a herniated cervical disc that takes him out of his welding job, for good, and requires surgery. The surgery helps, but does not rid him of the pain.

At first, there appeared to be no more than $100,000 in insurance, the policy limit of the driver/owner of the at-fault vehicle. There was no indication in the police report, or anywhere, that the negligent driver was doing anything but his own business when he rear-ended our guy. But an off-the-cuff remark by him at the scene — about some “bovine sperm bottles” he had in his pickup truck — tipped us off that perhaps he was working for some company that dealt in such products, even though he owned the vehicle and there was no company emblem or signage on it.

After some investigating, we turned up a California employer. The insurance carrier for the employer discloses a $1,000,000 insurance policy. Now we’re talking! But still, we felt our client’s case was worth more – what with all his pain and suffering, his completely altered life style, and the loss of his job.

Central NY Injury Lawyer On Fall From Cell Tower In Marcy, New York

December 23, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

News reports say a man working on a cell phone tower near Marcy, New York, suffered serious injuries today after falling more than 80 feet. He is reported to have suffered multiple broken bones and was taken to Utica’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

Falls from a height like that can cripple, maim or kill. We had a similar case (fall from a cell tower) a few years ago, which we brought to a successful conclusion. To win it, we used a special law that helps workers who fall from rooftops, scaffolds and towers. It’s called Labor Law 240, or “the scaffold law”. It allows a fallen worker, under certain circumstances, to sue anyone with an ownership interest in the tower or the land the tower is on, including leaseholders, for compensation above and beyond what the worker will get in workers’ compensation from his employer.

The key to winning this kind of case is to show that the worker was on the tower to “repair” something or to inspect something that was broken or malfunctioning. If his task involved “repair” work, or inspection work in contemplation of repair work, he is generally protected by Labor Law 240. But if he was performing mere “routine maintenance” of the tower, then he cannot prevail under Labor Law 240. He will generally be stuck with just his workers’ compensation benefits, which (as anyone who has been on comp knows) generally isn’t enough to pay the bills. It covers at most only about 2/3 of lost wages.

Tow Trucker’s Funeral Raises Awareness Of Amended New York Vehicle & Traffic Law Protecting “Hazard Vehicles”.

November 27, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

Yesterday, about one hundred tow-truck drivers formed a procession on East Molloy Road in Mattydale during the funeral of their brother tow-trucker, Todd Young, who was killed when a tractor trailer careened into him as he was attending to a broken down vehicle on the shoulder of the Thruway in Manlius, a mile east of Interstate 481. The fellow tow-truck drivers were thinking, no doubt, “but for the grace of god, there go I”. All of them, if they have been in the business for any significant amount of time, have had “close calls”; vehicles speeding by within feet, or even inches, of them as they dutifully attend to motorists in need on the shoulder of New York’s Thruway and other highways.

And that’s why a new law in New York, which takes effect January 1st, 2012, requires motorists to slow down and move over for “hazard vehicles”, which includes tow trucks. The law, called the Ambrose-Searles Move-Over Act, as it is currently written (read my prior blog) applies only to “emergency vehicles”, such as police cars. But the amended law will cover “hazard vehicles”, too, including tow trucks. Violators face fines of up to $150 for the first offense, $300 for a second offense and $450 for a third offense.

So, fellow motorist, join this Central NY car accident lawyer in my pledge to slow down, move over, and . . .

Bigger Trucks Mean Bigger Accidents, Says Central NY Injury Lawyer

November 26, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

Hope you all enjoyed your pumpkin pie. I sure did. And have you examined your waist line recently? If you’re like many Americans, it’s expanding. But not as fast as American truck drivers, according to a NY Times article I read last week. And then just today I read an article about how trucks are getting heavier, too. It seems everything in America is super-sized these days.

But let’s just talk trucks for now. Officially, the national weight limit for freight trucks on interstate highways is 40 tons (80,000 lbs). But in almost half of the 50 States, Federal laws now allows for trucks weighing more (not yet in New York). Last week, Congress added Maine and Vermont to the list, allowing trucks up to 100,000 pounds there.

So what’s the BIG deal? (pun intended). Big trucks make for big accidents, as this Central and Syracuse NY trucking accident lawyer knows all too well. And they also make for more frequent accidents because they are harder to control and stop. And they also chew up our roads and bridges faster, which chews up your tax dollars faster.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Accidents

November 22, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

Thanksgiving is this Central New York injury lawyer’s favorite holiday. Why? Because I love good food, and good company, but don’t like the complicated and expensive business of gift giving.

Although Thanksgiving is a holiday, unfortunately, it is not a holiday from accidents. In fact, there are more accidents on Thanksgiving than on other days. Primarily, car accidents. People drink too much, then they drive. Crash. Don’t do it!

Tis the season for slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents, too. Black Friday means packed stores, with shoppers tripping over objects left in aisles, or slipping on liquid spills.

Central New York Injury Lawyer: Hunters Beware!

November 21, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

Hunting season is once again upon us. Hunters, please be careful. I have blogged about hunting accidents before, so rather than repeat myself, I’ll simply refer you to this prior blog post:

Central NY Hunting Accident Lawyer Reminds Hunters of Safety Rules

Our law firm has recovered several sizable settlements for injured hunters from the homeowners’ insurance of their fellow hunters who accidentally fired at them. Maneuvering past the insurance issues can be tough, as I explain in this blog post:

Do New York Personal Injury Lawyers Favor Republicans Or Democrats?

November 20, 2011 | by Michael Bersani

As the presidential election campaign heats up, I thought you might want to know where we New York personal injury lawyers stand. Do we favor democrats, like Obama, or Republican like _______ (fill in the blank)?

I won’t give you a bunch of crap about us being impartial. We favor democrats hands down. Why? Among other reasons, because many republicans are in favor of