NJ Personal Injury Law Firm

New York Law Journal
May 30, 1995

In his letter (NJLJ, May 17), Jerrold Parker discussed the new, improved procedures for obtaining New York City Police accident reports.

The new procedures were the result of the work of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association which was spearheaded by his past president, Stephan H. Peskin. The old procedure degenerated into a nightmare in which lawyers and clients could not obtain police reports. Such reports are needed in order to process bodily injury and property damage claims and no-fault insurance claims. Claims which could and should be settled quickly were delayed many, many months needlessly, This problem was extensively discussed in this newspaper by prior letters and a “perspective” article by Abraham Fuchsberg, the Trial Lawyers’ current president.

The new system is one example of the valuable public services provided by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Among other things, the Association has a presence in Albany for positive legislation, such as raising the minimum auto insurance limits. The Association is at the forefront of issues which affect both our clients (i.e., the general public) and our practices.

New York Law Journal
April 19, 1995

A NASSAU County jury awarded $ 3.95 million last week to a 59-year-old woman whose leg was amputated because of the failure of doctors at North Shore University Hospital to diagnose a blood clot for two days.
The plaintiff, Arlene Bernstein a former supervisor at Nassau Off-Tract Betting Corp., had entered the hospital in November 1991 for cervical surgery. Because of a cardiac condition, she first was required to undergo bypass surgery, which resulted in cardiac arrest.

The complaint alleged that while in the intensive care unit over the Thanksgiving weekend, the hospital left her monitoring to an intern who had had only 26 days of experience in post-operative procedures. It said doctors also ignored nurses’ notes of symptoms associated with a thrombosis that should have required remedial action.

According to her trial attorney, Bruce D. Katz, the verdict — which included $ 2.8 million for past and future pain and suffering — is believed to be the largest ever returned in the county in a malpractice action not involving a brain-damaged baby. Parker & Waichman of Great Neck were the attorneys of record.

The defendants were represented by Charles Bach of Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach. Supreme Court Justice Harry Kutner presided over the trial.

May 01, 1995

The National Law Journal
August 22, 1994

EIGHT LAW FIRMS have been selected as members of the plaintiffs’ steering committee to coordinate the consolidated civil litigation stemming from the February 1993 World Trade Center terrorist bombing.
The committee, officially established July 29 includes as the liaison counsel Blair C. Fensterstock of the New York office of Atlanta’s Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan. Plaintiffs filed some 177 suits against the Port Authority of New York , which operates the building, for negligence and poor security.

The plaintiffs are seeking a total of about $ 2 billion in damages for injuries and business interruption.

The other members of the committee include Lewis A. Kaplan and Brad S. Karp of New York’s Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Howard Goldstein and Cyrus M. Diamond of New York’s Sullivan & Liapakis; Abraham Fuchsberg and Ari M. Gross of New York’s Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg; Richard Glazer and Gerard F. Belz Jr. of the New York office of Philadelphia’s Cozen & O’Connor; Victor A. Kovner and Sharon Schneier of New York’s Lankenau, Kovner & Kurtz; Richard S. McGowan of New York’s Rheingold & McGowan; and Jerrold S. Parker and Herbert L. Waichman of Great Neck, N.Y.’s Parker & Waichman.