Stevens & Traub Attorneys at Law

Million Dollar Verdicts and Settlements

$6,500,000.00 Fall from Ladder

$6,000,000.00 Electrocution on Job Site

$1,900,000.00 Worker Roadway Fatality

$1,800,000.00 Medical Malpractice - Eye Surgery

$1,500,000.00 Work Site Accident

$1,200,000.00 Slip & Fall

$1,100,000.00 Automobile Accident

$2,950,000.00 Bus Accident

Lawsuit Practice Areas

• Nursing home negligence

  • State and Federal Laws protect the elderly from health hazards and deficiencies in patient care.
  • Some common situations are:
    • Bedsores, pressure sores and infections
    • Dehydration and malnutrition
    • Falls, dislocations and fractures
    • Inadequate staffing, training and negligent supervision
    • Medication and prescription errors
    • Inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraints
    • Dropping of patients from beds, chairs, etc.
    • Failure to use bed rails to prevent falling
    • All other Nursing Home Negligence or accident cases.

• SPINAL CORD INJURIES

  • Car accidents are the leading cause of spinal injuries
  • Symptoms such as loss of feeling or loss of movement
  • Medical treatments involve physical therapy, diagnostic imaging studies such as MRI, drugs to relieve pain, surgery such as laminectomy or discectomy, and rehabilitation.
  • Injuries may affect the spinal cord or the roots of the spinal nerves, which run through the spaces between the back bones (vertebrae). The bundle of nerves that extend from the spinal cord (known as cauda equina) can also be traumatically injured.
  • Common types of spinal cord injuries include:
    • Fractures
    • Complete separation (dislocation) of vertebrae next to one another
    • Partial misalignment (subluxation) of vertebrae.

• Sexual Assault

  • Sexual assault happens in many different ways. Most people when they hear sexual assault think of rape. But there are other types of sexual assaults which leave their victims with deep psychological trauma affecting them for the rest of their lives. Sexual assaults can happen under different circumstances. It could be a doctor, a teacher a clergyman or even your employer. If you or a family member have had this experience call us to discuss  your legal recourse .

  • Building owners and managers have a legal responsibility to provide a reasonably secure environment for people who live in or visit their premises. Schools have the same responsibility for their teachers and students.

  • In other cases, sexual assaults may occur by trusted individuals in positions of authority such as nurses, doctors, home attendants, staff at nursing homes or Special Education facilities, teachers, religious figures such as priests, and or employers.

• LEAD PAINT

  • Lead paint was commonly used in homes and apartment buildings throughout the country. Once it was discovered how harmful lead can be when inhaled and ingested lead was removed from paint. The problem is that older homes and apartments still contain harmful lead paint. Kids  often eat paint chips which contained the lead causing serious developmental and brain issues.  If this has happened to a loved one we can help.

  • Babies of young children with high levels of lead can suffer from:

    • Brain damage or injury

    • Developmental delay; learning disabilities
    • Delayed growth and physical development
    • Hearing loss
    • Headaches

• Malpractice

  • Surgery carries inherent risks to the patient. Some of the most damaging risks stem from negligence. Surgical errors include errors in pre-operative care, unwarranted procedures,or perforations of internal organs by a surgical utensil during the performance of surgical procedures.

  • Errors in surgery can cause life-altering repercussions. Our firm is equipped to handle every type of surgical error, including:

    • Spinal cord injuries

    • FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE

    • LABOR AND DELIVERY ERRORS

    • Caesarean SECTION INJURIES

    • Anesthesia errors

    • Birth defects

    • Sepsis

    • CATARACT SURGERY

    • GASTRIC BYPASS

    • Surgical ERRORS

• Premises Liability

  • Property owners owe a duty to others who come on to their property. This duty includes keeping the premises clear of unreasonable dangers. To fulfill this duty, property owners should routinely inspect their property. If they become aware of any unsafe condition, they should remedy or repair the condition, or place a clear warning of the danger. All but the most obvious dangers should be warned about.

  • The exact nature of the duty may differ depending upon the type of property involved. For instance, a grocery store or shop owner may need to inspect the aisles several times a day to make sure that nothing has been spilled or dropped on the floor that may cause a slip or trip in the aisle. A landlord or owner of an apartment building may need to ensure adequate lighting in stairwells and parking garages, so as not to create an unreasonable risk of assault to tenants. Dog owners will want to keep their animals fenced in or on leashes to prevent vicious animal attacks.

  • There are many different types of premises liability cases, although some of the most common include:

    • Slip and fall
    • Trip and fall
    • Slippery or broken sidewalks
    • Elevator and escalator malfunctions
    • Negligent security
    • Toxic mold
    • Dog bites
    • Lead poisoning
    • Exposed wiring
    • Municipal liability

• Dangerous Medical Devices & Drugs

  When manufacturers place defective products on the market and promote those products to doctors and patients, those companies have a responsibility to make the product safe for its intended use.

  • Our defective device lawyers handle all types of medical product liability cases, including:
  • Artificial hips and knee joints, including DePuy hip implants
  • Surgical mesh, including defective transvaginal mesh patches
  • Respiratory device
  • Heart devices, including stents, heart valves, pacemakers and defibrillators
  • YASMIN birth control
  • Avandia

• New York City Subway Accident

  • Every day, millions of New Yorkers use the subway system to go to work, school and other activities. The subway trains, stairs, tunnels, platforms are not always properly maintained and repaired, creating a dangerous situation for the people who use the system.

• CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS

  • Construction workers operate dangerous equipment, lift large or heavy objects, and work high off the ground. This puts construction workers at increased risk for falling, being involved in accidents and on-the-job injuries. When proper safety precautions and practices are used, many injuries can be prevented. We handle all types of construction accidents. Below is a sample of some of the most common.

    • Scaffolding accidents
    • Ladder accidents
    • Workers hit by falling object
    • Equipment malfunctions
    • Workplace safety violations
    • OSHA violations

  • Unlike workers’ compensation, these lawsuits can include recovery for full wages and benefits, medical expenses, as well as pain and suffering. You may recover regular workers’ compensation benefits and also make a claim for damages in the third-party lawsuit. The damages recovered may be very substantial.

• Elevator Accidents

  • An elevator accident can occur anytime. Whether in an apartment building, shopping mall, hotel, department store, construction site, or hospital, an elevator accident can lead to serious injuries or even death. When an elevator accident occurs, the owner of the premises may be held liable for damages to the victim.

    • There are many kinds of elevator accidents. Some of the following are the most common.

      • Plummets or free falls

      • Stops between floors

      • Doors shut to quickly

      • Sudden stops

      • The equipment was improperly maintained

• DOG BITES

  • Pit bull dog bites and other animal attacks often cause serious injury and the victim may require plastic surgery or other extensive costly treatment.

    • New York courts have long recognized a cause of action that imposes strict liability on the owner for injuries inflicted by his dog if the victim can establish that the dog is vicious and that the owner knew or should have known about such vicious propensities. The state’s highest court ruled “that the owner of a domestic animal who either knows or should have known of that animal’s vicious propensities will be held liable for the harm the animal causes as a result of those propensities. Vicious propensities include the propensity to do any act that might endanger the safety of the persons and property of others in a given situation.” Bard v. Jahnke, 6 NY3d 592 (N.Y. 2006), citation omitted.

• Wrongful Death

  • The death of a loved one is a profound and horrible event. Our firm specializes in dealing with families who have experienced such tragedy, and we have developed a unique ability to help those affected by the death. We realize how important it is to provide our clients assistance.

  • Wrongful Death lawsuits involve those accidents or incidents which cause the death of an individual. As one can imagine, wrongful death can occur due to a variety of accidents: motor vehicle, construction, medical malpractice, and many others.

  • Under New York State law, the distributees or relatives that the decedent leaves behind after his or her death are entitled to bring a wrongful death claim which consists of the following categories of damages to which they may be entitled:

Loss of support, voluntary assistanc e, and possible inheritance

• Loss of future earnings (taking into account decedent’s working habits, job and income at the time of death, as well as the likelihood of further advancement and increased earnings capacity)
• Loss of parental guidance

• Transportation Accidents

  • If a motor vehicle accident occurs, appropriate medical treatment should be sought at a hospital emergency room, urgent care center, or trauma center. The police report or incident report should be obtained. Potential witnesses should be interviewed, and their names and addresses collected. Photographs of the damage to the vehicle(s) and your body should be taken.
  • Motor vehicle and motor vehicle-pedestrian cases require immediate attention because New York State No Fault Law has strict deadlines that must be complied with in order for an injured person to recover those benefits. Typically, the first deadline is 30 days after the accident. The insurance company may require the injured person to appear for a physical examination and examination under oath.
  • Our New York State car collision attorneys have an excellent understanding of the intricacies of New York’s No-Fault Law, as well as Underinsurance and Uninsured Motorist Coverage issues.

• BIRTH INJURIES

  • Birth injuries can range from minor injuries such as bruises, to serious injuries, such as cerebral palsy. Most of the birth deliveries are done in hospital premises, and some of these birth related injuries can happen at almost any point during labor and delivery. These birth injuries could also result from a medical negligence or error.
  • A baby diagnosed with a birth injury may recover fully and quickly, but in certain cases it may result in lifelong physical injuries or brain injuries involving physical or mental limitations.
  • Negligence/Mistakes can be made by the medical team at any time of the delivery. These mistakes can occur just before delivery, or at the moment of delivery, or it could occur immediately after delivery. Most of the medical negligence cases during birth involve usage of excessive force or using improper rotational force to deliver the baby. The delay in performing cesarean section (C-section) operation during difficult delivery could also result in birth injuries as well.
  • Oxygen deprivation is one of the risks involved during delivery. Oxygen deprivation can occur when the umbilical cord get compressed or twisted during delivery.

• Clergy Abuse/Foster Care Abuse

  • Being sexually abused by a member of a trusted community, such as by a priest or clergy member, or while living in a foster home, is devastating on many levels. Victims are often traumatized throughout their lives and undergo significant therapy to assist in managing their day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, many victims are not able to confront their abusers until they are much older and realize the effects of the abuse. If you suffered physical or sexual abuse, you need an experienced sexual abuse lawyer who can assert your rights against an abuser and the church that did nothing to stop the abuse. We will aggressively pursue claims against your abuser as well as any other parties or organizations that concealed the abuse; any third party who neglected to protect you may also be liable for concealing the abuse or failing to act. Our attorneys are sensitive in addressing the issues of our clients. We will handle your case professionally and discreetly. Typical scenarios involve;

    • Child sex abuse

    • Clergy abuse

    • Priest sexual abuse

    • Concealment of abuse

    • Foster home abuse

• Police Brutality

  • The police are responsible for protecting the community and maintain law and order. The majority of officers uphold the their responsibility to serve and protect the community. Unfortunately some officers act outside their authority. Often times this leads to improper stop and frisk encounters, false arrests, use of unnecessary force, beatings, and in some cases wrongful police shootings.

  • The attorneys at Stevens and Traub take these cases very seriously. Our firm will work with you to file a complaint as well as file a lawsuit against the appointed officer so as to get you the compensation you deserve for this outrageous treatment.

• Workplace Discrimination

  • People have a right to go to work and not be subject to discrimination at the workplace. New York & Federal Law prohibit discrimination against an employee. The law has detailed, protected categories for employees who have been subject to unfair treatment or harassment. An employee is prohibited from discriminatory against an employee on the basis of race, age, religion, sexual orientation on disability. These protected categories along with sexual harassment can subject an employee to work in a hostile work environment.

  • The attorneys at Stevens and Traub will fight for you and help you get the compensation you deserve.

• Talcum Powder/Ovarian Cancer

  • It has recently been determined that women who have been using talcum powder for genital hygiene purposes have been diagnosed with Uterine Cancer and Ovarian Cancer.
  • If you or a loved one has been using baby powder and have developed uterine or ovarian cancer we can help you get the compensation you deserve. The attorneys at Stevens and Traub will help you hold the manufacturer of the product accountable for your serious injury as an account of using their product.

• Product Liability

  • Every year people are injured from dangerous and defective products sold to consumers. There are design defects or manufacturing defects that lead to consumers suffering serious personal injuries. Manufacturers are required to provide consumers with proper warning as to how to safely use their product. The failure to properly warn of potential dangers in using a product can lead to users suffering serious personal injury or death.
  • The lawyers at Stevens and Traub will analyze your claim to determine if your injury was caused by a defective or defectively manufactured product. We will help you get the compensation you deserve from the use of this defective product.

• Slip and Fall

  • Slip and falls occur for many reasons. Most often it occurs due to a defective condition. These conditions range from wet and slippery floors, broken and uneven sidewalks, snow and ice and uneven sidewalks, and improperly maintained staircases. Property owners have a duty to provide a safe premises for people on their property. Accidents happen when landowners or property owners fail to properly maintain the premises. This failure to maintain can cause an unreasonable risk of injury to the individuals present on the property.
  • The attorneys at Stevens and Traub can provide you with expert legal assistance to get you the compensation you deserve.

• 9/11 Cases

  • No New Yorker will ever forget the attack on September 11th. Many people lost parents, children, spouses, friends and loved ones. But the suffering and death did not end on that awful day.
  • First Responders as well people living and working near the World Trade Center developed serious medical conditions which have caused them to be seriously sick. Many individuals who lived, worked in the area have developed cancer or other conditions that have dramatically changed their lives for the worst.
    • The Victims Compensation Fund has been re-authorized by Congress to address these individuals who have suffered as a result of the long term exposure to the harmful chemicals that were present in the air.
  • If you or a loved one has developed serious medical issues from exposure to the toxic dust following the collapse of the World Trade Center, you may be able to seek compensation from the Victims Compensation Fund. Many forms of cancer and respiratory illness have been attributed to the air around the trade center following the disaster.
  • Contact Stevens and Traub to see if you can file a claim and be compensated.