Welcome Post

Welcome to my blog. Personal injury law is very often under scrutiny. Outside the U.S., people marvel at how "sue-happy" we are here. We sue restaurants when we burn ourselves on a hot cup coffee. Plaintiffs' lawyers are dubbed with the dubious label of being "ambulance chasers". Tort reform has been the platform for many a politician.

But it's not all that bad. Having practiced in a variety of different areas, quite frankly I find personal injury cases to be refreshingly honest. When a plaintiff is legimately hurt, there is little gamesmanship. Medical records are freely disclosed. Plaintiffs' lawyers have no issue with having the defendants' medical experts examine the plaintiff.

Here in New York, the trials in state court are bifurcated. Juries must first determine a defendant's liability before ever hearing what injuries were suffered. This procedure was designed to ensure that juries can first focus on the liability issues without being prejudiced by gruesome evidence of the injuries.

Having represented both plaintiffs and defendants, this blog will differ from most in that the topics being discussed may be tips for either side to consider. In the coming weeks, I'll offer some commentary on automobile accidents, protecting yourself from liability, and how plaintiffs' lawyers decide whether or not to take on a personal injury case.

If you have any questions, feel free to write them in the Reader Comments section and I just might have an opportunity to answer them or make it the topic of my next post.

Regards,

DS