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Google Maps and Images Makes It Into the Courtroom.

Google Maps and Images Makes It Into the Courtroom. A change in the law (Civil Practice Law and Rules), now allows courts to take judicial notice of maps, images, locations, et al. The law allows parties to submit such evidence without needing further authentication provided it comes from a reliable source of digital information, such as Google Maps, Google Earth or similar web-based mapping services. It is then the burden of the opposing party to rebut the presumption that the evidence is reliable. A mere "naked objection" that the evidence does not fairly or accurately depict the subject location, that is not substantiated by credible evidence, will be insufficient to defeat the presumption. Technology is indeed changing the [...]

What To Do Right After an Accident and Injury?

It’s somewhat of a cliché, but the first thing you absolutely need to do is get a lawyer. You were in a traumatic accident and injured. For example, your car was crashed by another driver who ran the red light and you got seriously injured. So many things are running through your mind: -I’m hurt and in pain. -I’m scared and confused, the police and ambulance are at the scene. -Who pays for the ambulance and hospital? -Will I be able to go to work? -If I can’t work, how will I get money? -I was prescribed pain and other medications, how do I pay for this? -I need follow-up therapy and continued medical treatment with doctors, who [...]

Can You Be Compensated for Your PTSD?

Can You Get PTSD from a Car Accident? PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health condition that can have a serious impact on someone's well-being. In significant part, this is because of symptoms that range from depression, anxiety, intrusive memories of the traumatic event to negative changes in the accident victim’s thinking. PTSD is serious and it can last for months and years or have permanent residual manifestations. It should come as no surprise to learn that car accidents indeed count as traumatic events, meaning that car accidents can cause PTSD in the accident victims who were involved in the car accident, either as driver or passenger. Generally speaking, the more unexpected the traumatic or terrifying event, [...]

Unified Trial

What Is A Unified Trial?Except in the Bronx, where unified trials are the norm, the general rule is that jury trials are bifurcated, with the issue of liability being decided first, followed by a trial on the issue of damages. However, there are limited circumstances where the plaintiff can ask for and be granted a unified trial. This circumstance generally arises where the issue of damages (i.e. the injuries) are relevant to the issue of liability. The most common scenario is a pedestrian knockdown case, where the defendant is claiming that (a) the pedestrian was never hit by the vehicle or (b) the pedestrian ran into the side of the vehicle as opposed to the front striking the pedestrian. These [...]

Bifurcated Trial

What is a Bifurcated Trial? With the exception of cases venued in the Bronx, the general rule is that the trial on issue of liability (who is at fault for the accident) and the trial on the issue of damages (the injuries sustained and the compensation appropriate for them) are separated. This is known as a bifurcated trial. The overarching purposes for bifurcation are the simplification and narrowing of the issues for the jury to decide in each jury trial and the efficiency of the court system. The rationale for the latter is that if the jury finds that the defendant is not liable for the accident, the issue of damages becomes irrelevant. Put another way, if the defendant [...]

3 Mistakes to Avoid After Being in a Car Accident

Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident With over 8 million people living in New York City it’s inevitable that many will be involved in car accidents and injured. Whether in car or truck accident, motorcycle or bicycle accident, or as a pedestrian, the statistics are telling. Over 15,000 people are yearly taken to the hospital because of a car accident in New York City, equating to generally 80 out of every 100,000 residents. Regardless of whether you were in a minor car accident or a major one, you need to seek the help of a car accident attorney in New York City to make sure your rights and interest are properly preserved and protected.  Michael Manoussos & [...]

Bench Trial

What is a Bench Trial?When discovery in a case is complete and the case is placed on the trial calendar, both the defendant and the plaintiff have the right to demand a jury trial to determine any issues of fact. Issues of law are determined by the judge and when there no disputed facts to be decided, there is no right to a jury trial. The distinction between issues of fact and issues of law is beyond the scope of this post, but suffice it to say, the jury generally determines the credibility of the parties, the apportionment of fault among the parties, and the damages sustained. If, however, the plaintiff does not demand a jury trial and the [...]

WRONGFUL DEATH ACCIDENTS

WRONGFUL DEATH ACCIDENTS Wrongful death occurs when a person dies due to the negligent or wrongdoing of some other person or entity. Be mindful that wrongful death arises from a negligent act or omission, to be differentiated from an intentional or willful act, which would constitute the crime of a wrongful death (be it murder or manslaughter).  Wrongful death accordingly is a civil wrong (not criminal) and a lawsuit for wrongful death is filed in the civil part of the supreme court in New York. Many wrongful deaths occur in tragic car accidents and in construction-site accidents.  Car Accidents; Truck Accidents; Pedestrian Accidents. A staggering number of people lose their life in fatal car accidents (including truck accidents [...]

50-H Hearing

50-H Hearing After filing and serving a Notice of Claim, the next pre-requisite to filing a lawsuit for money damages against a public entity or authority is a statutory hearing, which is generally referred to as a 50-H hearing (the legal authority for this hearing is General Municipal Law Section 50-h for certain claims and other statutes for other claims, hence the term “50-h” which is generally used in the legal community to mean any hearing on a claim against a public entity or authority). The 50-h hearing is very similar to a deposition (but not as extensive or thorough). You will be asked questions under oath by an attorney retained by the entity or authority against which [...]

De Minimis Defect

What Is De Minimis Defect? Often in trip and fall cases, the party responsible for maintaining the property where an injury occurred will claim that the defect is "de minimis".  The courts consider a defective condition to be "de minimis", and hence not actionable, if the defect is "trivial", "insignificant", or "insubstantial".  Essentially, the argument is that although there may be a defect (such as an elevated sidewall flag), if the defect is very minor or slight, the court can decide that the defect is not dangerous enough to justify holding the property owner or tenant legally responsible to the injured party for the injuries sustained.  The courts have resisted setting specific dimensions for what is, and is not, [...]