The former chief crane inspector for New York City began serving a two to six year prison term after having pled guilty in March (2010).  His conviction was for taking bribes for approving the use of cranes he had not actually inspected, and for issuing crane operator licenses to unqualified individuals. This investigation was prompted by [...]

AM I LIMITED TO GETTING WORKERS COMPENSATION? During the last week of May of this year (2010) alone, there were two serious construction site accidents involving falls from significant heights. One involved a worker at a residential building falling fifty feet while he was working on the building’s steel framework. The other involved a worker [...]

CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS — REFORM We have previously reported regarding efforts in the New York State Legislature to open up a one year “window of opportunity” to victims of childhood sexual abuse. It would have extended the Statute of Limitations on bringing “civil” lawsuits so that virtually anyone, at any age, that [...]

“SUBSTITUTION OF ATTORNEYS” SO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LAWYER It is a fact of life that Personal Injury lawsuits, as a general rule, require years, rather than months, to reach a conclusion. This is a product of both the nature of a personal injury lawsuit–which requires investigation and “discovery”– and crowded court calendars. This [...]

“FORUM  SHOPPING” II PICKING THE COURT THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU: CHOICE OF “VENUE” As we have seen, with respect to situations where state law may differ from federal law, and both state and federal jurisdiction exists, the fact situation of the case may determine the most advantageous court in which to bring your lawsuit.   There [...]