Cases Of Interest

At Zalman, Schnurman, & Miner, we are fully dedicated to our clients. Below are just some of the many notable cases we have resolved on their behalf...

$7,200,000. College student was an unbelted passenger in van which rolled over. She suffered serious injuries resulting in paraplegia.

$6,000,000. Hospital worker severely burned in an electrical explosion as a result of a faulty switch that caused an electrical arc. The case settled during trial against the manufacturer.

$3,000,000. Resident of YMCA suffered third degree burns in a fire. The door to his room did not conform to the requirements of the New York City Building Codes in that it had louvers which allowed smoke and air to pass through, and allowed the fire to spread more rapidly.

$2,375,000. We represented a woman, crossing the street in the crosswalk, who was struck by a van. The insurance company for the driver and the van argued that the pedestrian didn't look before crossing, and that the driver could not see her because she emerged from a shady section of the sidewalk. The defendants also argued that the pedestrian made a good recovery, despite suffering a head injury, multiple broken bones, and undergoing multiple surgeries. We countered such arguments with a detailed investigation including obtaining the police investigation reports, interviewing witnesses, retaining accident reconstruction experts, having illustrations created of the incident scene and the various injuries, and working with treating medical doctors who were willing to testify at trial. Through our efforts, we were able to counter the defendant's allegations and obtain a significant compensatory award for our client. October 2011.

$2,100,000 verdict. Sanitation worker fractured leg when struck by vehicle. Our client was alighting from a garbage truck when he was struck by the private vehicle. Both the car that hit our client and The City of New York were held liable. The City was held liable for failing to properly supervise its workers and provide a safe work environment. The City of New York paid the bulk of the award as the private vehicle only had the minimum amount of insurance required by the State.

$1,900,000. Motorcyclist was traveling straight at a high rate of speed in Queens when a New York City Sanitation Truck made a left hand turn in front of him. The motorcyclist tried to avoid the truck but went into a slide and was crushed and killed by the truck’s front tire. Our investigation revealed that the incident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera. The victim, a laborer, was survived by his wife and infant child. June 2009.

$1,900,000. Construction worker fractured both knees in fall resulting in a permanent injury. The claim was brought against the general contractor for having an unsafe workplace.

1,500,000. A gentleman slipped and fell on ice suffering a serious leg fracture, requiring surgeries. He was unable to return to work as a real estate broker. The defendants claimed that they had properly cleaned the sidewalk following the last snowfall, and regularly inspected and salted the sidewalk for any slippery conditions. It was our position that if the defendants had properly cleaned the and inspected the sidewalk there would not have been ice. The case was bifurcated for trial, and was settled after the trial on liability was completed. December 2012.

$1,500,000. A 92 year old man was crossing the street in Manhattan on his way to work when he was struck by a New York Times delivery truck. The defendants originally argued that any compensation should be limited due to the advanced age of the plaintiff, and even though he was in a coma for weeks after he was struck, their was no evidence of pain or suffering during that time. We showed with the help of an economist that the gentleman had been working and and earning an income. Further with the help of a forensic pathologist we were able to show that despite being in a coma he was responsive to pain and touch. The victim was survived by his wife whom he supported, and his granddaughter. July 2009.

$1,500,000. Construction worker was involved in asbestos removal. He lost the use of one eye when he was struck by a piece of equipment.

$1,250,000. Female van passenger was injured in Queens when an oncoming car crossed over the center line, striking the vehicle she was in. The host van flipped over causing fractures and a de-gloving injury to her hand.