Local Attorneys. Real Results

Results

Over the last 50 years, our firm has earned numerous, substantial verdicts and settlements for our clients. We have outlined a few of the results we have achieved below. Please note that every award, settlement or verdict is based on the unique facts of each case and past results, including those listed below, do not guarantee a similar outcome in any other case. Also, unlike some law firms, all of the reported verdict and settlement amounts below represent “present value” and are not inflated for payouts in the future for structured settlements or annuity type payments. Lastly, some of our cases are sealed by the court or require confidentiality that prevents us from listing them here. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.


 

    • $21,986,586.00. This verdict amount is believed to be one of the largest single personal injury verdicts to be affirmed by an appellate court in Western New York History. A 35-year-old construction worker from Belmont, New York fell through a roof at a factory located in Dansville, Livingston County, New York. The worker suffered devastating injuries leaving his right leg traumatically amputated and rendering him a quadriplegic. The trial court found the property owner strictly liable for his injuries and the verdict was affirmed on appeal. Schifelbine v Foster Wheeler Corp., 288 AD2d 903 [2001]. The case proceeded to trial on damages alone resulting in a verdict of $23,368,209.00 in Allegany County Supreme Court. The Appellate Court reduced the award slightly, resulting in a total award in the amount of $21,986,586.00 to our client. Schifelbine v Foster Wheeler Corp., 4 AD3d 736 [2004]. New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, later dismissed the defendants’ final appeal.
    • $3,750,000.00. Global settlement for family members injured and killed in a collision in Ohio when the mini-van rear door failed to stay latched in a roll-over collision. After lengthy discovery and shortly before trial a settlement was reached together with our co-counsel in Texas to compensate the family for their losses.
    • $2,250,000.00. This was a settlement negotiated by an attorney from New York City on behalf of one of our clients who suffered injuries from a defective drug known as Rezulin. Our office represented the client early in this case and later referred her to another excellent attorney who achieved this result in one of the first of many Rezulin claims that were filed across the United States.
    • $1,500,000.00. Settlement for an Almond, New York resident who suffered devastating injuries in a motor vehicle accident.
    • $1,300,000.00. Verdict for personal injuries despite a pre-existing serious low back and right hip injury over 15 years before this car crash. Plaintiff suffered a cervical disc injury leading to fusion and placement of an artificial disc in his neck. This is believed to be one of the largest personal injury motor vehicle accident verdicts in Cattaraugus County history.
    • $1,070,000.00. Jury Verdict in Erie County Supreme Court, the Honorable Frederick Marshall presiding, after the wrongful death of our client. The jury made the award to the client’s husband and their children following her death at an MRI facility after the staff and medical providers deviated from the minimum standard of care in responding to her allergic reaction to a contrast dye.
    • $1,050,000.00. Verdict for Hinsdale resident who suffered lower back injuries when he tripped and fell while working as a security guard at a factory. The worker’s lower back injuries required three separate surgeries leaving him disabled for life. Liability was tried before a Cattaraugus County jury resulting in a finding that the factory owner was 100% at fault for the fall and on the basis of a pre-negotiated agreement the property owner’s insurance company paid total damages in the amount of $1,050,000.00.
    • $1,000,060.00.. Verdict (- 20% comparative negligence) by Ethan Lyle in McKean County, Pennsylvania after a 4-day jury trial with Judge Christopher Hauser. Client was a 51-year-old man who suffered a broken ankle and cervical injury in a motor vehicle crash. We believe this is the second largest verdict in the history of McKean County, Pennsylvania. The story is here.
    • $925,000.00. Settlement for the family of a 27-year-old Wellsville, New York resident who was killed when the oil derrick he was working on collapsed. Our firm was able to obtain the settlement after a lawsuit was started and before Allegany County Supreme Court was to rule on our motion seeking a judgment that the property owner was completely at fault for the accident. The case settled after a lengthy mediation conference.
    • $925,000.00. Pre-suit settlement for a mid-30 year old school teacher from Rochester, NY who was struck as a pedestrian while walking into a store which caused severe injuries and surgeries to one arm and one leg.
    • $900,000.00. Settlement for the family of a 34-year-old Belmont, New York resident tragically killed in a rear-end motor vehicle collision. The case settled after a lengthy mediation session.
    • $725,000.00. Settlement for family of a woman killed in an automobile crash in Pennsylvania after mediation.
    • $690,000.00. Settlement for a resident of Friendship, New York injured in a motor vehicle crash in Allegany County, New York.
    • $650,000.00. Total settlement for a truck driver from Turtlepoint, Pennsylvania who suffered from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) in his hands and arms as a result of a crash that took place while he was driving his tractor-trailer in North Carolina. The at-fault driver’s insurance paid their full liability limits and our client’s employer’s underinsured motorist policy paid out additional funds.
    • $625,000.00. Settlement for a 45-year-old resident of Wellsville, New York who suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a pipe being hoisted as part of a gas drilling operation.
    • $550,000.00. Settlement for a 37-year-old Olean, New York resident who suffered back injuries while working on a school building project. The worker was injured when he fell off makeshift scaffolding, suffering a herniated disc in his neck requiring surgery. Our firm was successful in defeating the defendants’ motion to dismiss and the case settled at the jury selection phase of trial.
    • $500,000.00. Settlement for a Friendship resident who suffered a severe foot injury when he was injured by the collapse of a scissors lift while unloading supplies at a local grocery store.
    • $450,000.00. Settlement for a 70-year-old motorcycle rider from Wellsville, New York who was T-boned by a driver of a commercial van who failed to see our client entering an intersection with a green light.
    • $450,000.00. Global settlement for a Rew, Pennsylvania family injured in a motor vehicle accident in Carrollton, New York. All three family members were injured and settlement was reached for the policy limits of the at-fault driver with additional funds from our client’s underinsured carrier.
    • $400,000.00. Settlement just prior to trial for an Arkport, New York woman who fell in a hole and badly injured her wrist, leg and upper arm after contractors left a dangerous condition on her property.
    • $360,000.00. Settlement for a 28-year-old Allegany County motorcycle rider who was tragically killed when a construction vehicle pulled into his path of travel killing him instantly.
    • $335,000.00. Policy limit settlement for a 61-year-old Bradford, PA man struck as a pedestrian while working.
    • $330,000.00. Settlement for a 16-year-old resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was injured in a single motor vehicle accident in the Town of Sherman, Chautauqua County, New York. We alleged that the driver was at fault for the crash but also that the company that sold the vehicle to the driver was also at fault for failing to repair the rear seat belt, which was inoperable at the time of sale. The case settled shortly before trial after a mediation session.
    • $310,000.00. Settlement for a 47-year-old Maryland resident involved in an automobile crash in Cattaraugus County, NY. This included policy limits of the at-fault party and a SUM recovery as well.
    • $300,000.00. Verdict for a Buffalo family following binding arbitration. This tragic case involved the death of two young children and injuries to their mother in a house fire, due to negligent installation of a heating system. The heating contractor had gone out of business but we were successful in getting an arbitrator to award the property owner’s full limits of insurance to the family.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement for a young lady who was attacked and bitten by a dog while at a campground. This settlement represented the entire amount of the available liability insurance coverage for the dog’s owner.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement for a victim of medical malpractice.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement for a retired woman who was bitten by a dog while walking on the sidewalk in a residential neighborhood. This settlement represented the policy limits of the dog owner’s insurance policy.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement for a Little Genesee, New York resident who slipped and fell while walking to her car after work in Olean, New York. The client suffered a broken arm that required surgery.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement for a 36-year-old roofer from Wellsville, New York who suffered injuries to his low back after falling off the roof of a boarding house during a roofing project. This settlement represented the entire liability policy available to compensate our client.
    • $300,000.00. Settlement and arbitration award for a 38-year-old Olean, New York massage therapist who was injured in a rear-end collision in St. Marys, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Our client suffered multiple cervical disc herniations as a result of the crash. After the at-fault driver’s insurance paid their full liability limits of $100,000 our client’s own SUM carrier refused to pay, we arbitrated our client’s claim and were awarded $200,000 which was the full SUM limits available.
    • $300,000.00. Products liability settlement after discovery for a 62-year-old Olean, New York man who was injured as a result of being given a defective medication.
    • $250,000.00. Settlement for a woman injured by a road defect in Jamestown, New York prior to trial.
    • $250,000.00. Trucking crash settlement pre-suit for an elderly client in Erie County, New York who suffered a non-displaced femure fracture.
    • $250,000.00. Settlement for a 20-year-old college student from Cattaraugus, New York who suffered facial scars in a single-vehicle accident that occurred in Morrisville, Madison County, New York.
    • $240,000.00. Jury verdict awarded to a 39-year-old resident of Belfast, NY after completion of a Summary Jury Trial in Allegany County Supreme Court. Our client suffered injuries to her shoulder, neck and back as a result of a collision that happened in Niagara Falls, New York.
    • $240,000.00. Uninsured Motorist (UM) settlement prior to arbitration for a Tonawanda resident who’s back was injured as the result of a hit in run in the City of Buffalo.
    • $230,000.00. Settlement for a young man from Bradford, Pennsylvania who suffered severe injuries to his hips and pelvis when the ATV he was riding on collided with a car. We alleged the driver of the four-wheeler was negligent and that the owner of the ATV had negligently entrusted it to their young son. The case settled after a lawsuit was filed and extensive discovery was completed.
    • $225,000.00. Verdict for 22-year-old resident of Whitesville, New York who had two toes traumatically amputated when a drilling pipe fell on his foot. Our firm was successful in obtaining a judgment from Allegany County Supreme Court that the property owner was completely at fault for the accident. The case proceeded to trial on damages alone resulting in a $100,000.00 verdict for the oil worker’s past pain and suffering. The Appellate Division added an additional $125,000.00 for future pain and suffering resulting in a total award of $225,000.00. www.nycourts.gov/courts/ad4/clerk/decisions/2009/03-20-09/pdf/0067.pdf.
    • $225,000.00.  Settlement before trial for an Erie County resident injured in Chautauqua County crash when a vehicle ran a stop sign and struck the truck he was riding in.  This resulted in the repair of a prior lumbar fusion.
    • $220,000.00. Settlement for a sales manager from Erie, Pennsylvania who slipped and fell on ice at a hotel in Jamestown, New York suffering a serious knee injury. We filed suit against the hotel owner and after extensive discovery and the claim was resolved after a full day of mediation.
    • $215,000.00. Settlement for a 68-year-old Avon saleswoman from Port Allegany, Pennsylvania who suffered injuries to her spine in a car crash in Allegany, NY.
    • $212,000.00. Settlement for a gentleman who was injured in Tompkins County, New York when a car made a U-turn in front of him while he was riding his motorcycle. The crash happened at night on a rural road so the motorcyclist could not see the car in time to stop.
    • $205,000.00. Settlement for a resident of Rushford, New York who suffered internal injuries, including a lacerated bladder, after an ATV on which she was riding rolled over as a result of the driver’s negligence.
    • $200,000.00. Pre-suit policy limit settlement for a Potter County resident who was injured as a passenger in a one vehicle crash near Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania.
    • $200,000.00. Pre-suit policy limite settlement for a motor vehicle crash in Allegany County, New York.
    • $200,000.00. Pre-suit settlement for a 40-year-old Olean man who fell due to a defective sidewalk/curb cut at a facility in Wellsville, New York and suffered a herniated disc in his neck which required surgery.
    • $195,000.00. Settlement for a 55-year-old Portville resident who suffered injuries to her cervical spine requiring a fusion. This nearly represented the maximum insurance coverage available.
    • $190,000.00. Underinsured Motorist (UM) pre-suit settlement for a McKean County resident injured in a crash in Texas with injuries that included severe scarring to one arm.
    • $185,000.00. Settlement for a 56-year-old resident of Portageville, New York who suffered a fractured hip after being struck by a commercial vehicle that crossed the center line during a snowstorm in Genesee Falls, New York.
    • $178,000.00. Verdict for 24-year-old Tonawanda, Erie County, New York resident who suffered injuries to his knee, shoulder and back in a single-vehicle car crash outside of Wellsville, New York. An Allegany County Jury ultimately found the driver 100% at fault for the crash and award our client damages for his past and future pain and suffering.
    • $175,000.00. Settlement for the family of a 12-year-old Bradford, Pennsylvania resident who suffered a leg fracture when another youth jumped on his back during unsupervised rough, horseplay. We alleged that proper supervision could and should have prevented the injury.
    • $175,000.00. Settlement for a 47-year-old Rixford, McKean County, Pennsylvania woman who was struck by another motorist in Roulette Township, Potter County causing her to suffer a Lisfranc fracture.
    • $170,000.00. Settlement for a 49-year-old bus driver who suffered knee injuries when he fell on ice in a parking lot while exiting his vehicle in Cuba, New York.
    • $165,000.00. Settlement for farmworker who suffered injuries to his foot when struck by a piece of farm equipment. We alleged that the equipment did not have a guard, which was later sold as an optional safety device.
    • $165,000.00. Settlement for a 45-year-old resident of Olean who was injured in a Jamestown, New York accident. The settlement was brokered with the at-fault driver’s insurance and, due to differences between Pennsylvania and New York underinsured motorist law, the underinsured carrier paid their full limits of coverage.
    • $160,000.00. Settlement just prior to trial in the Court of Claims for a middle-aged woman who fell while visiting family at the Allegany State Park and suffered a fractured ankle.
    • $150,000.00. Settlement pre-suit for a McKean County resident who fell at the showing of a play and suffered a broken ankle which required surgery.
    • $150,000.00. Settlement for a 60 year old couple from Port Allegany, Pennsylvania who were seriously injured when a vehicle in the opposite lane of traffic veered into their vehicle causing substantial damage. This represented policy limits in the third-party case and a substantial portion of underinsured motorist insurance coverage as well.
    • $150,000.00. Settlement for a 38-year-old Olean resident who tripped and fell on some steps in a tavern suffering injuries to her low back.
    • $150,000.00. Settlement for 41-year-old Rixford, Pennsylvania resident who suffered back injuries when he slipped and fell in the parking lot of a doctor’s office in Irving, New York. After suit was commenced and all discovery completed the case was resolved.
    • $150,000.00. Arbitration award and underinsured motorist settlement for a housewife from Smethport, McKean County, Pennsylvania who suffered a herniated cervical disc in a car accident. An arbitrator in Buffalo, New York awarded our client the at-fault driver’s full liability limits of $100,000.00 and our client’s underinsured motorist insurance paid an additional $50,000.00 to settle the claim.
    • $150,000.00. Settlement for a young lady who was injured when the school bus she was riding in crashed into a ditch after the bus driver lost control of the vehicle.
    • $130,000.00. Settlement for a middle-aged woman who suffered a fall on ice while walking into work in the Town of Fillmore, Allegany County, New York resulting in serious head injuries.
    • $125,000.00.  Settlement at mediation and just before trial for a mid-50’s Olean resident who fell when a store display malfunctioned.  This caused an ankle fracture that required surgery.
    • $125,000.00. Settlement for a 55-year-old resident of Olean, New York who suffered a torn rotator cuff after slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk in Wellsville, New York.
    • $125,000.00. Settlement after a half-day mediation session for a Jamestown, New York resident who suffered injuries in an incident at a big box store in Lakewood, New York.
    • $125,000.00. Pre-suit settlement for a 34-year-old Belfast man who was very seriously injured as the result of an automobile crash while he was a passenger. The dollar amount is not what is noteworthy here. What is noteworthy is that the client had hired another attorney to handle his case and had been advised that there was limited coverage available to him. Through our efforts, we were able to locate and recover additional insurance coverage that he would not have otherwise recovered.
    • $117,500.00. Settlement just prior to jury selection for an elderly Fillmore, NY, husband and wife struck in their car in Livingston, County, NY.
    • $115,000.00. Settlement for a Wyoming County milk truck driver who was injured when he slipped and fell on an icy driveway while making a pick up at a farm in Genesee County.
    • $115,000.00. Settlement for a victim of medical malpractice after depositions.
    • $115,000.00. Settlement for a 37-year-old resident of Ischua, Cattaraugus, New York who was rear-ended on State Route 417 in Portville, New York. Although our client had pre-existing complications from childhood cerebral palsy we were able to secure her compensation for a neck injury she suffered in the crash.
    • $110,000.00.  Settlement at mediation and just before trial for a 45 year old Salamanca resident who fell outside a store on ice due to a malfunctioning gutter system.  The fall resulted in an outpatient knee surgery.
    • $110,000.00. Settlement for a child who was burned by an exposed floor radiator in Bath, Steuben County, New York. This result was placed into a structured settlement for the benefit of the child.
    • $105,000.00. Pre-suit settlement for a 27-year-old Portageville, New York man who was injured when his vehicle struck cattle that had wandered into the roadway in Gainesville, Wyoming County, New York.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement at mediation prior to trial for an elderly client who fell while dancing in a Cattaraugus County bar and restaurant due to a slippery surface.
    • $100,000.00.  Pre-suit policy limit settlement for a Troupsburg, New York resident struck as a pedestrian in Hornell which resulted in a foot surgery.
    • $100,000.00. Pre-suit policy limits settlement for a motorcycle rider who was badly injured in Steuben County when a vehicle turned in front of him.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for a Bradford, PA woman who slipped and fell on ice in McKean County, PA after a lengthy mediation in Pittsburgh, PA.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement negotiated with the City of Olean’s insurance company on behalf a 50-year-old resident who suffered injuries to his foot after he stepped in a pothole located along the curb of a city street.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for two children whose mother died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an improperly vented heater that was installed in the apartment the mother was renting. This settlement represented the entire liability limits available from the landlord’s insurance company.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for the family of an 8-year-old Belfast, New York child who suffered injuries to his nose when bit by a dog. The settlement represented the entire insurance policy limits available.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for Olean, New York resident who suffered a broken leg when struck by a motor vehicle which crossed the center-line. The settlement represented the full policy limits available from the other driver’s insurance company.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for a young woman from Olean, New York who suffered serious dog bite wounds to her leg. The settlement represented the full liability insurance limits available.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for a nursing aide from Hornell, New York who broke her wrist after the railing of the porch at her rental home collapsed. The settlement represented her landlord’s full liability insurance policy.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for a 53-year-old West Seneca, New York resident who suffered a fracture in her right ankle when she tripped and fell on a defective sidewalk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After suit was commenced in Pittsburgh and initial discovery was completed the case was resolved.
    • $100,000.00. Settlement for a 47-year-old Franklinville man who injured his wrist and required surgery after a vehicle pulled out in front of him in Buffalo, New York. This represented the entire policy limits available and was secured without the need for a lawsuit.
    • $100,000.00. Pre-suit policy limit settlement for an Olean, New York woman who was struck by another motorist in Allegany. This represented the policy limits available to her on the claim.
    • $100,000.00. Policy limits pre-suit settlement for an Andover man who was tragically killed in an oil well incident. This is an example of a coverage tragedy in that there was insufficient coverage for the ultimate loss he suffered.
    • $100,000.00. Policy limit settlement for a Port Allegany, Pennsylvania woman who was struck by another vehicle in the Town of Westfield, Chautauqua County, New York when the vehicle ran a stop sign.
    • $100,000.00. Policy limit settlement for a 71-year-old Olean, New York resident for injuries to his cervical spine. This case was settled without the need for court intervention.
    • $100,000.00. Policy limit settlement for a 53-year-old Franklinville man who injured his Achilles tendon in an automobile crash in the Town of Freedom. This was secured without the need for a lawsuit.
    • $90,000.00. Settlement for a resident of Buffalo whose father passed away while a patient at the VA Hospital in Bath, New York. We alleged that the staff did not properly supervise the patients to ensure their safety.
    • $90,000.00. Settlement for a 32-year-old Olean sales representative who slipped and fell in a local pharmacy chain suffering a torn meniscus and plica injury.
    • $85,000.00. Settlement for a young man from Belmont, New York who was bitten by a neighbor’s dog.
    • $75,000.00. Settlement for a resident of Bradford, Pennsylvania who brought a bad faith claim against his own auto insurance company for their failure to pay medical bills related to a car accident.
    • $75,000.00. Jury Verdict for a 55-year-old handyman from Olean, New York who slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk and suffered injuries to his hip and low back. We alleged that the responsibility for ice removal belonged to the owner of the adjoining property but their insurance company only formally offered a settlement of $5,000. We tried the case in Cattaraugus County Supreme Court and the jury awarded our client 15 times more than the settlement offer.
    • $25,000.00. Verdict for a Port Allegany, Pennsylvania resident who was struck in his parked car by a drunk driver and suffered injuries to his shoulder. This award included $10,000.00 in punitive damages, which is believed to be the only sustained award of punitive damages ever recorded in McKean County history.