
- Profile
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- Honors & Affiliations
- Professional Memberships / Activities
- Professional Recognition / Honors
- Seminars, Lectures, & Appearances
- Past Lectures
- Notable Cases & Verdicts
PERSONAL INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER
Sam joined Sugarman Law Firm in 1993, became a partner in 2000, and currently serves as the firm’s managing partner. Sam has obtained settlements, verdicts, and arbitration awards for hundreds of clients. His state wide litigation, trial, and appellate practice focuses on the representation of individuals, families and estates in personal injury and wrongful death claims. He has successfully represented clients with claims against public authorities, school districts, villages, towns, cities, counties, the State of New York, and the United States in both State and Federal Court. He has also represented clients with claims against landlords, product manufacturers, golf courses, ski resorts, fitness facilities, residential and commercial property owners, franchise/retail businesses, trucking companies, commercial vessel owners, construction companies, bus companies, and taxi cab companies.
Sam has successfully handled lawsuits filed all across upstate New York, the Southern Tier, the North Country, the Hudson Valley Region, and New York City. Due to the risky, unpredictable, costly, and time consuming nature of personal injury litigation, the vast majority of Sam’s clients are referred to him by other attorneys and law firms. Liens, account balances, and reimbursement obligations are common in personal injury cases. Sam has successfully compromised and in many cases eliminated hundreds of workers’ compensation, additional personal injury protection (APIP), Medicaid, Medicare, and health insurance liens and subrogation claims in order to maximize his clients’ recoveries.
In 2023, Sam was honored to be inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). The ACTL is an invitation-only fellowship of exceptional trial attorneys from diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada and it is considered one of the most prestigious trial lawyer organizations in the country. Membership is limited to 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. After completing an exhaustive confidential background investigation, the ACTL selects only those lawyers who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality.
Snapshot of Results
Sam has recovered over $60,000,000 for literally hundreds of clients in the form of settlements, verdicts, and arbitration awards including 7 multi-million dollar cases, 9 cases exceeding $1,000,000, 14 cases exceeding $750,000, 23 cases exceeding $500,000, 58 cases exceeding $250,000, and 115 cases exceeding $100,000.
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Practice Areas
- Wrongful death claims
- Catastrophic injury claims
- Truck, Bus, Motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, bicycle, and motor vehicle accident claims
Construction Site Accident claims - Defective Products (Product Liability) claims
- Defective stairs, handrails, sidewalks, streets, driveways, ramps, and parking lots (Premises Liability) claims
- Slip and Fall accidents due to snow and ice
- Dog Bite claims
- Defective/negligent traffic pattern, signage, signaling and pavement markings claims
- Civil Rights Violations (4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution)
- Boat accident claims
- Electrocution claims
- Industrial accident claims

- American College of Trial Lawyers (2023 – present)
- Onondaga County Bar Association (1993 – present
- Board of Directors (2013 – 2015)
- Judicial Screening Committee (2012 – present)
- Board Member, Hiscock Legal Aid Society (2012 – present)
- Charter Member and Board of Directors, New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2011 – present)
- Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association Inc. (2008 – present)
- New York State Bar Association (2007 – 2013)
- Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (2008 – 2009)
- Campaign Treasurer for sitting Surrogate Court Judge (2017 – 2018)
- Fundraiser/event organizer for sitting New York State Supreme Court Judge (2015)
- Treasurer for New York State Supreme Court Candidate (2007)
- Syracuse University, College of Law, Law College Association Board of Directors (1997 – 2002)
- In 2023, Sam was honored to be inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). The ACTL is an invitation-only fellowship of exceptional trial attorneys from diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada and it is considered one of the most prestigious trial lawyer organizations in the country. Membership is limited to 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. After completing an exhaustive confidential background investigation, the ACTL selects only those lawyers who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality.
- Super Lawyer, Upstate New York, Plaintiff’s Personal Injury (2012 – present). “Super Lawyers” is an invitation only group of attorneys who have been selected based upon peer recognition, professional achievement, and independent research. The group is limited to only 5% of eligible attorneys.
- AV Preeminent Designation from Martindale-Hubbell attorney directory’s peer review ratings (2013). “AV Preeminent” indicates that judges and other attorneys rated Sam as “very high” to “preeminent” in legal ability, expertise, experience, integrity, and professional excellence.
- America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators (2017 – present). To be considered for selection, an attorney must have successfully litigated a matter with at least $2,000,000 at stake. Only the top 100 qualifying attorneys in each state are selected.
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2007). Group is limited to United States trial lawyers who have achieved a verdict, award or settlement in the amount of One Million Dollars or more.
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (2018). Membership to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 is by invitation only and is limited to the most qualified attorneys from each state or region who demonstrate superior leadership, reputation, and qualifications as a civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense lawyer.
- The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Top 10 (2019). Membership to The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Top 10 is by invitation only and is comprised of less than 1% of licensed attorneys.
American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 10 Best Attorneys, New York – Exceptional and Outstanding Client Service (2019 and 2017). To be eligible, attorneys must have “achieved unparalleled success but most importantly must have done so for the benefit of their client.” - Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (Trial Lawyer Honorary Society) (2019). The Litigation Counsel of America is an invitation only network of North American trial lawyers. Less than one half of one percent of American attorneys are a member of the LCA.
- Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice – The Trial. Faculty member and speaker on the subject of opening statements at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York on November 21, 2013.
- Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice – The Trial. Faculty member and speaker on jury selection at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York on November 15, 2011.
- 2010 Update – Construction Site Accidents. Spoke on the topic of handling the direct and cross examination of a defendant’s vocational rehabilitation expert at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York on December 3, 2010.
- 2008 Update – Premises Liability. Spoke on the topic of premises liability at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York on May 28, 2008.
- Advertising Rules and Recent Changes. Spoke on recent changes to attorney advertising and solicitation rules at a Lorman sponsored seminar in Syracuse, new York on February 28, 2008.
- Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice. Faculty member and speaker on the subject of taking depositions at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York in May of 2007.
- WCNY Business Closeup – Featured Guest. Televised interview on the recent changes to the attorney advertising and solicitation rules on February 22, 2007.
- Ethics in Online Advertising. Lectured on rules applicable to online advertising by attorneys at a New York State Academy Trial Lawyers sponsored event in Syracuse, New York in July of 2006.
- Practical Skills – Rules and Strategies for Opening Statements. Faculty member and speaker on the subject of opening statements at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York in November of 2005.
- 2001 Update – Municipal Tort Liability. Faculty member and speaker on the subject of municipal tort liability, strategies, theories, and recent developments at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar in Syracuse, New York in April of 2001.
Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice – The Trial 2013
Served as faculty member and speaker on the subject of opening statements at a New York State Bar Association sponsored seminar held in Syracuse, New York on November 21, 2013.
Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice – The Trial 2011
Served as a faculty member and spoke about jury selection at a New York State Bar Association-sponsored seminar entitled “Practical Skills – Basics of Civil Practice – The Trial” in Syracuse on November 15, 2011.
Construction Site Accidents – Vocational Rehabilitation Experts
Lectured on the topic of handling the direct and cross examination of the defendant’s vocational rehabilitation expert at a seminar sponsored by the New York State Bar Association entitled Construction Site Accidents – 2010 Update, on December 3, 2010.
Premises Liability
Lectured on premises liability on May 28, 2008, as part of a New York State Bar Association Seminar.
Advertising Rules and Recent Changes
Lectured on advertising rules and recent changes as part of a Lorman Seminar on February 28, 2008.
Taking Witness Depositions.
Lectured on Taking Witness Depositions in May, 2007, as part of a seminar sponsored by the New York State Bar Association.
Lawyer Advertising Rules
Guest speaker on WCNY’s Business Closeup on February 22, 2007, to discuss recent changes to Lawyer Advertising Rules.
Ethics in Online Advertising
Lectured on Ethics in Online Advertising in July, 2006, as part of a seminar sponsored by the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Rules and Strategies for Opening Statements
Lectured on Rules and Strategies Relating to Opening Statements in November, 2005, as part of a seminar sponsored by the New York State Bar Association.
Municipal Tort Liability, Strategies, Theories, and Updates
Lectured on Municipal Tort Liability, Strategies, Theories, and Updates in April, 2001, as part of a seminar sponsored by the New York State Bar Association.
Notable Cases 2024
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48-year-old resident of Ottawa, Ontario who suffered fractures to her the left 4th and 5th proximal phalanxes as a result of a fall down accident in the cross walk of an airport on March 13, 2019. In February of 2024, the claim against the airport and the public authority that operated it settled for $120,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estates of two retired residents of Pulaski, New York who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident on June 10, 2023. The motorist who caused the accident had no assets and had insurance coverage with limits of $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident. In May of 2024, the Oswego County Surrogate’s Court approved settlement of the claims against the at-fault motorist for $480,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 32-year-old resident of Auburn, New York who suffered a left fibula fracture as a result of a fall down accident in the driveway of a rental property on February 19, 2022. The property owner contested the case by asserting that there was a storm in progress and the accident actually occurred on property owned by the City of Auburn. In October of 2024, the claim against the property owner settled for $155,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a 30-year-old resident of Gouverneur, New York who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident on May 7, 2021. At the time of the accident, the decedent was not married, had no children, and was not providing financial support to anyone. The St. Lawrence County Surrogate’s Court approved the settlement of the Estate’s claim against the motorist who caused the accident for $175,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a male former student of a small upstate New York high school who was the victim of several off-campus instances of sexual abuse perpetrated by a female staff member in the spring and summer of 2003. In November of 2024 (approximately 2 weeks before trial), the Child Victim Act claim against the school district settled for $500,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 86-year-old resident of Herkimer, New York who suffered a closed fracture of the proximal end of the left tibia when she was struck by a motorist while walking into a Wal Mart on December 3, 2003. Fortunately, the client did not need any surgery and fully recovered from her injuries about 4 months after the accident. In December of 2024, less than one year after the accident, the claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $95,000.
Notable Cases 2023
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 29 year old resident of Syracuse, New York who suffered an aggravation of his lower back condition and neck injuries as a result of an intersection collision on July 25, 2020. Approximately one year prior to the motor vehicle accident, the client suffered a disabling low back injury in a work related incident and he was treating for the work related injuries when the motor vehicle accident occurred. When Mr. Elbadawi was retained to represent the client for injuries in the motor vehicle accident, he was advised by the other driver’s carrier that his client had already settled the claim for $5,000. Mr. Elbadawi was able to persuade the other driver’s auto carrier to set aside the release and the claim settled in February for $122,5000, approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 61 year old resident of Watertown, New York who suffered left shoulder injuries including torn supraspinatus and subscapularis tendons, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck injuries when a snowplow vehicle backed into her parked vehicle in a parking lot at her place of employment on January 16, 2020. Several independent medical examinations questioned the causal relation of the injuries to the low speed accident. In March of 2023, approximately 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the snowplow contractor settled for $210,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 28 year old resident of Syracuse, New York who suffered low back injuries including a herniated disc at L5-S1 and a herniated nucleus pulposis at the same level as a result of a motor vehicle accident on August 22, 2017. Mr. Elbadawi was able to settle the underlying claim against the motorist who caused the collision for $280,703.52 in 2022. The client’s Supplemental Underinsured Motorist (SUM) claim was subsequently arbitrated and in March of 2023, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was awarded damages totaling approximately $814,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 68 year old resident of Skaneateles Falls, New York who suffered a tri-malleolar fracture of the right ankle as a result of a fall down accident directly outside the local American Legion on March 12, 2022. Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent open reduction, internal fixation of the ankle on March 18, 2022. Fortunately, the client had a very good recovery and was discharged from care about 4 months after the accident with no residual limitations. The liability carrier raised two main issues during settlement negotiations. First, it contended that since the client had spent the afternoon before her fall in the Legion drinking, the accident was caused by her alleged intoxication. Several patrons who were in the Legion on the day of the accident recalled seeing Mr. Elbadawi’s client drinking (but did not think she was intoxicated). Second, the carrier claimed the weather conditions that caused/created the slippery/icy condition amounted to a storm in progress and therefore the Legion had no duty to salt, sand, shovel, etc. until after the storm concluded. Despite those challenges, Mr. Elbadawi was able to reach a settlement with the Legion’s carrier in April of 2023, approximately 13 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, for $75,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 87 year old nursing home resident in Ithaca, New York who suffered a closed burst fracture of L1 and a compression fracture of T5 as a result of a pedestrian v. auto collision on December 13, 2021. Fortunately, the client had a very good recovery and was discharged from treatment in December of 2022. When she was discharged from treatment, Mr. Elbadawi’s client had occasional mild back discomfort and was able to resume her normal activities without limitation. In May of 2023, approximately 9 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the motorist settled for $400,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50 year old resident of Ithaca, New York who was an unbelted passenger in a taxi cab that was involved in a collision with another vehicle on October 5, 2016. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client alleged that she sustained a mild traumatic brain injury and a concussion. Although the client was still able to care for her herself and her young children after the accident, she claimed that the injuries left her unable to complete her course work in accounting at Ithaca College. The liability insurance carriers for both drivers asserted a “seatbelt defense” claiming that the client’s injuries were caused by her failure to wear a seatbelt. In May of 2023, about a year and a half after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the motorists settled for $255,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 76 resident of Watertown, New York who suffered, among other things, neck pain, a concussion, and a partial thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon in his right shoulder as a result of a motor vehicle accident on December 11 2021. In July of 2023, the insurance carrier for the motorist who caused the accident tendered its liability limit of $100,000. In October of 2023, approximately 4 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, he was able to recover an additional $25,000 from the client’s own insurance carrier’s Supplemental Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage for a total recovery of $125,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 59 year old resident of Bridgeport, New York who sustained fractures of the left lateral malleolus and the right 5th metatarsal base when she stepped out of a golf cart and onto a defective condition in the cart path of a golf course located in Syracuse, New York on August 7, 2022. Both fractures were surgically repaired three days after the accident. Fortunately, the client had a good recovery and was discharged from treatment about four months after the accident with minimal complaints of pain. In October of 2023, approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the golf course settled for $175,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 72 year old resident of Oswego, New York who suffered, among other things, fractures to his left clavicle, multiple ribs, his left femur, and his right distal tibia and fibula as a result of a collision with a large commercial grade trailer on the evening of December 28, 2020. At the time of the impact, the trailer was backing into the driveway of a residence located on a State Highway with a 55 mph speed limit and was partially blocking the client’s lane of travel. During the litigation, the owner of the trailer and the driver of the tractor trailer raised two main issues. First, they claimed that since the marker lights on the trailer in question were on at the time of the impact, Mr. Elbadawi’s client should have been able to realize that the trailer was in his lane of travel and avoid the accident. Second, they claimed that Mr. Elbadawi’s client was speeding and the excessive speed was a contributing factor in the accident (blackbox data from the client’s vehicle revealed that the client’s vehicle was traveling about 8 mph over the speed limit). In October of 2023, less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claims against the tractor trailer driver and the owner of the trailer settled for $520,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 29 year old resident of Cape Vincent, New York who suffered multiple hip and pelvic injuries including a comminuted fracture of the left superior and inferior pubic ramus, displaced fracture of the lateral aspect of the right superior pubic ramus, a comminuted fracture of the right sacral ala, and a fractured pubic symphysis as a result of a tree cutting accident on April 4, 2019. The next day, the client underwent surgical repair of his fractures. On the day of the accident, the client volunteered to help the owner of a private golf course cut a large tree on the course. In the moments before the accident, the owner was using a tractor to lift/position/steady the tree in question so the client could trim branches. Unfortunately, the tree in question unexpectedly moved after the client trimmed one of the branches and rolled onto the client, pinning him to the ground. During the litigation, the golf course raised two main issues. First, it claimed that the accident was caused entirely by the client’s own actions. Second, it claimed that the client’s damages and injuries were needlessly worsened because he failed to seek and/or refused medical care (the medical records documented several instances when the client left visits against the advice of his doctors and/or disregarded medical advice that delayed his care and treatment for over a year). In November of 2023, the claim against the golf course settled for $400,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 58 year old resident of Tully, New York who suffered low back injuries including a burst fracture of L1 that required a lumbar spine fusion two days after his motor vehicle accident on March 26, 2014 at 3:20am. At the time of the accident, the client was driving his sedan along a dark, winding, unlit stretch of Route 80 in farm country south of Syracuse, New York to report for work. As he was traveling east along Route 80, his vehicle unexpectedly slid off the southern side of the highway, jumped a small stream, tumbled end over end, and came to rest in a field. The client subsequently brought a negligence claim against the entity that owned, designed, and maintained the road. During the litigation, the entity responsible for the design and maintenance of Route 80 raised three main issues. First, it claimed that the client was very familiar with the road in question and therefore any missing or improper warning signage played no part in causing/contributing to the accident. Second, it claimed that the client was traveling at an unsafe speed (the police report listed excessive speed as one of the contributing factors in the accident). Third, it claimed that it was immune from liability for highway design, planning, and maintenance decisions based upon well established caselaw. During the lengthy litigation, Mr. Elbadawi was able to obtain proof that the curve where the client’s vehicle left the road was dangerous, poorly maintained, and was a substantial factor in the client’s accident for several reasons. First, the southern side of the curve needed additional guide railing because there were several roadside hazards including a telephone pole, a large, steep bank, a creek, and a small stand of trees. Second, warning signs that should have been installed along the curve were missing (during discovery, Mr. Elbadawi was able to obtain photo logs of the road in question dating back to the 1980s which showed warning signs had been placed along the curve and no explanation was provided for their removal/disappearance). Third, a reduced speed zone warning sign (35mph) that was previously installed in advance of the curve in question was removed and replaced with a sign that increased the reduced speed zone to 40 mph (no explanation or basis for the change in speed was provided or identified). Fourth, police accident reports obtained during the litigation revealed that the curve in question was the location of about 14 similar accidents beginning in 2001 which provided ample notice of a dangerous traffic pattern. Although a decision was made to re-pave and update the section of Route 80 where the accident occurred, no study of the curve in question was ever conducted and no material alterations of the curve occurred. Fifth, Mr. Elbadawi was able to establish through internal emails and deposition testimony from the designers and engineers involved in the re-paving project that numerous significant safety issues along Route 80 were identified but never addressed. Despite those challenges, Mr. Elbadawi was able to resolve the client’s claims for $750,000 in December of 2023.
Notable Cases 2022
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 54 year old resident of Dexter, New York who sustained a broken arm as a result of a fall in an icy parking lot in Watertown, New York on December 16, 2019. In January of 2022, approximately 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the property owner settled for $92,500.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 57 year old resident of Carthage, New York who sustained a torn quadriceps tendon that required surgical repair as a result of a fall in an icy parking lot in Watertown, New York on February 16, 2018. In January of 2022, approximately two and a half years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the property owner settled for $150,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 64 year old resident of Morristown, New York who sustained a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder that required surgical repair as a result of a fall on an icy entryway in Morristown, NY in January of 2019. The claim against the property owner and the United States postal service (the tenant who occupied the street level of the building in question) settled in March of 2022 for $212,854.67.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 49 year old resident of Ithaca, NY who was an unbelted passenger in a vehicle that was involved in an intersection collision in October of 2016. As a result of the accident, the client sustained, among other things, a concussion and ongoing cognitive problems that prevented her from completing her educational studies. In July of 2022, approximately 8 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the operators of the vehicles involved in the accident settled for $255,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 45 year old resident of Skaneateles, NY who was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Clay, NY in December of 2015. As a result of the accident, the client sustained, among other things, a fractured hip which required surgical repair. In September of 2022, the action settled for $125,000 which was the entire amount of available coverage.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 67 year old resident of Harrisville, NY who sustained severe facial and eye injuries when he fell approximately 10 feet while walking on a platform spanning two storage containers at his place of employment in September of 2018. In October of 2022, the action against the entities that owned the property where the accident occurred settled for $900,000.
Notable Cases 2021
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 56 year old resident of Waterville, New York who suffered bilateral hip and low back injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident caused by farm vehicle in February of 2015. Although the claim alleged that the client suffered, among other things, anterior wedging of the T11 and T12 vertebral bodies, a deformity of the L2 vertebral body, and labral tears in both hips, multiple opinions from independent medical examiners questioned the causal relation of the claimed injuries to the accident and concluded that the client’s symptoms and limitations were pre-existing and/or were degenerative (not traumatic). In January of 2021, the claim against the driver of the farm tractor and the farm that owned the tractor settled for $475,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48 year old resident of Cortland who suffered from disabling emotional and cognitive problems including post traumatic stress disorder and post concussion syndrome as a result of a near fatal electrocution incident at a factory located in Beaver Falls, New York. On the day of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was attempting to service a 2400 volt to 480 volt transformer and started by locking out the upstream breaker at a main sub panel, opening a down stream breaker, and grounding the transformer. The factory claimed that the client simply failed to properly isolate and de-energize the transformer. Through discovery, Mr. Elbadawi was able to establish that in the moments before the incident, a factory worker attempted to energize a piece of equipment in a different part of the factory by re-configuring its power source without notifying the client or his co-worker. Following depositions of numerous factory workers, production of complicated of electrical drawings, and extensive consultation with an electrical consultant, Mr. Elbadawi was able to establish that the incident was caused by a “back feed” that originated in the area where that factory worker attempted to energize a piece of equipment. In February of 2021, the action which was filed in Federal Court was settled for $2,000,000, about 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 59 year old resident of Evans Mills, New York who sustained a tibial plateau fracture requiring surgical repair as a result of a pedestrian vs motor vehicle accident. The client’s accident occurred when she was struck by a snow plow vehicle while walking into a convenience store on 2/7/20. In April of 2021, 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, he action against the operator of the snowplow vehicle settled for $260,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 57 year old resident of Lockport, New York who suffered, among other things, a comminuted distal femur fracture that required surgical repair as a result of a pedestrian vs motor vehicle accident. The client’s accident occurred when she was struck by a motor vehicle while walking across a street in downtown Buffalo to get to work on 2/7/20. The motorist who caused the accident carried automobile coverage with a $100,000 policy limit. Mr. Elbadawi was able to convince that carrier to tender its entire policy in November of 2020, less than three months after he was retained. The client and her husband carried supplemental under-insured motorist (SUM) coverage and excess SUM coverage. In March of 2021, about seven months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the entire amount of available SUM coverage
($150,000) was tendered. In May of 2021, about 9 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the excess SUM carrier settled the remaining excess SUM claim for $200,000 resulting in a recovery totaling $450,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 41 year old resident of Ogdensburg who sustained, among other things, multiple fractured ribs, a compression fracture of the T7 vertebral body, and a annular tears at L4-5 and L5-S1 as a result of a fall from a set of stairs. The client’s accident occurred on 9/28/19 while she was attempting to climb the exterior stairs of the house where she was renting a second floor apartment. With the help of an architect, Mr. Elbadawi was able to establish that the stairs in question did not comply with applicable codes and establish that those code violations were contributing factors in his client’s accident. In June of 2021, approximately a hear and a half after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the landlord settled for $250,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 32 year old resident of Syracuse who sustained disabling low back injuries which included, among other things, a herniated disc at L5-S1 as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The client’s accident occurred when the vehicle he was operating was struck from behind by another motor vehicle on 8/22/17. The client’s claim was submitted to binding arbitration and on 7/2/21, approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the arbitrator awarded Mr. Elbadawi’s client over $788,000 in damages.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 51 year old resident of Freeville, New York who sustained a comminuted displaced distal right humerus fracture that required surgical repair as a result of a fall down accident caused by an aggressive dog at a residential property. The client’s accident occurred on 1/16/20 when she was attempting to deliver something to the homeowner. As the client was returning to her vehicle, the homeowner’s dog began to chase the client and caused her to fall and sustain injuries. In December of 2021, approximately four months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the homeowner settled for $260,000.
Notable Cases 2020
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a young mother who suffered fatal injuries as a result of an accident involving a tractor trailer in June of 2014. The focus of the resulting wrongful death action was whether the route taken by the tractor trailer was unreasonably dangerous, unsafe, or was otherwise defective. In February of 2020, after completing 33 depositions involving over 179 exhibits, exchanging dozens of document demands and responses to document demands, consultations with numerous experts, and the disclosure of approximately 4200 pages of memos, maps, plans, photographs, meeting minutes, investigative materials, and videos, the cases against the owner and operator of the tractor trailer as well as the City where the accident occurred settled for $1,350,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a 20 year old resident of Oswego, New York who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a head on collision on March 30, 2019 involving a commercial truck. Investigative materials Mr. Elbadawi obtained suggested that the young lady involved in the accident died instantly. In April of 2020 (approximately one year after Mr. Elbadawi was retained), the Decree approving the settlement of the wrongful death action for $350,000 was approved by the Oswego County Surrogate’s Court.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a 25 year old resident of Auburn, New York who sustained fatal injuries as a result of a head on collision involving an intoxicated driver on March 3, 2018. Investigative materials Mr. Elbadawi obtained suggested that the young man died instantly and, fortunately, probably did not experience any pain and suffering. The claim against the motorist who caused the collision settled for the entire amount of his available insurance coverage ($100,000) in April of 2020.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 33 year old resident of Canton, New York who suffered a disabling traumatic brain injury as a result of an intersection collision on April 19, 2017. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was a passenger in one of the vehicles and according to the police report, the client was in the vehicle that allegedly caused the accident. The operator of that vehicle had $25,000 in coverage. Mr. Elbadawi commenced an action against the owners and operators of both vehicles that were involved in the accident and alleged that both operators were partially at fault. In May of 2020, the action settled for $5,000,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 21 year old resident of Batavia, New York who suffered numerous injuries including a distal left humerus fracture requiring surgical repair, a distal left radius fracture, an avulsion fracture of the left ulna styloid, and multiple pelvic fractures as a result of an attempt to escape from a fire in a house located in Rochester, New York on August 1, 2016. At the time of the fire, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was a college student and resided in a three person rental unit located near campus. On the night in question, investigative materials indicated that the fire began on the front porch of the rental unit. By the time Mr. Elbadawi’s client became aware of the fire, smoke had filled the house so the client was unable to use the interior stairs to escape. Instead, the client jumped from her second story bedroom onto a driveway and sustained injuries. Mr. Elbadawi brought a lawsuit against the landlord alleging, among other things, that the required smoke detectors were either removed or were not working and the rental unit did not have a secondary means of egress like a fire escape. In May of 2020, the action against the landlord settled for $100,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 47 year old resident of Redwood, New York who fell while walking along a public sidewalk in a small town located in Northern New York. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client sustained a displaced tri-malleolar fracture of the left ankle which required surgical repair. During the lawsuit, Mr. Elbadawi alleged and provided proof that the fall was caused by a patch of ice on the public sidewalk. Prior to the accident, runoff from a pile of snow plowed by the Town that owned the sidewalk in question drained onto the sidewalk on a regular basis and when temperatures dropped, the runoff formed a dangerous, slippery patch of ice on the sidewalk on a regular and recurrent basis. In May of 2020 (about 20 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained), the lawsuit against the Town that owned the sidewalk settled for $180,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 41 year old Vermont resident who suffered disabling closed head injuries which resulted in post concussion syndrome as a result of a rear end collision while traveling along the New York State Thruway in the Town of Manchester on May 14, 2015. In June of 2020, the case against the motorist who caused the collision settled for $225,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 36 year old resident of Liverpool, New York who sustained cervical spine injuries at C6 as a result of an intersection collision on or about September 8, 2016. In June of 2019, the action against the motorist who caused the collision settled for $180,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 54 year old resident of Oneida, New York who sustained spinal injuries as a result of a fall down a flight of exterior stairs at an office building located in Oneida, New York on January 29, 2016. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client claimed he sustained disc herniations at C4-5, L3-4, and L5-S1. In the lawsuit, Mr. Elbadawi alleged and provided evidence that prior to the accident, snow, ice, and runoff from the roof above the exterior stairs in question fell and froze on the stairs forming a slippery, dangerous condition on a regular and recurrent basis. In June of 2020, the action against the property owner settled for $425,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50 year old resident of Auburn, New York who was a passenger in a vehicle that, due to the operator’s carelessness, left the road and crashed into a ditch on August 14, 2018. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client sustained lumbar spine injuries including fractures at T1, T12, and L2 which required surgical repair. In July of 2020 (less than 2 years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained), the claims against the operator and the owner of the vehicle in question settled for the entire insurance policy limit ($300,000).
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 61 year old resident of Newark, New York who was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle along Route 23 in Ontario County on June 30, 2019. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client sustained numerous serious injuries including a right shoulder injury which required surgical repair, right sided pneumothorax, multiple rib fractures, a T12 vertebral body fracture, an L5 pedicle fracture on the left, a left sided superior facet fracture of L4-5, and a fractured pelvis which also required surgical repair. The claims against the vehicle owner and operator settled for $100,000 (the entire amount of available insurance coverage). Fortunately, Mr. Elbadawi was also able to resolve the client’s Supplemental Underinsured Motorist (SUM) claim against his own carrier for the entire amount of remaining available coverage ($200,000) in July of 2020, less than a year after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 60 year old resident of Watertown, New York who sustained a pulmonary contusion, multiple rib fractures, multiple transverse process fractures, and a disc herniation at L1-2 when he fell while using a ladder at a construction site in Skaneateles, New York on February 6, 2018. Fortunately, Mr. Elbadawi’s client had an excellent recovery from his injuries and returned to work full time without restriction about 8 months after the accident. In August of 2020, the action against the property owner and general contractor alleging violations of section 240(1) and 241(6) of the Labor Law of the State of New York settled for $185,000.
Notable Cases 2019
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 67 year old resident of Oswego, New York who suffered a torn rotator cuff in his left (non-dominant) shoulder which required surgical repair when a split rail fence on a golf course dislodged and caused the client to lose his balance and fall on August 13, 2014. A trial on the question of liability only resulted in a finding that the owner of the golf course was 70% at fault and the client was 30% comparatively at fault for the accident. The action against the owner of the golf course subsequently settled in March of 2019 for $100,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 25 year old resident of Apalachin, New York who was a passenger in a NYSDOT vehicle that was struck from behind by a motorist at a very high rate of speed on I86 in Tioga County on November 24, 2017. As a result of the accident, the client sustained soft tissue injuries to his neck, left elbow, and a left shoulder tear and dislocation which required surgical repair followed by a brief course of physical therapy. By December of 2018, the client had made a complete recovery and was back to work full time without restriction. In May of 2019, about 18 months post-accident, the claim settled for $160,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 25 year old resident of Baldwinsville, New York who was the driver of a vehicle involved in a multi vehicle chain collision started by a full length bus on I481 in Dewitt, New York on April 19, 2016. As a result of the accident, the client sustained disabling cervical and lumbar spine injuries. With respect to the cervical spine injuries, the client underwent an anterior cervical discectomy with decompression and fusion at C5-6 in September of 2017. Due to complications from the surgery, the client underwent a second procedure to have the surgically implanted plate removed in September of 2018. A doctor retained by the bus company who examined the client questioned the medical necessity of the surgeries. During mediation in June of 2019, the lawsuit against the bus company settled for $2,500,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48 year old resident of Manlius, New York who fell inside a very well-known restaurant in Syracuse, New York on October 18, 2017. The client alleged that her fall was the result of an unusually slippery walking surface in the dining area. As a result of the fall, the client sustained mid-shaft fractures of the left radius and ulna which were surgically repaired 2 days later. The client’s post-surgery recovery went very well and she was permanently discharged from treatment in the fall of 2018. In July of 2019, the claim against the owner of the restaurant settled for $200,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old resident of Heuvelton, New York who swerved to avoid striking a deer and drove off the left side of State Highway 68 in the Town of Canton on October 30, 2016. The client’s vehicle then struck a ditch, began rolling, and came to rest on its roof back on State Highway 68. Shortly thereafter, another motorist traveling in the opposite direction struck the client’s overturned vehicle. As a result of the collision, the client suffered, among other things, multiple fractures to his left leg that required surgical repair. The other motorist claimed he was not at fault for causing the collision and even if he was, he was faced with an emergency situation created by Mr. Elbadawi’s client so he couldn’t be held responsible. In August of 2019, less than 9 months after the case was referred by another attorney, the claim against the other motorist settled for $180,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 74 year old resident of Baldwinsville, New York who fell while exiting a vehicle parked at a large retail complex on August 30, 2018. The client alleged that the fall occurred when she stepped into a large pothole in the parking lot adjacent to her parked vehicle. As a result of the fall, the client sustained, among other injuries, a fractured right hip which was surgically repaired shortly after the accident. In August of 2019, less than a year after the accident, the claim against the owner of the complex settled for $215,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48 year old resident of Ogdensburg, New York who was attending a funeral service on January 20, 2018 when a large amount of snow and ice on the roof of the funeral home slid off the roof and struck him. Prior to the accident, the client underwent left shoulder replacement and the client claimed that the funeral home accident loosened the replacement hardware and caused new left shoulder injuries. The funeral home claimed that the accident was a sudden and unforeseeable event, and claimed that the client’s left shoulder problems were pre-existing and not caused by the accident. During a mediation held on October 7, 2019, the lawsuit against the funeral home settled for $135,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27 year old resident of Dryden, New York who was the operator of a stationary vehicle that was struck on the driver’s side by a dump truck traveling west on State Route 366 on March 7, 2018. As a result of the accident, the client sustained, among other things, several tendon tears in the left shoulder. The client underwent arthroscopic sub-acromial decompression with acromioplasty and gleno-humeral joint debridement about two months post-accident. The owner and operator of the dump truck alleged that the client’s left shoulder injuries were pre-existing. About three years before the accident, a left shoulder MRI revealed a partial tear of the superior portion of the sub-scapularis tendon and a SLAP lesion which was surgically repaired on June 2, 2015. During a mediation held on September 9, 2019, the client’s lawsuit against the owner and operator of the dump truck settled for $135,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 85 year old resident of Baldwinsville, New York who was a belted passenger in a vehicle that struck a vehicle that had suddenly and unexpectedly pulled out of a parking lot on November 6, 2018. As a result of the collision, the client sustained, among other things, multiple rib fractures, a fractured sternum, a compression fracture at T11, and a right sided tibial plateau fracture which was surgically repaired. After a four month admission to a rehabilitation facility, the client managed to regain her independence and mobility, was discharged from treatment, and made a near complete recovery. In September of 2019, about 14 months post-accident, the claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $315,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 56 year old resident of Syracuse, New York who was a belted front seat passenger in a vehicle that struck another motorist on the passenger side on September 5, 2018. Unfortunately, the operator of the vehicle the client was riding in had no driver’s license and no insurance. As a result of the accident, the client claimed she suffered cervical spine injuries which eventually required anterior cervical discectomy with fusion at C4-5 on April 25, 2019. Within two months of the surgery, the client was fully recovered and discharged from treatment. Prior to the accident, the client made complaints to her healthcare providers about cervical spine pain and limitations and therefore the insurance carrier for the owner of the vehicle the client was riding in claimed that the client’s cervical spine problems were pre-existing. In November of 2019, the claim against the owner settled for the full amount of the available insurance coverage ($100,000).
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 15 year old unbelted passenger on a “Mule” (off road all terrain vehicle) that was operated by an unlicensed friend at a large residential property located in Conklin, New York on August 2, 2014. In the moments before the accident, the Mule was being driven on a trail and the operator lost control of the Mule and struck a tree which caused the client to fall out of the Mule. As a result of the accident, the client sustained a transverse fracture of the right patella which required 2 surgical procedures and she also sustained a laceration to her left knee. The client completed treatment for her knee injuries within about a year of the accident and with the exception of minor aches and pains and scarring to her knees, had a complete recovery. Discovery revealed that the property owner owned the Mule and he had performed minor repairs to the Mule shortly before the accident so the client claimed that the accident was caused in part by the negligent repair of the Mule. The property owner denied responsibility for the accident, claimed that the repairs he made to the Mule were adequate and not a contributing factor, and claimed that the accident was caused by the negligence of the driver and the client’s failure to use available seatbelts. The property owner also claimed that he was not liable because the client assumed the risks of off-road riding in the Mule. In December of 2019, about 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi began representing the client, the case against the property owner settled for $315,000.
Notable Cases 2018
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 33 year old pipefitter who suffered multiple injuries to his right leg, ankle, knee, and a mid shaft fracture to his fibula on August 28, 2013 when a trench he was working in at a construction project in Sacketts Harbor, New York collapsed. Mr. Elbadawi commenced an action against the owner of the property where the accident occurred and alleged, among other things, that the owner violated section 246(6) of the Labor Law. In January of 2018, the action against the property owner settled for $270,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old resident of Aurora, New York who suffered numerous injuries including a left humerus fracture, and a fractured pelvis which required surgical reduction as a result of a head on collision on April 9, 2016. In February of 2018 (22 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained), the client’s action against the motorist responsible for causing the head on collision settled for $250,000 which was the entire amount of available automobile coverage.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 64 year old resident of Syracuse, New York who suffered numerous injuries including a right knee injury which eventually required a knee replacement as a result of an intersection accident on December 12, 2014. In February of 2018, about 3 years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $175,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 55 year old truck driver who suffered a disabling right shoulder injury when he fell in a snow and ice covered parking lot in Syracuse, New York in February of 2015. As a result of the injuries from the fall, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent two surgeries to repair his rotator cuff and was eventually found to have a 16% permanent impairment of his right shoulder/arm. During a mediation in February of 2018, less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi began representing the client, the claim against the property owner settled for $750,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 56 year old resident of Ogdensburg, New York who suffered a concussion and partial loss of hearing on the left as a result of an intersection collision in the Town of Oswegatchie, New York on December 25, 2015. Before Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the motorist who caused the collision settled for the entire amount of his automobile policy coverage which was $25,000. In November of 2015, Mr. Elbadawi was retained to pursue a claim for Supplemental Under-insured Motorist benefits. Following a “SUM Arbitration” in February of 2018, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was awarded $95,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a one month old infant who was a passenger in a head on motor vehicle accident in the Town of Fleming in April of 2016. Unfortunately, the infant suffered numerous very serious injuries and died about 2 hours after the impact. The main dispute in the action related to the length of time, if any, that the infant experienced any post accident conscious pain and suffering. Although treatment records documented that the infant was alert and did not appear to be in distress immediately after the accident, they also indicated that the infant became non responsive less than 30 minutes after impact and never regained consciousness. In April of 2018, about two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the infant’s claim against the motorist who caused the collision settled for $215,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 78 year old resident of Skaneateles, New York who suffered numerous injuries including fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and a fractured left femur which required surgical repair as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident in December of 2017. The operator of the vehicle that caused the accident carried auto insurance coverage with a $25,000 limit. The owner of the vehicle that caused the accident carried auto coverage with a different insurance carrier with a $100,000 policy limit. Mr. Elbadawi’s client also carried auto coverage with supplemental under-insured motorist “SUM” coverage with a third insurance carrier. By July of 2018, about 6 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, all three carriers had tendered the entire available coverage under their respective policies which totaled $250,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 54 year old resident of Auburn, New York who sustained numerous injuries including a right sided rotator cuff tear that required surgical repair as a result of an accident that occurred on June 1, 2015. The accident occurred when Mr. Elbadawi’s client slipped on rain soaked exterior stairs in front of a local health club. Although the owner of the commercial facility where the health club was located denied having any knowledge that the stairs in question became slippery and dangerous when wet, Mr. Elbadawi was able to establish both actual and constructive notice of the slipping hazard through documentary evidence and pre-accident eye witness accounts. In October of 2018, the action against the commercial property owner settled for $92,500.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 62 year old resident of Canton, New York who sustained a concussion with resulting depression and generalized anxiety disorder as a result of a head-on collision on February 9, 2017. Before the matter was referred to Mr. Elbadawi, the client settled his negligence claim with the driver who caused the collision for the full amount of his available automobile coverage which was $50,000. Mr. Elbadawi then pursued a claim for supplemental under-insured “SUM” benefits under the client’s own automobile policy. In December of 2018, the SUM claim settled for $550,000, about one year after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Notable Cases 2017
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 46 year old resident of Canton, New York who sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his right leg on August 16, 2016 when he placed a large coffee carafe purchased from the Potsdam location of a nationwide restaurant chain between his legs while riding in a car. Fortunately for the client, the burns healed quickly and did not require any debridement, skin grafts, or surgical procedures. In March of 2017, approximately 5 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the restaurant chain settled for $37,500.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 65 year old resident of Gouverneur, New York who sustained nerve injuries to his left (non-dominant) arm which included an ulnar ligament tear, medial and lateral epicondylitis, and cubital tunnel syndrome as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident on September 20, 2013. In March of 2017, less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $95,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 31 year old Syracuse resident who suffered a compression fracture of the superior endplate of the L3 vertebrae as a result of an intersection collision which occurred on October 18, 2015. Fortunately for the client, he did not lose any time from work and the fracture fully healed approximately 9 months later without the need for any surgical intervention, pain management, and/or an extended course of physical therapy. Approximately 1 year after the accident, the client moved to Arizona and advised that he had no intention of returning to the State of New York to participate in the case against the motorist who caused the accident. In March of 2017, approximately 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the case settled for $52,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a married couple and the wife’s elderly father who were in a vehicle struck head on by a motorist on April 1, 2016. The husband driver, age 70 at the time of the accident, suffered several fractured ribs and a ligament tear in his thumb. Fortunately, the husband driver fully recovered from his injuries several months after the accident. The wife, a front seat passenger who was 68 years old at the time of the accident, suffered a frontal scalp laceration with hemorrhage in the brain, a mildly displaced right transverse process fracture at L4, a right humerus fracture, a left distal tibia/fibula fracture, and a left scapular fracture. After a lengthy course of therapy and treatment lasting about a year, the wife was able to achieve an almost full recovery from her injuries too. Unfortunately, the wife’s father, who was a rear seat passenger and was 90 years old at the time of the accident, suffered fatal injuries as a result of the accident. His emergency room records indicated that he was barely responsive and was drowsy after the accident. Fortunately, emergency room records indicated that he did not exhibit any signs of conscious pain and suffering. Unfortunately, the motorist who caused the accident carried the minimum amount of automobile insurance coverage ($25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident). Mr. Elbadawi was able to recover all of those funds in October of 2016. Mr. Elbadawi was able to recover an additional $37,500 for the husband in supplemental underinsured motorist (SUM) benefits, an additional $75,000 for the wife in SUM benefits (which represented the limit of her available SUM coverage), and and additional $50,000 in SUM benefits for the Estate of the elderly gentleman (which also represented the limit of the Estate’s available SUM coverage) in April of 2017, less than a year after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old resident of the Village of Potsdam who sustained a compression fracture of the T11 vertebrae when, while riding on a boat on June 26, 2014, the operator of the boat accidentally fell on her. Fortunately for the client, her injuries fully healed by the fall of 2015 and she did not require any surgical intervention or pain management. In April of 2017, less than 8 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the individual who caused the accident settled for $55,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 42 year old resident of Cicero, New York who, while attending the “Trespass America Festival” held at the Oswego County Speedway on August 7, 2012, was tackled by several unknown members of the concert promoter’s security team. The promoter denied any knowledge of the incident and members of his security team denied being involved in the incident. As a result of the incident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client sustained injuries to his left knee including ruptures of his quadriceps tendon, patellar tendon, medial retinaculum, and his lateral retinaculum. The client underwent surgical repair of the patellar tendon rupture on August 8, 2012 and subsequently underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose cartilage on July 2, 2014. In March of 2017, approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the concert promoter settled for $100,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 64 year old Watertown resident who suffered multiple fractures to his right hand and wrist (including second and third proximal phalanx fractures) on December 23, 2014. On the day of the accident, the client delivered an 8,000 lb empty storage container to a customer in Duanesburg, New York on a flatbed trailer. In the moments before the accident, the client was unstrapping the container so it could be unloaded and the client placed his right hand on the surface of the trailer and underneath the container to keep his balance. Without telling the client beforehand, the customer lifted the back end of the container with a farm tractor to begin unloading it. When the customer lifted the back end of the container, the front end crushed the client’s right hand and caused the injuries. The customer and his son both claimed that they warned the client to stay clear of the container in the moments before the accident - an allegation the client denied. Fortunately, the client was able to return to work as a truck driver about two years after the accident. In July of 2017, two years and two months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the customer settled at mediation for $101,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 64 year old resident of Waddington, New York who sustained a fracture to her right femur on June 28, 2015. On the day of the accident, the client was working as a volunteer in a donation center located in Waddington. In the moments before the accident, a customer gave the client a tote filled with donated items. As the client grabbed the items, she tripped on a handicapped access ramp that was installed by the property owner inside the donation center. Fortunately, the client femur and hip injuries fully healed by January of 2017. Mr. Elbadawi argued that the ramp in question did not comply with applicable building codes and regulations. The property owner argued that the ramp in question was open and obvious and the client was well aware of it so the accident was entirely her fault. In September of 2017, about 2 years and 1 month after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the action against the property owner settled for $100,000.
Notable Cases 2016
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50 year old resident of Groton, New York who sustained multiple rib fractures, a sternum fracture, and a fracture in her left foot as a result of a head on collision with a taxi on February 5, 2012. Fortunately, the client healed completely from her injuries and was discharged from care about 15 months post accident. In January, 2016, about 1 year after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $95,000 which included the taxi company’s entire $25,000 automobile insurance policy and an additional $70,000 in supplemental underinsured motorist benefits from the client’s own automobile insurance company.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 38 year old resident of New Berlin, New York who sustained a left pneumothorax, a concussion, and shoulder injuries which were treated non-operatively as a result of a rear end collision on Interstate 88 on July 11, 2014. In January of 2016, approximately 20 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $100,000 which included the other motorist’s entire $25,000 automobile insurance policy and an additional $75,000 from the client’s own automobile insurance company which was the entire amount of supplemental underinsured motorist benefits that were available.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 39 year old New York State resident who sustained injuries on January of 2013. In February of 2016, Mr. Elbadawi’s client’s claim settled for $4,900,000. Due to a confidentiality agreement, additional details regarding the claim can not be provided.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 71 year old resident of Moravia, New York who sustained a right pneumothorax, a kidney laceration, a right posterior iliac crest (pelvis) fracture, a right unlar shaft fracture (broken arm), and fractures of 4 ribs as a result of a motor vehicle accident at an intersection in the Town of Summerhill, New York on March 12, 2015. In February of 2016, about 11 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $100,000 which included the other motorists entire $25,000 insurance policy and an additional $75,000 from the client’s own automobile insurance company which was the entire amount of supplemental underinsured motorist benefits that were available.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 82 year old resident of Seneca Falls, New York who sustained facial scarring as a result of a dog bite incident at a neighbor’s residence on October 16, 2014. In the moments before the incident, the client entered her neighbor’s residence unannounced. The neighbor therefore claimed that the incident was the client’s fault and also claimed that there was no proof that the dog in question had vicious propensities. In March of 2016, about 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the owner of the dog settled for $55,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 17 year old resident of Ogdensburg, New York who sustained a multiple fractures in her feet including fractures of the 1st and 4th metatarsals on the right, a fracture of the 5th metatarsal on the left, and a left small toe fracture as a result of a motor vehicle accident on June 5, 2011. Although the client underwent right ankle arthroscopy in December of 2014, the causal relation of that procedure to the motor vehicle accident was disputed because there were no fractures in the ankle joint after the subject motor vehicle accident and because the client had a lengthy pre-accident history of right ankle injuries and problems. The surgeon released the client from care without any restrictions in December of 2015 and the client was essentially symptom free thereafter. In June of 2016, about 20 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $75,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 74 year old repairman who resided in Redwood, New York who sustained low back injuries including a herniated disc at L3-L4 when he fell on the ice covered front porch steps of a customer’s residence on April 12, 2013. Independent medical evaluations confirmed the existence of pre-existing degenerative problems in the client’s lumbar spine. Additionally, Mr. Elbadawi’s client had sustained low back injuries in 2002 and, as a result, had undergone an extensive course of low back therapy and treatment prior to the accident. In June of 2016, less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim against the homeowner settled for $95,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 49 year old delivery person who resided in Ogdensburg, New York who sustained a left ankle fracture that required surgical repair when he fell on the ice covered front step of a North Country market on December 26, 2013. The client was discharged from the care of his orthopedic doctor about 10 months post accident. The defendant market asserted a storm in progress defense (among other defenses) because weather data indicated that it was snowing and blustery in the hours before the accident. In June of 2016, about 20 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $95,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 58 year old operator of a motorcycle who resided in Herkimer, New York who sustained multiple left foot and ankle injuries as a result of a collision with a motorist on September 23, 2015. As a result of the collision, the client had to undergo surgical repair of 5 tarsometatarsal joint dislocations, a displaced 2nd metatarsal shaft fracture, and a medial cuneiform joint dislocation on September 29, 2015. Unfortunately, the client needed to have a second operation on November 14, 2015 to remove previously implanted fixation hardware, and to repair a left tibial non-union with a bone graft. By the summer of 2016, the client’s symptoms had improved considerably, he was discharged from the care of his surgeon and he was released to return to work. In July of 2016, approximately 10 months after the accident, the claim against the motorist who caused the collision settled for $437,500.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 71 year old operator of an SUV who resided in Lowville, New York who sustained neck and right shoulder injuries when she was rear ended by another motorist on July 26, 2011. The client’s claim against the motorist had been settled prior to Mr. Elbadawi’s involvement in the matter. In September of 2014, Mr. Elbadawi was retained to assist the client in obtaining supplemental under-insurance motorist benefits (SUM benefits) from the client’s own automobile insurance carrier. With respect to the cervical spine, the client claimed she sustained mild disc bulges at C4-C5 and C6-C7. With respect to the shoulder injury, the client sustained, among other things, an acromio-clavicular (AC) joint sprain and a rotator cuff tear which required surgical repair on November 7, 2012. The client’s SUM claim was arbitrated on June 28, 2016. On August 11, 2016, the SUM arbitrator determined that the total value of the client’s claim was $115,000 which included the $25,000 previously paid by the motorist who caused the accident. The client therefore received a net arbitration award of $90,000 in August of 2016, less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 51 year old resident of Saranac Lake, New York who sustained left leg and knee injuries including a dislocated knee cap, quadriceps tendon tear, and a ruptured patellar tendon when he tripped and fell on the exterior steps of the Saranac Lake Post office on August 22, 2013. As a result of the accident, the client underwent surgical repair of the quadriceps tendon on August 30, 2013. In April of 2015, Mr. Elbadawi commenced a claim against the United State Postal Service alleging that the accident was caused by a defect in the exterior steps of the post office. During a mediation held on August 31, 2016, the claim settled for $100,000, approximately 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 46 year old resident of Heuvelton, New York who sustained cervical spine and left shoulder injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident on January 6, 2012. With respect to the left shoulder, the client alleged a torn anterior cartilaginous glenoid labrum, a rotator cuff tear, and she underwent an arthroscopic distal clavicle excision and subacromial decompression with debridement on October 13, 2014. With respect to the cervical spine, the client alleged, among other things, a left para-central disc herniation at C6-C7 which required an anterior fusion/arthrodesis on February 23, 2016. Prior to the subject motor vehicle accident, the client presented on numerous occasions to healthcare providers with complaints of left shoulder and spine complaints and she had sustained cervical spine injuries as a result of a previous motor vehicle accident in 2007. The independent medical examination on behalf of the motorist who caused the accident concluded that the client’s neck and shoulder complaints were exaggerated, pre-existing, and were, at most, aggravated by the subject motor vehicle accident. In November of 2016, approximately 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $210,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27 year old resident of Auburn, New York who sustained right knee and leg injuries including a femur fracture and a tibial plateau fracture when the operator of the vehicle she was riding in lost control and crashed into a piece of heavy equipment parked in a nearby parking lot. Unfortunately, the client was not wearing her seatbelt and her medical records documented her illegal drug use prior to and at the time of the subject accident. In November of 2015, approximately 18 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained, the claim settled for $60,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 37 year old Harrisville, New York resident who suffered severe crush injuries to his right foot and leg caused by the front wheel of a large dump truck on a construction site in the Town of Clinton, New York on September 20, 2012. Eye witness accounts from co-workers suggested that the client may have stepped into the path of the moving dump truck and, as a result, he may have been either partially or even completely responsible for the accident. Due to the severity of the crush injuries, the client underwent multiple surgeries and eventually needed a below the knee amputation. Following an extensive course of therapy and rehabilitation, the client returned to work full time without restriction approximately 9 months post accident. The personal injury action which was filed in Franklin County Supreme Court settled for $2,100,000 in February of 2015 on the Friday before trial.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27 year old Potsdam resident who suffered a right knee dislocation when she fell on snow and ice in the parking lot of her apartment complex on January 20, 2013. Follow up evaluations confirm that by August of 2013, the client’s knee problems had largely resolved without the need for surgical intervention. The claim against the owner of the apartment complex settled for $65,000 in March of 2015.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 61 year old Ogdensburg, New York resident who suffered a torn rotator cuff (shoulder injury) and cartilage tear in his wrist as a result of a motor vehicle accident on October 11, 2011. The claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $50,000 in March of 2015 - less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 53 year old Cazenovia, New York resident who suffered cervical spine injuries including a herniated disc at C5-6 as a result of a rear end collision in Fayetteville, New York on December 6, 2011. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in August of 2013. The personal injury action against the motorist who caused the accident settled in May of 2015 for $250,000 - approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 16 year old Canton, New York resident who suffered facial scarring and lacerations to her chin and lower lip as a result of a dog bite incident on May 27, 2013. Although the owners of the residence where the incident occurred did not own the dog in question, they allowed the owner (who had no insurance) to bring the dog to their residence on a regular basis. The claim against the property owner settled for $65,000 and the infant’s settlement was subsequently approved by a New York State Supreme Court Justice in May of 2015.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 46 year old Hammond, New York resident who suffered low back injuries including a thoracic syrinx as a result of a motor vehicle accident on April 28, 2013. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent a laminectomy at L3 on October 21, 2014. The claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled in June of 2015 for $90,000 - approximately 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained. Due to the client’s pre-existing disability and the injuries arising from the motor vehicle accident, Mr. Elbadawi also assisted the client with the creation of a Medicare Set Aside account.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a mother of three young children who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident on September 28, 2013. Eye witness accounts confirmed that the client died instantly and, mercifully, did not endure any post accident conscious pain and suffering. The vehicle involved in the crash was owned by the client (who carried automobile insurance coverage totaling $50,000). Although the operator of the vehicle involved in the crash did not have any insurance, he resided with his parents who carried automobile insurance coverage with a separate insurance company with a limit of $100,000. In June of 2015, Mr. Elbadawi received Surrogate Court approval to settle the Estate’s claims against both insurance carriers for their respective policy limits ($150,000).
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 84 year old Auburn, New York resident who suffered a torn rotator cuff (shoulder injury) which required surgical repair as a result of a motor vehicle accident on April 29, 2014. Follow up examinations confirmed that the client was pain free and asymptomatic less than 5 months after surgery. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in July of 2015 for $50,000 which was the entire amount of available automobile insurance coverage.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 56 year old Oswego, New York resident who suffered burn injuries on May 31, 2013 when an ignited gel pot she was standing near accidentally tipped over and caused flammable liquid to spill onto her legs. The personal injury action against the owner of the gel pot settled for $350,000 in October of 2015 - approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a high school student who suffered a concussion when a lacrosse ball struck her in the head while she was training on the school’s track. At the time of the incident, the school’s lacrosse team was practicing on the field inside the track and there were no available safety nets to protect athletes on the track. The personal injury action against the school district settled for $32,500 in November of 2015 - approximately 11 months after the case was referred to him.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a mother and her two daughters in a claim arising from a two car motor vehicle crash in the Town of Paris, New York on December 28, 2010. At the time of the accident, road conditions and visibility were poor and likely played a role in causing the accident. The mother and her daughters were passengers in a car that lost control, entered the oncoming lane of travel, and collided with an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that oncoming vehicle also suffered injuries and commenced his own personal injury action. As a result of the accident, the mother suffered fatal injuries and there was no evidence of conscious pain and suffering. Although neither daughter suffered significant physical injuries, one of the daughters struggled emotionally after the accident and required extensive therapy. The personal injury action against the two drivers settled for $280,000 in December of 2015.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 33 year resident of Jamesville, New York who suffered spinal cord injuries resulting in lower leg paralysis as a result of a motorcycle accident in the City of Syracuse on May 16, 2013. In January of 2014, the claim against the automobile driver responsible for causing the accident settled less than 9 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained for $250,000 (the entire amount of available coverage).
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 34 year old resident of Richville, New York who suffered a torn medial meniscus in the right knee which required arthroscopic surgery as a result of a multi vehicle accident in the Town of Dekalb in February of 2012. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in February, 2014 for $50,000 - approximately 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a laborer in his late forties who suffered a severe knee injury requiring multiple surgeries as a result of a work related accident when he fell from a permanently affixed ladder at a co-generation plant in Chateaugay, New York on May 11, 2009. The Labor Law action against the plant settled in March of 2014 for $275,000 - approximately 2 ½ years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 30 year old resident of Lewis County who suffered a right acetabular (hip) fracture that fully healed about 1 year later when she lost control of her brother’s off road electric utility vehicle and crashed in a ravine on July 13, 2010. Mr. Elbadawi commenced a product liability action against the manufacturer of the vehicle in question which alleged, among other things, that the vehicle was defectively designed, had inadequate steering, acceleration and braking systems and lacked basic safety features like doors and seatbelts. In April of 2014, the claim against the manufacturer settled for $90,000 -approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50 year old Niagara County resident who suffered neck injuries and eventually needed an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion at C5-6 as a result of a rear end motor vehicle accident on October 20, 2010 on the I-190 in the Town of Tonawanda on October 20, 2010. The action against the motorist who caused the rear end collision settled in May of 2014 for $450,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old enlisted soldier stationed at the Fort Drum Army base near Watertown, New York who claimed that he suffered a herniated disc in his thoracic spine as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident in the Town of Canton, New York on May 6, 2012. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the collision settled in June of 2014 for $70,000 - approximately 2 years after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 42 year old laborer who suffered a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder when he fell at a construction site on March 2, 2011 in the Town of Canton, New York. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was employed by a subcontractor hired to assist in the construction of a large dormitory on a SUNY campus in Northern New York. Mr. Elbadawi, filed a Claim against the State of New York, the owner of the property where the accident happened, alleging in part that the accident was caused by the State’s failure to maintain a safe worksite. The State questioned the extent of Mr. Elbadawi’s client’s injuries, questioned the causal relation of those injuries to the accident and asserted a “storm in progress defense”. In July of 2014, the Claim settled for $80,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 60 year old resident of Edwards, New York who suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee that required two arthroscopic surgeries when he fell while entering a grocery store located in Gouverneur, New York on September 4, 2010. In September of 2014, the claim against the store settled for $95,000 about 2 years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and approximately 2 weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an eight year old boy who suffered a minor laceration to chin as a result of a dog bite which occurred at an apartment located in the Town of Massena, New York on March 14, 2012. In November of 2014, infancy settlement application of the claim against the owners of the dog involved in the attack was approved and the matter subsequently settled for $85,000 approximately a year and a half after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old resident of Cuyler, New York who suffered a bimalleolar fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation as a result of a motorcycle accident in the Town of Somerset, New York on September 8, 2013. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was riding as a passenger on her boyfreind’s motorcycle. In November of 2014 (less than 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained) the claim against the operator of the motorcycle settled for $100,000 (the motorcycle operator’s entire policy).
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 39 year old resident of Syracuse who suffered a disc bulge with an annular tear at L4-5 as a result of a motor vehicle accident in Syracuse, New York on November 21, 2008. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was a pedestrian attempting to cross East Genesee Street near the intersection with Crouse Avenue in downtown Syracuse when she was struck on the right side by a motor vehicle operated by a resident of Watertown, New York. The action against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in November of 2014 for $160,000 (approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and approximately one week before the trial of the action against the motorist was scheduled to begin).
Notable Cases 2015
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27 year old Potsdam resident who suffered a right knee dislocation when she fell on snow and ice in the parking lot of her apartment complex on January 20, 2013. Follow up evaluations confirm that by August of 2013, the client’s knee problems had largely resolved without the need for surgical intervention. The claim against the owner of the apartment complex settled for $65,000 in March of 2015.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 61 year old Ogdensburg, New York resident who suffered a torn rotator cuff (shoulder injury) and cartilage tear in his wrist as a result of a motor vehicle accident on October 11, 2011. The claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $50,000 in March of 2015 - less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 53 year old Cazenovia, New York resident who suffered cervical spine injuries including a herniated disc at C5-6 as a result of a rear end collision in Fayetteville, New York on December 6, 2011. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in August of 2013. The personal injury action against the motorist who caused the accident settled in May of 2015 for $250,000 - approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 16 year old Canton, New York resident who suffered facial scarring and lacerations to her chin and lower lip as a result of a dog bite incident on May 27, 2013. Although the owners of the residence where the incident occurred did not own the dog in question, they allowed the owner (who had no insurance) to bring the dog to their residence on a regular basis. The claim against the property owner settled for $65,000 and the infant’s settlement was subsequently approved by a New York State Supreme Court Justice in May of 2015.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 46 year old Hammond, New York resident who suffered low back injuries including a thoracic syrinx as a result of a motor vehicle accident on April 28, 2013. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent a laminectomy at L3 on October 21, 2014. The claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled in June of 2015 for $90,000 - approximately 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained. Due to the client’s pre-existing disability and the injuries arising from the motor vehicle accident, Mr. Elbadawi also assisted the client with the creation of a Medicare Set Aside account.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a mother of three young children who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident on September 28, 2013. Eye witness accounts confirmed that the client died instantly and, mercifully, did not endure any post accident conscious pain and suffering. The vehicle involved in the crash was owned by the client (who carried automobile insurance coverage totaling $50,000). Although the operator of the vehicle involved in the crash did not have any insurance, he resided with his parents who carried automobile insurance coverage with a separate insurance company with a limit of $100,000. In June of 2015, Mr. Elbadawi received Surrogate Court approval to settle the Estate’s claims against both insurance carriers for their respective policy limits ($150,000).
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 84 year old Auburn, New York resident who suffered a torn rotator cuff (shoulder injury) which required surgical repair as a result of a motor vehicle accident on April 29, 2014. Follow up examinations confirmed that the client was pain free and asymptomatic less than 5 months after surgery. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in July of 2015 for $50,000 which was the entire amount of available automobile insurance coverage.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 56 year old Oswego, New York resident who suffered burn injuries on May 31, 2013 when an ignited gel pot she was standing near accidentally tipped over and caused flammable liquid to spill onto her legs. The personal injury action against the owner of the gel pot settled for $350,000 in October of 2015 - approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a high school student who suffered a concussion when a lacrosse ball struck her in the head while she was training on the school’s track. At the time of the incident, the school’s lacrosse team was practicing on the field inside the track and there were no available safety nets to protect athletes on the track. The personal injury action against the school district settled for $32,500 in November of 2015 - approximately 11 months after the case was referred to him.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the Estate of a mother and her two daughters in a claim arising from a two car motor vehicle crash in the Town of Paris, New York on December 28, 2010. At the time of the accident, road conditions and visibility were poor and likely played a role in causing the accident. The mother and her daughters were passengers in a car that lost control, entered the oncoming lane of travel, and collided with an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that oncoming vehicle also suffered injuries and commenced his own personal injury action. As a result of the accident, the mother suffered fatal injuries and there was no evidence of conscious pain and suffering. Although neither daughter suffered significant physical injuries, one of the daughters struggled emotionally after the accident and required extensive therapy. The personal injury action against the two drivers settled for $280,000 in December of 2015.
Notable Cases 2014
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 34 year old resident of Richville, New York who suffered a torn medial meniscus in the right knee which required arthroscopic surgery as a result of a multi vehicle accident in the Town of Dekalb in February of 2012. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in February, 2014 for $50,000 - approximately 16 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a laborer in his late forties who suffered a severe knee injury requiring multiple surgeries as a result of a work related accident when he fell from a permanently affixed ladder at a co-generation plant in Chateaugay, New York on May 11, 2009. The Labor Law action against the plant settled in March of 2014 for $275,000 - approximately 2 ½ years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 30 year old resident of Lewis County who suffered a right acetabular (hip) fracture that fully healed about 1 year later when she lost control of her brother’s off road electric utility vehicle and crashed in a ravine on July 13, 2010. Mr. Elbadawi commenced a product liability action against the manufacturer of the vehicle in question which alleged, among other things, that the vehicle was defectively designed, had inadequate steering, acceleration and braking systems and lacked basic safety features like doors and seatbelts. In April of 2014, the claim against the manufacturer settled for $90,000 - approximately two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50 year old Niagara County resident who suffered neck injuries and eventually needed an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion at C5-6 as a result of a rear end motor vehicle accident on October 20, 2010 on the I-190 in the Town of Tonowanda on October 20, 2010. The action against the motorist who caused the rear end collision settled in May of 2014 for $450,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old enlisted soldier stationed at the Fort Drum Army base near Watertown, New York who claimed that he suffered a herniated disc in his thoracic spine as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident in the Town of Canton, New York on May 6, 2012. The claim against the motorist responsible for causing the collision settled in June of 2014 for $70,000 - approximately 2 years after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 42 year old laborer who suffered a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder when he fell at a construction site on March 2, 2011 in the Town of Canton, New York. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was employed by a subcontractor hired to assist in the construction of a large dormitory on a SUNY campus in Northern New York. Mr. Elbadawi, filed a Claim against the State of New York, the owner of the property where the accident happened, alleging in part that the accident was caused by the State’s failure to maintain a safe worksite. The State questioned the extent of Mr. Elbadawi’s client’s injuries, questioned the causal relation of those injuries to the accident and asserted a “storm in progress defense”. In July of 2014, the Claim settled for $80,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 60 year old resident of Edwards, New York who suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee that required two arthroscopic surgeries when he fell while entering a grocery store located in Gouverneur, New York on September 4, 2010. In September of 2014, the claim against the store settled for $95,000 about 2 years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and approximately 2 weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an eight year old boy who suffered a minor laceration to chin as a result of a dog bite which occurred at an apartment located in the Town of Massena, New York on March 14, 2012. In November of 2014, infancy settlement application of the claim against the owners of the dog involved in the attack was approved and the matter subsequently settled for $85,000 approximately a year and a half after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 20 year old resident of Cuyler, New York who suffered a bimalleolar fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation as a result of a motorcycle accident in the Town of Somerset, New York on September 8, 2013. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was riding as a passenger on her boyfreind’s motorcycle. In November of 2014 (less than 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained) the claim against the operator of the motorcycle settled for $100,000 (the motorcycle operator’s entire policy).
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 39 year old resident of Syracuse who suffered a disc bulge with an annular tear at L4-5 as a result of a motor vehicle accident in Syracuse, New York on November 21, 2008. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was a pedestrian attempting to cross East Genesee street near the intersection with Crouse Avenue in downtown Syracuse when she was struck on the right side by a motor vehicle operated by a resident of Watertown, New York. The action against the motorist responsible for causing the accident settled in November of 2014 for $160,000 (approximately 14 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and approximately one week before the trial of the action against the motorist was scheduled to begin).
Notable Cases 2013
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 61 year old Liverpool resident who suffered right leg injuries including a tibial plateau fracture when he was knocked down by a motorist in a parking lot while loading groceries into his trunk on May 28, 2011. In October, 2011, the claim against the responsible party was settled for the entire amount of his insurance coverage ($100,000). Mr. Elbadawi then pursued a claim for Supplemental Underinsured Motorist (SUM) Benefits against his client’s own automobile insurance carrier. Mr. Elbadawi was able to secure an additional $135,000 in compensation from his client’s carrier in January of 2013.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 87 year old resident of Henrietta who suffered extensive internal injuries as a result of an intersection collision on December 15, 2011. Mr. Elbadawi’s client died about one month after the collision due to complications from the accident. The automobile carrier for the responsible party tendered its entire $100,000 insurance policy in June of 2012, less than four months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained. On January 25, 2013, the Surrogate’s Court of the State of New York, County of Ontario approved the terms of settlement.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27 year old female resident of Ilion who suffered internal injuries and multiple fractures to her pelvis when she was struck at an intersection by a motorist while crossing the street on her bicycle on June 29, 2009. The motorist responsible for causing the accident claimed that Mr. Elbadawi’s client caused the accident by crossing the street when it was not safe to do so. Mr. Elbadawi was able to negotiate a $350,000 settlement of the claim on the first day of trial in New York State Supreme Court, Herkimer County and the matter resolved in March, 2013.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 46 year old resident of Fulton who was a front seat passenger in a head on collision in the Town of Junius on February 1, 2009. As a result of the collision, Mr. Elbadawi’s client suffered multiple cervical injuries including a compression fracture of C7 that required surgical fusion. Unfortunately, several others were severely injured in the accident including a 16 year old who suffered fatal injuries. Claims were asserted against both of the motorists driving the cars involved in the accident. Although several witnesses and the motorist driving the vehicle Mr. Elbadawi’s client was riding in claimed the collision was a sudden unavoidable emergency, Mr. Elbadawi was able to negotiate a package settlement totaling $99,000 in April, 2013 - about one week before the trial was scheduled to begin in New York State Supreme Court, County of Oswego. The settlement included $70,000 from his client’s driver who asserted the emergency doctrine defense. The settlement represented the largest amount recovered by any of the individuals injured in the collision.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a family who resided in a Town north of Utica, New York whose home was destroyed in a fire on or about October 2, 2009. Although the family received a significant recovery from their homeowner’s insurance carrier for their property damage, their coverage was not enough to reimburse them for all their losses. A cause and origin investigation revealed that the fire originated near the plug head of a dehumidifier located in the basement of the residence. Mr. Elbadawi commenced a product liability action in Federal Court against the manufacturer of the dehumidifier in question and alleged that the materials comprising the plug head and the manner in which it was assembled failed to comply with design specifications, were defective and was the cause of the fire. The family’s claim against the manufacturer settled for $165,000 in May of 2013.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 17 year old Syracuse resident who sustained significant and permanent scarring to his dominant hand as a result of a motor vehicle accident on July 19, 2012 in Cicero, New York. At the time of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was a belted passenger in the vehicle driven by his friend. Fortunately, Mr. Elbadawi’s client regained full use of his hand and wrist about 5 months after the accident. In May of 2013, the claim against the motorist who caused the accident settled for $175,000 - less than 7 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and less than a year after the accident occurred.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 49 year old resident of Tupper Lake, New York who sustained a fracture of the lateral malleolus and distal fibula when he slipped and fell on ice while making a delivery to a local grocery store on January 27, 2011. As a result of the injuries, Mr. Elbadawi’s client needed surgery to stabilize the ankle fractures and subsequently underwent an additional surgery to remove the surgically implanted hardware. Mr. Elbadawi’s client eventually returned to work as a delivery person, full time without restriction about 14 months after the accident. In August of 2013, the action filed in New York State Supreme Court, County of Franklin against the property owner, supermarket chain and snowplow contractor settled for $200,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48 year old resident of Auburn, New York who sustained numerous emotional and physical injuries including a rotator cuff tear which required multiple surgeries when he was struck from behind by a motorist at an intersection in downtown Auburn on May 7, 2009. In the moments before the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s investigation and discovery revealed that fuel leaking from a recently repaired truck traveling in the opposite direction through the intersection in question had made driving conditions slippery and dangerous and may have been a factor in the rear end collision. Mr. Elbadawi commenced an action against both the motorist who struck his client and the company which owned the truck that leaked the fuel and argued that the fuel spill was caused by faulty installation of a fuel filter. In August of 2013, the claim against the truck company settled for $550,000. In December of 2013, approximately one month before trial, the remaining claim against the motorist settled for $50,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented two teenage boys charged with, among other things, first degree rape in connection with an incident which occurred in December of 2008. Following their arrest, both boys were incarcerated for about 6 months but the charges were subsequently dismissed. Mr. Elbadawi commenced an action in Federal Court against the investigating officer, her police department and the City which employed her and asserted claims for malicious prosecution, false arrest and violation of his clients’ constitutional rights. Mr. Elbadawi argued that the investigating officer who arrested the boys and filed the charges gave materially misleading and false pre-trial testimony about her investigation and the veracity of an exculpatory witness and falsified a statement by an exculpatory witness. In September of 2013, the action settled for $100,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 34 year old City of Syracuse resident who sustained a spiral fracture of the distal fibula with mild shortening and displacement of the talus laterally from the ankle joint as a result of a fall down accident behind his apartment on September 30, 2010. Mr. Elbadawi claimed that the accident was the result of a slippery and out of code handicapped access ramp. About three weeks after the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the fractures. The action against the corporation which owned and managed the apartment complex settled in September of 2013 about two months before trial for $250,000.
Notable Cases 2012
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50-year-old resident of Ogdensburg who sustained neck injuries when she slipped and fell on snow and ice while attempting to enter a State-owned facility in Ogdensburg, New York on December 30, 2008. The State claimed a storm was in progress at the time of the accident and it was therefore not responsible for its failure to shovel and salt the walk way in question prior to the accident. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent cervical fusion with plating about 9 months post-accident. The claim against the State of New York settled in September of 2012 for $250,000 - approximately 2½ years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained and about 1 week before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 21-year-old intoxicated SUNY Oswego student who suffered a fractured skull when she fell down the basement stairs of a residence owned by a fellow student on her last day of college (May 15, 2009). After the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was able to attend graduate school and complete her graduate studies. The claim against the property owner settled for $70,000 in July of 2012 - less than two years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50-year-old resident of Oswego who suffered a right arm (humerus) fracture that required open reduction and internal fixation as a result of an accident while riding as a passenger on a golf cart at a golf course located in Batavia, New York on July 23, 2011. The claim against the operator of the golf cart settled for $290,000 in June of 2012 - about 10 months after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 30-year-old resident of Little Falls, New York who was an unbelted, back-seat passenger in a vehicle that left the roadway and overturned when the driver fell asleep on June 4, 2011. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client suffered multiple arm and wrist fractures that required several surgeries. The other three occupants of the vehicle were all wearing their seatbelts and suffered no injuries. The claim against the operator of the vehicle settled in June of 2012 for $315,000 - approximately one year after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 50-year-old construction foreman who suffered a comminuted right femur fracture which required trochanteric femoral nailing as a result of a construction site accident in Oswego, New York. The matter settled for $247,500 in January, 2012 - approximately 2 ½ years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Notable Cases 2011
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 74-year-old male pedestrian who suffered multiple pelvic fractures when he was struck by a motor vehicle in the Village of Canton, New York on January 16, 2010. As a result of the pelvic injuries, Mr. Elbadawi’s client underwent surgical repair of the pelvis and had a near-full recovery of his ability to walk and ambulate following a course of therapy. The claim against the motorist settled in April 2011 for $50,000, less than 14 months after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 32-year-old female passenger who suffered a cervical spine strain, cervical radiculopathy, bulging discs at C5 and C6 and muscle spasms when the vehicle she was riding in struck a roadside ditch in the Town of Canton on June 9, 2010. The claim against the owner and operator of the vehicle in question was settled in June, 2011 for $93,500, approximately 2 years after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 47-year-old gentleman who was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his close friend which collided with a vehicle owned by a major national charity in downtown Syracuse on January 27, 2008. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client suffered a neck injury which required spinal fusion. At the direction of Mr. Elbadawi’s client, an action was commenced solely against the charity. In June, 2011, the claim against the charity settled for $90,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 91-year-old female passenger in a vehicle who suffered a cervical spine injury and multiple fractured ribs when the vehicle she was riding in struck a roadside ditch in the Town of Volney on July 7, 2010. The claim against the owner and operator of the vehicle in question settled in July, 2011 for $45,000, approximately one year after the accident occurred.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 23-year-old woman who was a passenger in a vehicle which struck a construction vehicle parked alongside a road in Saratoga County on September 24, 2006. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client suffered a head injury and multiple facial injuries which required extensive treatment and rehabilitation. Following the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client was able to graduate with distinction from a major liberal arts university in the capitol region and enrolled in graduate school. Although the motion to dismiss the claims against the owner of the parked construction vehicle was initially granted, the decision was reversed on appeal and the claims against the driver of the vehicle in question and the owner of the parked construction vehicle were allowed to proceed to trial. In July 2011, the action settled for $575,000, approximately 7 months after the lawsuit was re-assigned to Mr. Elbadawi.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 77-year-old female who suffered a fractured patella as a result of tripping and falling on a sidewalk owned by a major upstate New York city on June 10, 2008. Prior to the accident, the city in question had enacted an ordinance requiring prior written notice of any defective conditions on city owned sidewalks as a pre-requisite to any finding of liability. The city in question denied receiving any prior written notice of the defective condition in question and defended Mr. Elbadawi’s client’s claim in part on the lack of prior written notice. Notwithstanding the ordinance in question, Mr. Elbadawi was able to settle the claim for $25,000 in August of 2011.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 42-year-old laborer who suffered a low back injury which required spinal fusion as a result of a motor vehicle accident on January 22, 2007 in Massena, New York. Following jury selection in September, 2011, the matter settled for $625,000, less than two years after the matter was referred by local counsel.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 48-year-old Syracuse resident who suffered multiple cervical disc herniations requiring surgical fusion as a result of a motor vehicle accident on March 27, 2008. The claim settled for $75,000 in October 2011, less than 2 years after Mr. Elbadawi was retained.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 76-year-old female who suffered a left hip fracture which required surgical repair and a left femur fracture when she tripped an fell as a result of a crack in the driveway of a house she rented in Ogdensburg, New York from the Defendant on September 11, 2009. Following mediation, the claim against the property owner settled in November, 2011 for $142,500.
Notable Cases 2010
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 11-year-old passenger who suffered a fractured femur as a result of a head on motor vehicle accident in Cayuga County. The application for judicial approval of the settlement of the infant's action against the responsible motorist in the amount of $190,000 was approved in August, 2010 - less than two years after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the victim of a hit and run motor vehicle accident in Ogdensburg on April 23, 2009. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi's client suffered a neck fracture, orbital fracture and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further investigation revealed that the responsible motorist had no insurance and no license. Despite the absence of insurance, Mr. Elbadawi was able to recover $25,000 from the New York State Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnity Corporation in August, 2010 (about 16 months post accident) to help compensate his client.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 58-year-old woman who suffered a right wrist lunate fracture and navicular fracture in her left foot as a result of a slip and fall accident on a handicapped access ramp at a north country post office on October 27, 2008. The action against the United States Postal Service and the owner of the postal facility settled in June, 2010 for $22,500 - less than two years after the accident.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 53-year-old HVAC service man who suffered injuries to both wrists requiring three surgeries when he fell from a ladder while trying to repair a heating system at a health club owned by a native American. The club was located on a reservation owned by a native American tribe in the north country. Mr. Elbadawi successfully moved for a finding of liability based upon applicable Labor Law statutes. The health club owner was unable to overturn the trial court's liability finding on appeal. The parties agreed to submit their dispute to binding arbitration. In a decision dated June 12, 2010, Mr. Elbadawi's client was awarded $124,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 51-year-old man who suffered a compression fracture at L2 as a result of a roll over accident on the New York State Thruway on December 1, 2006. The accident occurred when Mr. Elbadawi's client was attempting to avoid a temporary construction sign that had tumbled onto the Thruway during a windstorm. The action against the bridge renovation contractor responsible for storing the signs, which was pending in Herkimer County Supreme Court, settled in May, 2010 for $590,000 - less than one year after the matter was referred by local counsel.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 27-year-old iron worker who sustained crush injuries to the tips of two fingers on his dominant hand while working at a major local construction site in July of 2008. The Labor Law action against the owner of the construction site settled in March, 2010 (less than 2 years after the accident) for $70,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 76-year-old female patron of an Ogdensburg diner who fell in the establishment’s snowy and icy parking lot in March of 2008. As a result of the accident, Mr. Elbadawi’s client sustained an ankle fracture which required surgical repair. In March, 2010, before commencing her lawsuit, the matter settled for $100,000 (less than two years after the accident).
Mr. Elbadawi represented the estate of a 21-year-old single mother who drowned after her vehicle straddled a temporary concrete barrier and flipped into the Erie Canal in February, 2003. In December of 2005 Mr. Elbadawi tried the liability portion of the case and the Estate was awarded a verdict finding the State of New York (the party that installed the barrier) 100% liable for the accident. The State appealed and the Appellate Division unanimously affirmed the liability verdict against the State. About 1 month before the damages trial was scheduled to begin in April of 2009, the parties tentatively settled during Court ordered mediation for $3,250,000. The settlement was finalized and approved by the Court of Claims in January 2010.
Notable Cases 2009
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 65-year-old Massena, New York resident who was mistakenly provided the prescription medication Atenolol instead of Medrol by a major north country drug store chain in March of 2008. As a result of the mistake, Mr. Elbadawi's client claimed memory problems and cognitive deficits. Case against the drug store that committed the pharmaceutical malpractice settled in September, 2009 for $100,000 (less than a year and a half later).
Mr. Elbadawi represented an 83-year-old woman who suffered multiple fractures, including her pelvis, femur, ribs, and foot, when a car driven by a drunk driver landed in her cottage and came to rest on top of her while she was in her bed resting on September 19, 2008. Case settled May 6, 2009 (less than eight months later) for $837,500 in Canadian funds.
Mr. Elbadawi represented the estate of an inmate who committed suicide while in the Custody of the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department on October 7, 2006, in U.S. District Court. Claim settled in April, 2009, for $125,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a front-seat passenger in a vehicle struck by another vehicle in October, 2005. As a result of the accident, the client sustained a herniated nucleus pulposus, annular tear, and underwent a lumbar fusion. Case settled for $600,000 in March, 2009.
Mr. Elbadawi represented an attorney with a New York City practice who sustained a disabling closed-head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident in front on his home on March 29, 2005. Case settled in February, 2009 for $600,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a passenger in a van driven by her husband, which struck the rear of a mobile crane. As a result of the accident, claimant sustained foot drop, multiple vertebral compression fractures, and partial loss of vision. Claim alleged that the mobile crane was not authorized for travel at the time of the accident and was improperly signed. Claim settled in January, 2009, for $400,000.
Notable Cases 2008
Mr. Elbadawi represented a carpenter who sustained an ankle fracture in a construction accident against the State of New York which occurred on May 21, 2007. Claim settled during court-ordered mediation for $190,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a passenger who sustained a lumbar spine compression fracture from a boating accident caused by a wake created by a cargo ship on the St. Lawrence River. Following trial in federal court in Albany, New York, in June, 2008, verdict against operator of the vessel totaling more than $65,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a carpet installer who tripped on defective stairs of a commercial building in downtown Utica on September 7, 2004. As a result of the accident, the client sustained partial left anterior cruciate ligament tear, which required surgical repair. Case settled prior to completion of depositions in February, 2008, for $75,000.
Notable Cases 2007
Mr. Elbawadi represented a patron in a claim against a national retail chain and property owner for injuries she sustained when she slipped and fell on ice in front of a store’s entrance. As a result of the accident, the client sustained a right ankle fracture and dislocation that required surgical repair. Case settled during jury selection on June 25, 2007 for $60,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 38-year-old Watertown, New York resident who sustained a herniated disc at C6-7 as a result of a motor vehicle accident on May 6, 2002. Action against the nationwide rental company which owned the vehicle which caused the accident settled in March, 2007 for $90,000.
Notable Cases 2006
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 43-year-old man involved in a motor vehicle accident with a vehicle owned by a small, northern New York city and driven by a city employee. As a result of the accident, the client claimed neck injuries requiring surgery. Case settled during jury selection in November, 2006, for $200,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 23-year-old Monroe county resident who suffered a fractured hip and broken femur as a result of a motor vehicle accident in December, 2004. The action against the responsible motorist and his employer settled in April, 2006 (16 months later) for $600,000.
Notable Cases 2005
Mr. Elbadawi represented a 74-year-old Auburn, New York resident who suffered a fractured hip and left femur fracture as a result of a collision with a pallet jack inside the store of a major drug store chain on September 30, 2003. Action against the drug store chain settled for $142,500 in March, 2005 (less than a year and a half after the accident.)
Mr. Elbadawi represented a New York State Trooper in a negligence action against the United States for injuries sustained while riding in a U. S. Border Patrol vessel. Client claimed he suffered disabling elbow injuries. Case settled in January, 2005 for $235,000.
Notable Cases 2004
Mr. Elbadawi represented a farm hand who accidentally inhaled cleaning chemicals while working, which caused reactive airways dysfunction syndrome. Case settled in the spring of 2004 for $935,000.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a disabled doctor whose disability insurance benefits were denied on the basis of alleged material misrepresentations in the doctor’s application. The disability carrier’s motion to dismiss was successfully opposed and the denial was affirmed on appeal. Briggs v. Connecticut General Life Ins. Co.,283 AD2d 1036 (4th Dept., 2001). Case settled in the spring of 2004 for $250,000.
Other Notable Cases
Following a trial in St. Lawrence County Supreme Court in December, 2002, Mr. Elbadawi earned a decision and award totaling more than $390,000 for a 55-year-old patron of a tanning salon who suffered multiple injuries, including a herniated disc requiring surgical repair, as a result of falling down unlit stairs.
Mr. Elbadawi represented a woman who suffered multiple injuries including cervical injuries, post traumatic stress disorder, and hip fracture resulting from a motor vehicle accident in Cayuga County. Case settled in December, 2001, for $365,000.
Mr. Elbadawi earned a favorable jury verdict in November, 1999, against a major restaurant chain for personal injuries suffered by a patron who slipped on an ice-covered parking lot. The accident occurred during a state of emergency forbidding unnecessary travel as a result of an ice storm, which had occurred several days earlier.
Education
St. Lawrence University (B.A. Economics and Government) 1988
- Member, Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Economics Honorary) (1987)
Syracuse University, College of Law (J.D.) 1991
- Member, Syracuse Law Review (1989-1991)
- Notes and Comments Editor, Syracuse Law Review (1990-1991)
- Author, Grin and Bear It: The Unbearable Consequences of the Endangered Species Act’s Taking Restrictions and the Hunt for a Solution, 41 Syr. L. Rev. 1021 (1990)
- Robert M. Anderson Publication Award (1991)
- Member, Scribes (American Society of Legal Writers) (1991)
Bar Memberships
- New York State Bar (1992 – present)
- United States District Court, Northern District of New York (1992 – present)
- United States District Court, Western District of New York (1994 – present)
- United States Court of Appeals, District of Colombia (1993)
- United States Supreme Court (2001)
Civic Engagement / Charitable Work
- Board of Directors, American Red Cross (Syracuse Chapter) (2008 – 2014)
- Board of Directors, Salvation Army (Salvation Army) (2016 – present
- Labrador Mountain Ski Club (2007 – 2017, President (2009 – 2013)
- Fayetteville Manlius Youth Lacrosse Association (2011 – 2017), Board of Directors (2013 – 2017)


















































