Firm News

RECENT RECOVERIES

Also in July 2014, Associate, James Kimball, received a $440,000.00 verdict in Bergen County for a 30 year old man who suffered a lumbar herniated disc as a result of an automobile accident. Prior to trial the defendant’s insurance carrier offered $9,000 to settle the case which Mr. Kimball rejected.

In September 2014, Associate, Mark McBratney, received a $200,000.00 verdict in Bergen County for a 30 year old man who suffered a shoulder injury and cervical herniated discs as the result of an automobile accident. Prior to trial the defendant’s insurance carrier offered the injured man $20,000 which Mr. McBratney rejected.

Jonas Seigel recovered $2,025,000 on behalf of the family of a motorcyclist who died from his injuries. The results of this settlement were published as the lead article in the New Jersey Law Journal not only because of the amount of the recovery but also for the unique facts. The deceased, Nestor Pagan was operating his motorcycle on Paterson Plank Road in North Bergen, New Jersey when he struck the rear of an automobile. The driver of the automobile told the police he was backing into a parking spot when Nestor Pagan struck him. Our firm recovered a business security video tape which showed that the automobile driver had lied to the police and had actually made an illegal U-turn in front of the Pagan motorcycle. Armed with the video tape, Jonas was able to recover $25,000 from the driver’s policy and because the driver was on-the-job at the time of the accident for his employer, in addition a $2,000,000 recovery was obtained from the employer’s policy.

Several months ago, Douglass Grossbart, M.D., a physician/attorney with the firm, obtained a $5,600,000 jury verdict following a two month trial on behalf of a young woman who lost her leg due to delayed surgery. The alleged negligence involved nine physicians with multiple medical and surgical specialties and two hospitals and was fought against eight defense lawyers following five years of complex medical malpractice litigation. A total of eight medical experts were hired to testify on behalf of the client. The jury awarded $4,000,000 for future pain and suffering, $400,000 for past pain and suffering, $200,000 and $825,000 respectively for past and future expenses and $165,000 for past lost wages.

James Kimball recently obtained a jury verdict of $1,000,000 on behalf of a worker who was injured at a construction site. The worker had climbed a ladder to perform work on the upper floor and when he finished his work and was descending the ladder stepped on discarded pipes which were left by other subcontractors. Our client sustained extensive spinal damage. After a two week trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of our client in the sum of $1,000,000.

Although not as large, Mark McBratney has recovered more money for clients than any other associates in the first quarter of 2013. He also leads all attorneys in the firm with resolving cases in excess of $100,000. The recoveries include not only automobile injuries but those stemming from slip and fall cases as well.

PRO BONO

Jonas Seigel has been very active in pro bono matters on behalf of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He has volunteered for a number of “Wills for Heroes” events held on Saturdays throughout New Jersey. The program is designed to provide free wills and counseling for first responders such as police, fire and emergency workers, and their spouses.

Jonas has also been active with Paterson Habitat for Humanity where he has served as a trustee and presently serves on the advisory board. Jonas is “hands on” and has volunteered for a number of building projects in the area. He is presently organizing a firm building project and would welcome any clients who would like to volunteer on a Saturday to contact him.

Jonas Seigel was asked to speak on behalf of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the New Jersey State Bar Association on civil trial topics at the Solo and Small Firm conference in Morristown. He has also spoken to the Young Lawyers of Bergen County and the Young Lawyers of Passaic County on the topic of the “The Business of Law: Marketing for Young Lawyers”.

Mark McBratney is an adjunct professor at Kean University for the past several years and continues to teach.

SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE

The partners have always enjoyed athletics and learned their competitive spirit on the playing field. Jan K. Seigel is a member of the Georgetown Prep Sports Hall of Fame and Jonas K. Seigel played lacrosse at Don Bosco High School and Goucher College where he was a two year captain of the team. He also coached lacrosse at Ramapo High School.

With their sports background, the partners are always willing to sponsor girls and boys programs in the surrounding communities. The firm this year sponsored Future Soccer Academy youth soccer team. “Future Soccer Academy” youth soccer team play all over the county of Bergen and Passaic. Their sponsorship has included basketball and soccer teams and if you have a team looking for a sponsor, do not hesitate to contact us.

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Learn more about our dedicated personal injury litigation law firm

Seigel Law only handles personal injury, medical malpractice and workers’ compensation claims. Call our dedicated lawyers at 201-444-4000 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation. We are available to discuss your case at our Ridgewood office, or we can schedule appointments at your home or the hospital. We accept your case on a contingency basis, meaning you are not responsible for paying attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your injuries.