Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C. Updates

Hermann P. Gruber joins Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C., with thirteen years of plaintiffs' personal injury experience, having most recently worked at the Law Office of Dorfinan & Gruber where he was a partner.

A graduate of the State University at Albany, he attended Brooklyn Law School (J.D. 1983). He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, New York State Trial Lawyers Association and Nassau County Bar Association.

He is an attorney that clients seek out based upon his strong personality and outgoing style. Clients with Mr. Gruber as their attorney are fortunate to have their cases handled in a competent and professional way. Mr. Gruber feels comfortable in our large plaintiffs' personal injury practice where he can exhibit his many talents. He enjoys working with a large experienced support staff.

Senior partner Stanley J. Sanders says: "The addition of such an experienced attorney to our staff gives us increased flexibility to represent the interests of our clients."

Jury Awards in Excess of $2.5 Million Dollars.
A Brooklyn jury awarded our client, a verdict in excess of S2.5 million dollars for injuries she received as a result of a defective, disrepaired and dangerous elevated subway track in Brooklyn across the street from Woodhull Hospital.

Our client suffered injuries to the head including cognitive deficits, loss of memory, concentration problems and dizziness. She was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and cervical radiculopathy.

Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C. sued the New York City Transit Authority for its negligence in allowing this dangerous condition to exist. The Transit Authority had inspected these tracks for many years prior to the time of her accident. After our office discovered records of these inspections which indicated a crumbling and defective railroad infrastructure, the Transit Authority was forced to admit liability prior to the time of this trial. Ironically, this elevated train in Brooklyn still has not been fixed and continues to present dangers to all of Brooklyn's citizens.

The plaintiff was represented at trial by E. David Woycik, Jr.

Recent Settlements
Stanley J. Sanders recently settled two cases involving young children who suffered brain damage each for the full insurance policy of $300,000.00. Both cases were settled in less than one year. In both cases the insurance companies attempted to settle for less than the full policy amount. In each case a Summons and Complaint had to be served forinally beginning litigation. Only after the carriers were convinced we would move forward to trial were their policies tendered and the cases settled. Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C. has earned a reputation within the insurance industry of moving our cases forward as quickly as possible and investing the time and resources necessary to obtain full and fair settlement for our clients.

LILCO Forced to Pay 1/2 Million
E. David Woycik, Jr. was able to obtain a $500,000.00 settlement after a liability verdict for a driver who was injured when his vehicle hit a pothole in Suffolk County. This case involved a forty-five year old plaintiff who was driving a street sweeper when, all of a sudden, his vehicle went over a misaligned roadway trench. He struck his head on the top of the metal interior of the vehicle, causing him to sustain head and neck injuries.

At trial Mr. Woycik was able to produce a witness, a supervisor from the Town of Babylon, who testified that he had told LILCO to repair this trench and that LILCO had failed to make the repair even after LILCO was notified about this dangerous defect. The case was settled for $500,000.00 after the jury decided that LILCO was 100% responsible for this accident.

$ 1.2 Million Settlement of Labor Law Case

Generally, a worker injured while on the job is covered by Workers Compensation. Workers Compensation will pay for medical expenses and reimburse the worker for some of his lost wages. There are exceptions when workers have the right to sue third parties for their work related injuries. Cases that fall within those exceptions are commonly known as "labor law cases." Recently, Martin Block, with the assistance of our labor law specialist Marc D. Weinblatt, settled two such labor law cases which resulted in serious injuries to our clients for $1,200,000.00 and $675,000.00.

The first case involved a forty year old carpenter who was working on a building that was in the process of being demolished. While climbing one of the interior staircases in the building, the staircase collapsed beneath him causing him to fall nearly five stories onto the construction debris below. Miraculously, he suffered no broken bones as a result of the fall. He did, however, suffer back problems that ultimately necessitated back surgeries. Because Sanders, Sanders, Block & Woycik P.C. was able to prove that this case fit into the appropriate sections of labor law, Mr. Block was able to settle the case for $1.2 million in addition to the Worker's Compensation carrier waiving reimbursement to them of any lien.

The second case involved a 35 year old iron worker who was performing work on a building under construction. A temporary walkway consisting of several plywood boards, not secured or tied down in any manner, was placed over a trench which was approximately three feet deep. As our client was walking over this temporary walkway it collapsed causing him to drop three feet onto metal sewage pipes that were beneath the walkway. As a result of this fall he suffered from serious back and knee problems and required knee surgeries. Despite the insurance companies' argument that this situation did not fall within the labor law provisions, Mr. Block successfully negotiated a settlement for $675,000.00 plus a waiver of the Worker's Compensation lien.

Bronx Law Office Opens

Our new office located in the Concourse Plaza Shopping Center at 220 East 161st Street in the Bronx opened and has greatly expanded Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman's ability to provide legal services for its clients in New York City. Please stop by and see our new office.

If you have any suggestions for future articles or areas of the law which you would like to have explained, please contact Joseph Viener, Esq. of Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C.

Back