New York City constantly has millions of people visiting from out of town, whether friends or family, tourists or others who are here on business. Unfortunately, a small percentage of these people have an accident and suffer an injury while visiting.
The first fact to be aware of is that a visitor has the same rights to bring a lawsuit seeking compensation as a resident of New York. If you or someone you know was injured, then you need to find an attorney to represent you. If you are just visiting New York, how do you go about finding and hiring the right attorney? Most people turn to the internet and do a Google search. You can read our article on “Searching For An Attorney On The Internet“ that will explain what information you should be looking for on an attorney’s website before you consider contacting and possibly hiring that attorney.
Once you meet with and hire your attorney, you will need to provide all the facts about your case, including details of the damages you have suffered and the potential reasons for the other side’s liability. Then you will need to keep the attorney up to date on any changes in your contact information such as your address or phone numbers and also on your injuries, your medical treatment or any changes in your employment status.
You will be only be required to personally appear two times while your case is proceeding as your attorney will take care of everything else. First, you will need to appear at your deposition to give your testimony. During the deposition, you will be questioned by the other side about your injuries and asked to explain why you believe the other side is responsible for your injuries. Your attorney will meet with you before your deposition to tell you what to expect and to review the facts of your case and the questions you will most likely be asked. You will also be asked to appear for a physical examination by a doctor hired and selected by the other side. The doctor will then write a report and if your case proceeds to trial will also testify against you at trial. Generally, the purpose of this physical examination and testimony is to minimize your injuries by taking the position that either you were not injured at all, that you have fully recovered from your injuries or, if you are still injured, that your injuries are not really that bad.
If you need assistance making arrangements to return and stay in New York in order to give your testimony or for your physical examination, then your attorney can assist you with the arrangements and the financial burden as well. At Jaroslawicz & Jaros, we have had many clients over the years who were injured while visiting New York and retained our firm to represent them to obtain compensation for their injury. The following are just some examples of cases we have handled for people injured while visiting New York City:
- A woman visiting from France who was staying as a guest at a renowned hotel and was injured after being forced to walk down over 30 flights of stairs because a fire had started in a closet due to a lint buildup.
- A man who was visiting from a western state who fell down a flight of stairs in a midtown bar because of a defective handrail.
- A flight attendant from Europe staying at a midtown hotel who was injured when he slipped and fell after taking a shower due to defects in the shower head and the water on the floor.
- A woman who was visiting from Germany who went to a salon to have her hair dyed and suffered burns to her scalp.
- A couple visiting from Switzerland who were injured in a train crash.
- A man visiting from Florida who was injured in a subway crash.
- A truck driver from the Midwest who was badly injured while making a delivery to a warehouse in New York when a large unsecured crate fell on him.
- A ballet dancer visiting New York from Pennsylvania who was injured when she fell off of a dance stage at a discotheque as the edge was not properly marked to be visible.
- A young man visiting from Chicago who was badly injured when the driver of the car he was a passenger in lost control and hit a tree.
- A woman attending a United Nations meeting from an African country who was injured at an NYC hospital due to a defective chair that caused her to fall to the ground.
- A man from California who was injured while he was crossing the street on the Upper East Side when he fell over a beam placed there by a construction company.
The fact that you are from out of town should not stop you from bringing a lawsuit if you were injured while visiting New York City.
We Help Injured Travelers Pursue Compensation
If you or a loved one was injured and needs legal assistance, call Jaroslawicz & Jaros at 212.227.2780 or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call to ensure that you do not waive your right to compensation. Or you can email us at ajaros@lawjaros.com.
