Brooklyn Legal Blog

Injuries from bullying: How can you protect your child?

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Friday, September 20, 2019.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and as such, it's important to talk about the ways you can help protect your child against bullying and address bullying when it becomes a serious problem.

Bullying is difficult for children. Unlike in the past, bullying doesn't stop when the school day ends. Many children deal with bullying online, through text messages and through other digital means. From video games where others can leave horrible messages for them to calling and saying rude things on their phones, there is almost no way to get a reprieve from bullying in today's society.

3 safety tips for equipment operators

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

If you work as an equipment operator on a construction site in Brooklyn, you probably already know how dangerous your job is. From malfunctioning equipment to uncleared work areas and tight deadlines, it can be easy for things to go wrong on a job site. Due to the overwhelming number of hazards, staying safe should always be a priority, your coworkers and the boss.

To help you stay safe, it is a good idea to remain current with training and safety standards. Also, here are a few tips to remember the next time you are working with heavy machinery and equipment.

Take these steps if you're involved in a car crash

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Monday, July 22, 2019.

No matter who you are, you deserve to have your health looked after if you're involved in a car crash. Whether you're a citizen or an immigrant, it's your right to pursue a claim if you get hurt because of another person's actions.

If you are involved in a car crash, there are some steps that you need to take to make sure your case is taken seriously and that you get as much compensation as possible. Here are four steps you should take right away.

What counts as excessive force by police?

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Friday, June 21, 2019.

Police have the right to use their own discretion to some extent when making an arrest. For example, if a person tries to resist an arrest, they can use force to ensure that the person does not get away. The perceived risk of the situation should influence the amount of force used. A suspect with a weapon or with a perceived malicious intent will likely be subject to a much higher amount of force than someone who has been suspected of committing a petty crime, for example.

Law enforcement officials should avoid using excessive force or unreasonable force. In the media, there have been several high-profile cases in recent years, highlighting the seriousness of excessive force and police brutality. If you believe that you or a loved one has become victim to excessive force by police, it is important to understand how the law defines the act, and learn what you can do to get justice.

New York: Tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Schools in New York are required to have policies in place that cover bullying and what to do if there are bullying concerns in their school system. New York strictly defines bullying as harassment or actions that create a hostile environment through the use of threats or negative conduct. Some kinds of poor conduct that would qualify as harassment or bullying include abuse, intimidation and cyberbullying.

New York is special in that it recognizes cyberbullying as a type of harassment and bullying, specifically naming it in school policies. Cyberbullying is not limited to the internet. Instead, it can occur through any form of electronic communication including videos, phone calls and other services.

Don’t make these post-car accident mistakes

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

Imagine driving through Brooklyn, minding your own business and simply trying to make it to work with enough time to grab an extra coffee from the vendor across the street before you clock in. Unfortunately, things literally go sideways when another driver runs a red light and plows into the side of your car.

Now, you will have to miss work, deal with car repairs and visit the nearest emergency room to take care of your injuries. If this has not actually happened to you yet, it could occur today, tomorrow or in a month. The best thing you can do is to be prepared.

"Never events" put patients at risk everywhere in the U.S.

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Friday, March 22, 2019.

Medical malpractice is a problem in the hospitals and clinics around the United States. It can be serious enough to cause fatalities or complications that leave patients in pain and struggling with their conditions. While some errors are not intentional, the reality is that mistakes and negligence can seriously harm patients, so providers have to be held accountable.

The majority of medical malpractice cases discuss the occurrence of never events. Never events include mistakes such as:

Wrong-site surgeries
Wrong-patient surgeries
Unintended retention of a foreign body
Wrong-procedure incidents

Getting workers' compensation as an undocumented immigrant

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Thursday, February 21, 2019.

If you are an immigrant living in New York and working in construction, you may be worried about your ability to exert your legal rights. It is common for undocumented immigrants to worry about getting involved with legal issues because they fear deportation. However, it is important to know that if you are injured as an undocumented worker, you may still have the right to claim workers' compensation under the law.

If you are an undocumented immigrant in the United States, you are not legally allowed to gain employment. However, in New York there is no statute that categorically denies illegal immigrant workers the ability to gain workers' compensation when they are working without authorization. If you want to gain workers' compensation to help you cope financially with the costs associated with your injury, it is important that you take action to understand more about the law.

Cyber-punks: When kids harass your child online

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Bullying is something most children go through at one time or another. Children have to learn how to work together and get along despite differences, so there are bound to be conflicts along the way.

Bullying can have detrimental effects, though, especially on children who face several bullies or long-term bullying. Psychologically, and sometimes physically, bullying takes a toll.

Know the difference between fair and false imprisonment or arrest

On behalf of Friedman Sanchez, LLP on Monday, December 24, 2018.

A false arrest is a situation in which you allege that you were arrested without probable cause or without a court order. In a situation involving false arrest, you may be able to sue the police or the private security agents who held you without the right to do so.

With a false arrest, there is also the likelihood of false imprisonment. This is when someone detains you willfully without consent and without being in accordance with the law. For example, if you are stopped by the police for a tail light being out, the likelihood is that they cannot arrest you and detain you for that offense. There would need to be a more significant issue at hand to be arrested and detained.