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Last week, Jim Reed and Christina Bruner Sonsire (yes, Christina got married this past weekend!) traveled to Albany to join almost 150 other members of the New York Trial Lawyer’s Association to meet with NY legislators to discuss important legislation. Discussed topics included:

• Whether defense lawyers should have the right to privately meet with your treating Dr’s outside your presence or the presence of your attorney.
• Whether the rules should be changed so that if you contest a no-fault denial via the no-fault arbitration process, the results of that arbitration can’t be used against you in your personal injury case.
• Whether the antiquated NY Wrongful Death Law should be changed to follow the 42 other states that recognize recovery for grief.

Today, N.Y.C. attorney Eric Turkewitz, discussed the lawyers who traveled to Albany (he was there) and asked some great questions:

• If you have an attorney handling a personal injury matter, is the name of your lawyer on the list? Or at least someone from his/her firm?
• And if not, did s/he attend last year or the year before?
• Is s/he actively working in some way to preserve the civil justice system?
• And if they have never done anything in this regard, why not?

Well, I can’t answer for the MANY who “claim” to be dedicated personal injury attorneys who were NOT there but I am darned proud that two of our ZiffLaw attorneys were among the 138 truly dedicated champions of consumer rights who made the long, inconvenient but important trip to Albany. I didn’t see any other lawyers from Elmira, Corning or Ithaca which was pretty disappointing….

Thanks for reading,

Jim Reed

jreed@zifflaw.com