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Manhattan Jury Finds Cop used Excessive Force Causing Facial Fractures - Awards $0--Overturned on Appeal

On October 3, 2019, an appellate court found that a Manhattan jury had unreasonably failed to award any damages to a plaintiff who proved that a New York City police officer had used excessive force while arresting him. The jury found that the cop had smashed the plaintiff's face with a bullet-proof shield fracturing his nasal and orbital bones requiring reconstructive nasal surgery. Though the jury found the cop had violated plaintiff's Fourth Amendment rights in using excessive force which caused the fractures--it awarded zero for past or future pain and suffering.

The appellate court found that a reasonable jury could have concluded that the plaintiff's injuries had healed and will present no problems in the future. However, the appellate court concluded that it was unreasonable of the jury not to compensate the plaintiff for his indisputable past pain and suffering. As such the appellate court gave the City a choice: either pay the plaintiff $200,000 for his past pain and suffering or a new trial on damages before a new jury will be held. Shimukonas v City of New York, 2019 WL 4865029

Ronald C. Burke, Esq

Trial Attorney with 30+ Years of Experience Attorney Ronald C. Burke, Esq. has more than 30 years of experience and has focused his career on representing clients in cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice and legal malpractice. He is a seasoned trial lawyer and has won many seven-figure settlements and verdicts for his clients over the years, including many case victories listed among the largest in the history of the New York State. He has been featured in the news and is a regular lecturer for the New York County Lawyers Association, as well as having lectured before the New York State Bar Association. Ron is also an attorney with Kelner & Kelner, a New York personal injury law firm. Awards and Accolades Mr. Burke's awards and accolades are many. Among them, he has been included in New York Super Lawyers® each year since 2010, and he has received the highest-possible AV® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®. Verdict Search, a part of the New York Law Journal, frequently recognizes his notable successes after winning some of the highest settlements and verdicts in past years. He was also featured in their list of the "Top New York Verdicts " and "Top New York Settlements." He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and is licensed to practice law in the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, as well as before the United States Supreme Court. When Attorney Burke is not handling legal malpractice cases, he is highly involved in the local community. He was a member of the Village of Rockville Centre Volunteer Fire Department, has served on the local school board and as Chairman of the local Zoning Board. Learn more about Attorney Burke and how he can skillfully handle your malpractice case by contacting the Law Offices of Ronald C. Burke, Esq. right away to schedule your complimentary case evaluation. Our firm is here to help! Contact a New York Legal Malpractice Attorney Our firm provides each client's case with thorough preparation and aggressive representation, ensuring that you win the best possible results for your case whether it is settled or goes to trial. As a seasoned trial lawyer, Mr. Burke can provide the strong and relentless representation you need to establish negligence in a legal malpractice case and to recover any damages you may have suffered. Our firm can recover compensation for pre-trial and trial malpractice, violations of fee arrangements, loss of income, pain and suffering, and much more. Contact us today!

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