Wrongful Death

Published on: January 10, 2012

Family of Slain Man Sue Police for wrongful death

by Stephen Bilkis

A family has filed a $120-million personal injurylawsuit against an officer who allegedly killed a Pace University football player in the course of a late-night bar fight.

The 20-year-old student was allegedly shot by two officers as they removed a crowd of people, mostly Pace students, from a Mount Pleasant bar in the fall of 2010.

Prosecutors did not file charges against the two officers who shot the young man, claiming there wasn’t sufficient evidence to show they’d done anything wrong, sources told The public. The student’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court against the officer who fired the fatal shot.

Published on: January 9, 2012

Another Car Accident on the Queensboro Off-Ramp Takes a Life

by Stephen Bilkis

A Queenboro off-ramp has been a big factor, if not the ultimate cause, in the death of a second person in a two-week time period. A mother of two who crashed due to a dangerous off-ramp died in the hospital, according to sources.

The 40-year-old woman happens to be the second death caused by crashes from the off-ramp. The last fatal car accident in the exact same location occurred only a week before. In the previous accident, one with very similar circumstances, a car lost control coming off of the ramp and hit a pedestrian, killing that person instantly.

“They should definitely fix that bridge exit. I think she would be alive today if they would have fixed it,” a sister-in-law of the victim said. The victim was survived by a husband and two teenage boys.

Published on: January 7, 2012

Fire Evacuates Cruise Ship

by Stephen Bilkis

The power of a large cruise ship was knocked out after one of the six generators caught fire a couple weekends ago. Nearly 750 passengers and crew members were forced to evacuate the vessel off the coast of Mexico. The 522 passengers and 226 crew members were evacuated by catamaran and brought to the port of Huatulco on Mexico’s West Coast.

A company executive was quoted as saying it was a “small, small fire.” The fire was quickly controlled and power was restored several hours later. No injuries were reported. However, many passengers upon reboarding were said to have spent the night on deck because of air conditioning malfunctions.

This accident happened just five months after another passenger ship was left dead in the water after a fire stalled it off the Mexican coast. In that mishap, more than 3,000 passengers were left adrift in the vessel.

Published on: December 25, 2011

Murdered Portuguese Journalist Admitted His Lover Was Scaring Him

by Stephen Bilkis

Carlos Castro, the Portuguese celebrity journalist who was found murdered and mutilated in his Times Square in New York City hotel room told friends that he was being threatened by his handsome companion just days before the murder, police said.

Castro, age 65, who was a prominent gay activist and a society columnist, was beaten to death, and had his scrotum severed with a broken wine bottle during a fight with his former lover. Renato Seabra, the 20-year old suspected murderer was discovered hours after the brawl at Roosevelt Hospital, sporting wounds that may have been from a suicide attempt. He is now in police custody at Bellevue Hospital psychiatric ward, according to a source.

Investigators have stated that they believe Seabra, who is a former Portuguese reality-show contestant, was stringing Castro along. They also believe he attacked Castro when he wouldn’t buy Seabra bigger gifts. Seabra had told friends back home that he wasn’t gay; he was merely using Castro as a route to fame and fortune.

Published on: October 12, 2011

Deceased Man Still Responsible for Paying Restitution to Family Over Death of Little Girl

by Stephen Bilkis

A man convicted of killing an 8-year old girl and seriously maiming her father died in prison recently, but monies from his estate may still be used to pay bodily injury, hospitalization costs and restitution to the family for harming the father and ending the life of the little girl. A NYC Injury Lawyer states that the man had just begun serving his 24-year prison sentence for recklessly killing the girl when a fellow inmate stabbed him to death with a homemade knife.

The little girl and her father were crossing the street in the crosswalk when the man hit both while riding his motorcycle. The little girl died as a result of her injuries while the father lost his leg. A new prosthetic leg may cost up to $500,000 along with hospital and physical rehabilitation costs. The man was tried and convicted of murder and sent to prison. Even though he is no longer alive, a judge has ruled that restitution must still be paid to the family using funds from the man’s estate.

So far, little of an estate has been found. The man’s mother recently filed paperwork to open a probate case to find financial documents and potential assets. The mother has also requested that she be given the motorcycle he was driving at the time of the accident so she can sell it. Any proceeds will mostly likely go to the little girl’s family. It is unclear if the man’s mother knew of any other assets the man had while he was alive.

Published on: September 25, 2011

Family files wrongful death suit against city of Oak Ridge Oregon

by Stephen Bilkis

Back in June, a retired school teacher was making a left hand turn in her 1965 Thunderbird when she was broadsided by a police car that was in pursuit of a speeding vehicle. The 91 year old woman was killed in the crash. Her family has filed a wrongful death suit against the city and is seeking $534,000 in the claim, says a New York Injury Lawyer.   The 28 year old officer who was driving the patrol car that killed the woman will not face criminal charges resulting from the accident, but that is not good enough for the family of the woman who was killed.   According to reports, investigators determined that the woman driving the Thunderbird was solely at fault because she failed to yield to a police vehicle. Had the officer been blaring his lights and sirens, perhaps that determination would have merit. There are specific laws regarding this situation if it occurs in The Bronx or Brooklyn. But the fact is the officer had no lights or sirens on at the time of the accident, and so it is easily assumed that the woman would not realize that there was a patrol car headed towards her.   The family alleges that the city failed to provide appropriate training to its officers in the case of high speed pursuits and it was this negligence that caused the accident that killed their loved one, claims the Injury Lawyer of New York. The officer involved in the crash has been back at work since January and says that he has no recollection of the accident at all.   Negligence can lead to accidents and injuries. People’s lives can change as a result of lack of training and simple mistakes.

If you feel you have been injured as a result of negligence, call a New York Injury Attorney today. If you are unsure whether or not you have a case, a good New York Injury Attorney can consult with you and tell you what your rights are. Stephen Bilkis & Associates with its NY Injury Lawyers, has convenient locations throughout the New York Metropolitan area including Flushing, NY. Our Personal Injury Attorneys can provide you with advice to guide you through situations where an injury resulted because of another’s negligence. Without a New York Injury Attorney you may lose your rights which may cost you a significant amount of money.

Please be aware that In addition to Injury Law Stephen Bilkis and Associates will recommend Criminal Lawyers who can and will help you.

Published on: July 28, 2011

Police Shoot Man Outside of D.C. Area Daycare in Glendale

by Stephen Bilkis

Three Prince George’s County police officers shot and killed a man wielding an axe in front of a day care in the Glenn Dale area in what could be a case of wrongful death.

Just before 3 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon in early April 2011, police were forced to take action, after being called to the daycare to address reports of an armed man, a county police spokesman told NY Injury Lawyers.

The man in question was part of a child custody dispute and wanted to take his children out of the daycare, the police spokesman said. The daycare then called the mother of the children who instructed the caregiver not to give the children to their father.