Michaels & Smolak, P.C.

We are dedicated almost exclusively to personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and legal malpractice cases in all of Upstate New York, with most of our cases being in Central New York, the Finger Lakes Region and Western New York. We also accept general civil litigation cases, and we do take some select cases from all areas of New York State.

Website:https://www.michaels-smolak.com/
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Michaels & Smolak, P.C. Blogs

Central New York Injury Lawyer Blog

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Michael Bersani

Latest from Michaels & Smolak, P.C.

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Last night my wife Alejandra and I attended the Geneva YMCA’s fundraiser, the “Frost Fest”, at Three Brothers Winery right along the eastern shores of Seneca Lake.  Here is a photo of us sitting on the ice thrown: Yes, lots of beautiful ice carvings.  And lots of other great stuff to see and do.  Local wine, beer and restaurant tastings and to top it all off a huge fireworks display. And notice the…
On January 28 of this Year New York’s legislative bodies put the final touches on the “Child Victims Act”.  It’s almost law. All that is needed now is Governor Cuomo’s signature, which is sure to come soon. The new law will extend the statute of limitations for adults who were sexually abused as children from the current 23-years-of-age limit to the victim’s 55th birthday.   And for one year, anyone of any age –…
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As a longstanding NY personal injury lawyer, I have seen my clients’ right to privacy disintegrate over the years.  And just when I thought it could not get much worse, it got worse. Let me tell you about it. First, though, a little background. When you sue for personal injuries, you give up some of your privacy.  The insurance company lawyer has a right to pry into your medical records, at least to the extent…
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As a longstanding NY personal injury lawyer, I have seen my clients’ right to privacy disintegrate over the years.  And just when I thought it could not get much worse, it got worse. Let me tell you about it. First, though, a little background. When you sue for personal injuries, you give up some of your privacy.  The insurance company lawyer has a right to pry into your medical records, at least to the extent…
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As a longstanding NY personal injury lawyer, I have seen my clients’ right to privacy disintegrate over the years.  And just when I thought it could not get much worse, it got worse. Let me tell you about it. First, though, a little background. When you sue for personal injuries, you give up some of your privacy.  The insurance company lawyer has a right to pry into your medical records, at least to the extent…
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Happy New Year’s readers!   In my last blog I talked about my New Year’s plan to volunteer on a week-long assignment in an immigrant detention center near the Texas-Mexico border. I was to help asylum seekers advance their claims.  Not really in my wheelhouse, since I am a New York personal injury lawyer.  But I speak Spanish, and am married to a Guatemalan, and wanted to help out with all the Central Americans claiming asylum…
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Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope you all enjoy this holiday season.  Like most of you, I will be spending Christmas with family and friends.  But come the New Year, I will be spending a week with complete strangers.  Here’s my story: I will be a volunteer lawyer on a week-long assignment in an immigrant detention center near the Texas-Mexico border. I will be helping asylum seekers advance their claims. I will help them present evidence that…
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Most lawyers, whether they make their living representing personal injury victims or others, have a few heroes who inspire them to fight the good fight, to go above and beyond, and to be courageous warriors for their cause.  We at Michaels & Smolak are no different.  So let us tell you about one of our heroes, George Michaels. To tell the George Michaels story, we need to take a walk through the New York State…
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We are proud to announce that U.S. News & World Report  has once again honored Michaels & Smolak with its “first tier” ranking in its “Best Lawyers in America” listings for personal injury litigation firms in the Syracuse, New York metropolitan area. In the 2019 edition, just as past editions, the firm was ranked “first-tier” in the categories of both “personal injury” and “product liability”. These days, personal injury trial lawyers like us are bombarded…
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If you walk into a Syracuse, New York pub on a Friday at 5:20,  and you happen upon a group of personal injury lawyers having an end-of-the-week beer, you might hear them rant about how unfair some New York personal injury laws are.  For example, unlike most States, New York does not allow the immediate family of a wrongful death victim to receive compensation for their grief and heartache at losing their loved one, even…