NYC Personal Injury Lawyer Comments on the Limitations of Wrongful Death Laws in New York

NEW YORK, NY, July 30, 2012 (Press-News.org) Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman of Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman in New York City says that the recent tragic death of a 12-year-old boy brings to light how inadequate New York state's wrongful death statutes are when it comes to seeking justice.

According to the New York Times, the boy cut his arm in the school gymnasium while diving for a basketball. Less than three days later, he was dead. What emergency room physicians thought was an upset stomach and dehydration turned out to be sepsis. Hospital records noted that the boy died from severe septic shock brought on by infection.

And, as reported in the New York Times, critical information collected by the hospital during the boy's first visit was never communicated to his parents: weak vital signs and abnormal lab results. The family had no idea just how sick their son was until he ended up in the intensive care unit, three days after he was discharged from the ER.

The family never had time to prepare to say goodbye to their son. And while justice in the courtroom does not even come close to compensating the family for its loss, sometimes the closure provided by holding parties' responsible for their negligence can help families move on. Unfortunately, the laws in New York will not even allow the family to recover for the emotional injury caused by the death of a loved one.

"Tragedies like these occur on a daily basis, yet our antiquated wrongful death laws often do not allow true justice in the courthouse to occur because the emotional distress of the families in these situations is noncompensable in the state of New York," says attorney Lichtman.

For more information about claims of emotional distress and wrongful death lawsuits, contact the personal injury attorneys at Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman by visiting the firm's website at www.tgllaw.com or calling 212-561-5036.

About attorney Jeffrey Lichtman and Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman:

The personal injury lawyers at Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman, along with their team of experienced support staff, have represented thousands of injured New Yorkers in the past 40 years and obtained more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for their clients. The firm handles personal injury cases throughout New York City and the five boroughs, including cases involving medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-falls, nursing home negligence, elder abuse, defective medical devices and dangerous drugs.

Attorney Jeff Lichtman
Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman, P.C.