The New York Disability Law Blog : New York Disability Lawyer & Attorney : Turley, Redmond & Rosasco : Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk, Bronx, Staten Island

I recently had the pleasure to give another Social Security Disability claim  on-line video Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course. It was entitled "Social Security Disability Claims Primer" and was presented for the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education. You can sign up for the course here.

You can see my PowerPoint materials for this Social Security Disability claim seminar here.  The materials are more than just a dry legal outline - I actually give lawyers tips on how to prepare client's to testify and how to best to present claims to Social Security Administrative Law Judges( ALJ's).  Feel free to call with any questions. 

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Troy Rosasco was recently profiled by the Long Island Business News in an article entitled "The Good Fight".  It discusses his long committment to 9/11 victims and the fight to get the Zadroga Act passed.  The article appeared in the newspaper's "Two Minutes" interview column and discussed the new Zadroga 9/11 Compensation Act. 

We will also be publishing some newly released helpful information for 9/11 victims and first resonders on our Zadroga 9/11 Claim Info web site  shortly. Stay tuned.

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It was an honor to have been asked to give a Continuing Legal Education Course on the new Zadroga 9/11 Act to the Justices and attorneys of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn recently. The two hour presentation was given in the same courtroom where I was sworn in as an attorney over 20 years ago - and it hasn't changed a bit!  Here is a copy of my Zadroga 9/11 Act  Power Point Presentation to the Supreme Court.

Like previous lectures I have given on Zadroga 9/11 Act claims, I covered topics such as: who is a first responder under the Zadroga Act ?; are volunteers, construction workers, cleaners and other workers covered under the Zadroga Act ?; what medical conditions are covered under the Zadroga Act ?; what medical and compensation benefits are available under the Zadroga Act ?;   can you have a Zadroga Act compensation claim if you already received money from another 9/11 lawsuit ?; what toxic chemicals were found at Ground Zero and are they cancer causing ?;  who is the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Special Master ?; what is the definition of the "crash site" under the Zadroga Act ?; what cancer conditions are covered under the Zadroga Act ?;  and what are the deadlines for filing Zadroga Victim Compensation Fund claims ?.

Once again, I would like to thank the Supreme Court, Appellate Division for allowing me to present this progam.

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In a bizarre twist, the non-profit FealGood Foundation recently invited the much criticized "9/11 victim" law firm, Worby Groner & Edelman and Napoli Bern , LLP   to speak at their  Zadroga Act Claim  legal forum on 3/20/2011. "Something" must have caused these former adversaries  to kiss and make up!  

The NY Daily News has previously stated that the Worby Napoli lawyers exploited John Feal's name.    This is what John Feal said just last year about Napoli Bern:

Dear Friends, Supporters and Fellow First Responders,

Today I have been forwarded a disturbing and ethically questionable email from the law firm of Worby, Groner, Napoli & Bern, LLP. First, "Napoli Bern" does not, and has never,  represented  me in any legal action. Unfortunately, the email does not make this clear and may mislead readers.

Second, I am not and have never been, a litigant in the 9/11 "class action" lawsuit involving Napoli Bern. I have maintained an individual lawsuit for many years. Any legal actions taken by me and my private attorney have no reflection on the "class action" suit and any attempts to draw such a conclusion are unwarranted and, in regards to Napoli Bern, unauthorized. Why Napoli Bern has chosen a non-litigant to this suit as an example of the actions you should take in settling your suit is questionable to say the least. I urge you to discuss your individual cases with your attorney and make your own independent decisions moving forward. Please do not look to the steps taken by my attorney as indicating what the best legal action is in your case.

I am saddened and upset that a law firm that is entrusted with the legal care of over 9,000 First Responders would choose to release the personal information of another, non-client responder and use such information to pressure litigants into settling their own cases. I will be addressing this matter with appropriate authorities immediately.

It is my sincere hope that you make your legal decisions based on your own independent factors and I wish you well in your decision making.

God bless you and God bless America

 

 

"Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure"

                                                            Abraham Lincoln

 

Peace & Love

John Feal

Founder & President

The invitation to the "legal forum"  was not rescinded by the FealGood Foundation despite federal court Judge Alvin Hellerstein the prior week giving the Napoli Bern firm a severe "dressing down" on how it has represented certain 9/11 victims.  Judge Hellerstein stated:

"Having thus been in conflict for months, and having done nothing about it, Napoli Bern failed to give these 59 Plaintiffs the proper representation to which they were entitled.

Instead, Napoli Bern favored the needs of the thousands of other clients whom it also represented. That this happened is hardly surprising, especially when one considers the possibility that Napoli Bern had financial motivations for preferring its thousands of settling clients."

Then just yesterday, Worby Napoli got caught up in the "fake 9/11 fireman ad" controversy reported in the New York Post.  I wonder now how happy the Fealgood Foundation is that they are implicitly recommending this law firm to 9/11 responders and victims for representation? 

What could have prompted the non-profit FealGood Foundation, in need of funds, to do a 180 degree turn around from it's previous denunciation of the Napoli Bern law firm? Hmmm...

As I have said before, John Feal is a hero.  He is tarnishing his own reputation, and all those who work so tirelessly for the FealGood Foundation, by being involved in this lawyer circus. By recommending that 9/11 victims first go through a lawyer on the Fealgood Foundation Board of Directors, the more questionable the process becomes.

John Feal should follow the advice he previously gave in the letter to his Friends above : "It is my sincere hope that you make your legal decisions based on your own independent factors and I wish you well in your decision making."

The credibility of the entire FealGood Foundation is on the line now given their new association with the law firms of Worby Groner & Edelman and Napoli Bern. 9/11 victims and responders deserve better.

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Photo courtesy of the NY Post

Worby Groner & Edelman and Napoli Bern, LLP , the much criticized 9/11 "victim" law firm, was accused of major conflicts of interest by federal judge Alvin Hellerstein recently regarding it's representation 59 separate 9/11 victims. Said Judge Alvin Hellerstein:

"Having thus been in conflict for months, and having done nothing about it, Napoli Bern failed to give these 59 Plaintiffs the proper representation to which they were entitled.

Instead, Napoli Bern favored the needs of the thousands of other clients whom it also represented. That this happened is hardly surprising, especially when one considers the possibility that Napoli Bern had financial motivations for preferring its thousands of settling clients."

See Judge Hellerstein's full 3/11/2011 decision here regarding Napoli Bern's conflicts and conduct. 

On the heels of this legal embarrassment, the New York Post today exposed a hurtful Worby Napoli advertisement picturing a current NYC Firefighter who never was at Ground Zero, but whose picture was altered with special computer software to make it look like he was a first responder.  And believe it or not, the Worby Napoli firm issued a press release immediately defending the misleading ad!!  Have they no shame? Do they really care about 9/11 victims? Or are they stereo-typical lawyers just out for the money? 

In my opinion, Worby Napoli's pattern of conduct over the last few month's is nothing short of disgraceful.   How can any future Zadroga 9/11 claimant trust this law firm? There are  many honorable Zadroga 9/11 lawyers representing 9/11 victims and first responders.  Unfortunately, the honorable attorneys are inevitably tarnished by the "900 pound gorilla in the room".  Sad.

When choosing a Zadroga Act lawyer, make sure you pick one with integrity.  At the end of the day, you must trust that your Zadroga lawyer is working for your best interests.

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Last night I had the pleasure of giving Zadroga Claim Information  to 60+ volunteer firefighters at the East Islip Volunteer Fire Department.  Many of these brave volunteers immediately responded to the World Trade Center without any prompting from their department or other emergency agencies. They simply saw a tragedy unfolding, and like the professionals they are, put themselves in harms way.  True heroes.

Anyone who works with Long Island volunteer firefighters like I have for years knows that many of them hold day jobs as New York City police officers, correction officers and construction workers. Besides those volunteer firefighters who have Zadroga Victim Compensation Fund Claims, many also have Zadroga claims  relating to their regular line of work.

Whether you participated in rescue, recovery or cleanup work as a result of volunteer efforts (including the Red Cross and Salvation Army) or from your regular work (such as electricians from Local 3, IBEW), you should explore your rights and protections under the Zadroga Act by calling a Zadroga Lawyer.  Feel free to call me at 1-877-693-2529 ext. 123 to discuss a possible Zadroga 9/11 Claim.

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The final deadline for Ground Zero 9/11 rescue, recovery and cleanup workers to register to file a New York Workers Compensation claim  in the future is September 11, 2010. 

The workers compensation lawyers at Turley, Redmond Rosasco and Rosasco are supporting our friends at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) both financially and through the New York Disability Law Blog get out the word to the estimated 50,000 eligible 9/11 workers who have not yet registered.

This important protection will help them with medical insurance and lost wages if they later become sick as a result of exposure at Ground Zero. Click here to find the official WTC-12 Registration form which must be filed prior to September 11, 2010.  Please take a few minutes to complete this form to protect you and your family.

If you have any questions about registration or filing Ground Zero 9/11 New York workers compensation claims, do not hesitate to call us toll free at 1-877-NY-DBLAW.

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