Personal Injury – Pena & Khan
Law Office of Pena & Kahn, PLLC
Peña & Kahn, PLLC is one of the leading law firms representing accident victims in the New York area. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients from negligent landlords, irresponsible corporations and reckless drivers.
Our firm was founded by Jesus J. Peña who has earned a reputation as being a relentless advocate for those in need of a voice in our legal system. His skill and knowledge of the law have been demonstrated over the years from his countless appearances on television, radio and in newspaper as a legal expert, and from some of the famous cases he has handled over his career.
Jesus Peña brought Steven Kahn on to his team in 1998 because of his success and deep understanding of the area of personal injury litigation. Beyond Steven Kahn’s skills in the courtroom, Jesus Pena saw that they shared a common vision: to build a law firm dedicated to the legal needs of the community with a legal team that could speak the language of its clientele.
At Peña & Kahn, PLLC we personally evaluate every case, and conduct our own investigations in order to obtain important evidence, documentation, testimony, and information to use on your behalf. When you retain the services of our firm, our attorneys will keep you uptodate on all new developments regarding your case. In addition, we are dedicated to protecting your best interest, and making sure your case is handled in a professional and timely manner.
We have offices in Jackson Heights, Queens as well as in the Bronx. In addition, we have an affiliate office in West New York, New Jersey. For accident victims who are unable to travel due to the severity of their injuries, we will send a representative to your home.
Our highly trained team of attorneys has a reputation of fighting relentlessly for the rights of accident victims. Under the law, if you are injured as a result of someone’s negligence, you are entitled to be compensated for your pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost earnings. Peña & Kahn will fight to get you the maximum amount that the law entitles you to receive.
Landlord Responsibility. Under New York law, a property owner has an obligation to maintain his premises in a safe condition. Unfortunately, many landlords do not live up to this obligation. We have successfully represented countless accident victims who were injured as a result of broken stairs, leaky ceilings, dirty hallways, faulty windows, and uneven walkways. If you are the victim of an assault in a building where the landlord failed to provide adequate security or functioning locks that could have prevented the assault, New York law holds the landlord responsible. Our law firm has extensive experience and achieved great success in suing landlords for failing to provide adequate security.
The law also imposes upon property owners responsibility for fire safety. We have represented numerous victims of building fires who have suffered burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Although the cause of a fire may have been accidental, there are strict fire safety requirements that a landlord must comply with to prevent the spreading of a fire and to insure that occupants are able to safely exit.
Dangerous sidewalk conditions. Depending on the jurisdiction, a property owner or municipality can be held liable for failing to maintain a sidewalk in a safe condition. If you fall due to an uneven sidewalk or because the sidewalk was not shoveled following a snow storm, the law entitles you to be compensated for your injuries. In New York City, the adjacent property owner is required to keep the sidewalk free of defects, uneven flagstones, snow and ice, or any other hazardous condition. This requirement does not apply to one, two or three family residential properties that are owner occupied.
Construction Accidents. If you are a construction worker, New York law requires the property owner and general contractor provide you a safe place to work. All too often, construction workers are required to perform work at dangerous elevations and are not given adequate ladders, scaffolding, or safety lines to prevent a serious accident from occurring. New York’s labor law does not permit property owners to turn a blind eye to the unsafe practices of contractors working on their property. Our firm has achieved tremendous results in obtaining compensation for clients who have been injured at construction sites due to defective ladders, lack of safety equipment, unstable scaffolds, and defective machinery.
Car Accidents. Most of us depend on motor vehicles to get around but car accidents continue to be one of the greatest dangers we face once leaving the home. Nearly three million people are injured each year as a result of car accidents and nearly 40,000 people die each year in car accidents. Driver inattentiveness and alcohol continue to be the greatest cause of roadway collisions. New York law holds unsafe drivers responsible for the injuries they cause.
The insurance industry has developed a very profitable system where they pay as little as possible on car accident claims and take as long as possible to make payment. At Peña & Kahn, PLLC, our attorneys know how to navigate this system. We have seen all of the tricks utilized by insurance companies and we know what it takes to prevent insurers from taking advantage of our clients.
Injuries to children at school. Schools have an obligation to adequately supervise the students in their charge and will be held liable for injuries caused by the absence of adequate supervision. Our office has successfully represented countless students who were injured at school due to lack of supervision. If a school knew or should have known that a particular student was violent and posed a threat to a classmate, the school is required to take appropriate measures to protect the threatened child. Our office has successfully represented students who were severely injured by bullies or gang members where the school failed to take any preventative action.
Dog Bites. All too often, dogs are being used as weapons rather than pets. The increased popularity of breeds such as the Pit Bull and Rottweiler has made dog attacks a more common occurrence than in the past. Given the strength of these breeds, dog bites can cause severe bodily injury. Our law firm recently won a trial where the jury awarded our client $1 million after being attacked by a pit bull. The law holds the owner of a vicious animal responsible for the damage it causes where the owner knew of should have known of the animal’s vicious propensities.