Attorney Michael Sussen's Legal Cases

Personal injury

Deal vs. OKT-AY, LLC t/a Jersey Diner, et al.

N/A

OUTCOME: Over $1,500,000.00

Our client, a self employed painter, was hired to paint the exterior of a building that operated as a diner. On a handshake agreement, our client climbed up his 15 foot ladder to begin the work. Whil ... e painting, when his left hand made contact with the diner’s sign, he was electrically shocked and thrown to the ground. As he laid flat on his back in searing pain, he would soon learn that his left shoulder suffered a comminuted head splitting humerus fracture requiring an emergency left shoulder partial replacement. The owner claimed he had no knowledge that the metal sign was electrically energized and there was nothing he could have done. Our investigation uncovered that for years the owner was aware of electrical problems throughout the building. We learned that the owner, who was legally responsible to have a permit for the sign, never bothered to get one. This callous act exposed our client to grave danger and horrific injury. The $1,505,000.00 settlement is a testament to our unyielding commitment to our clients.

Trucking accident

Onasch vs. Just Four Wheels, et al.

N/A

OUTCOME: $1,000,000.00

A young man was helping to guide a family member who was backing a box truck to a trailer. Tragically, the operator started to back the truck before our client signaled it was safe. Our client was pi ... nned between the vehicles and his legs were crushed. The first hurdle our office faced was limited medical coverage available to our client for his extensive injuries. We mobilized and met with the hospital and doctors to secure complete and uninterrupted treatment for our client even after medical coverage was exhausted. After many operations and extensive rehabilitation, our client went on to make a good recovery having regained full use and functionality of both his legs. Despite numerous challenges from the insurance company, we were successful in securing the entire policy limit of $ 1,000,000.00. The settlement gave our client the time and financial security he needed to help overcome this tragic event.

Slip and fall accident

Booth vs. LSP of New Jersey, et al.

N/A

OUTCOME: $1,000,000.00

A young married working mom of three toddlers drove to work at the crack of dawn on a cold winter morning to help support her family. As she exited her car and walked toward the employee entrance, she ... stepped on a patch of black ice she did not see and fell backward landing on her back. She was placed out of work on disability and while waiting to undergo back surgery, she was terminated by her employer. Our client’s life had turned upside down and we stood by her through this difficult time. When we sued, the owner of the building responded by saying our client had prior back problems and that there was a snow storm days before the fall and he had the area cleared of snow. Our investigation revealed there was a defective down spout that discharged melted snow water from the roof onto the walkway where it froze. We learned that the owner was aware of the defect but only bothered to fix the down spout in the front of the building and not by the employee entrance where our client slipped. We took pride in securing for our client the entire policy limit of $1,000,000.00 that helped our client and her family get back on their feet and provided a measure of financial security for them.

Car accident

Shapiro vs. Pennsauken Board of Education

N/A

OUTCOME: $700,000.00

Car accidents can have profound consequences in the blink of an eye that seem insurmountable. It takes a team of experts by your side to counsel you through such a tragic event to give you the best op ... portunity to resume a normal life. One such case involved our client who was driving on a highway and approaching an intersection with a traffic light that just cycled from red to green. As she entered the intersection, she was confronted with a bus that tried to beat the traffic light on the cross street. At impact, our client’s foot was fractured. Initially, her doctors splinted the foot, gave her crutches and ordered therapy. Unfortunately, as months passed, she continued to have pain, a significant limp and her foot never started to heal. Our team of experts worked with our client to get her into a leading foot surgeon. It was determined that she needed fusion surgery to the heel of her foot. Since surgery, she has gone on to make a good recovery with restored function to walk and resume a normal life. We recovered $700,000.00 which helped our client through this difficult time. Even more important to us is that we made a life long friend whom we are proud to say is living her life to the fullest.

Insurance

King, Jr. vs. Tallman

N/A

OUTCOME: $500,000.00

Our client, a humble church volunteer, agreed to drive his fellow church members to functions in a van supplied by the church. On one such occasion, another driver turned suddenly in front of the chur ... ch van causing a head-on type collision. Our client suffered significant injuries including mild traumatic brain injury, a fracture to his finger and injury to his spine. Despite his immediate return to work and limited treatment, his injuries were far more significant than the minimal $15,000 policy that was offered by the other driver who caused the accident. We therefore directed our focus on the insurance company who insured the church van. The insurance company argued that there was a specific exclusion in the policy for volunteers not paid for driving the van. Through extensive investigation, we uncovered a document that proved the church’s insurance company required our client to attend a one-day safe driving program before he was allowed to drive the van. Although our client had forgotten about this, our discovery of this document resulted in a policy limit recovery for our client in the amount of $500,000.00.

Personal injury

Lloyd vs. Chew

N/A

OUTCOME: $500,000.00

Our client was invited to attend a backyard house party. While seated at a folding table in the backyard under a canopy, the sky turned dark and it started to rain. In that instant, a burst of wind c ... ame through and a large tree came crashing down on the canopy. The tree trunk landed on our client, pinning her underneath the tree and causing an open fracture to her foot and other injuries. The homeowner refused to take responsibility and argued that it was an act of god over which they had no control. Investigation uncovered that the tree had been visibly dying for years and even had large holes in the main trunk area. Further, we learned that the defendant had previously worked for a landscape contractor and should have known better. Because the homeowner refused to relent, we proceeded to a hearing where it was determined that the homeowner was at fault and our client was awarded the entire policy limit of $500,000.00.

Personal injury

Chambers vs. Horner, et al.

N/A

OUTCOME: $500,000.00

On a Sunday over the summer, our client, a boating novice, was talked into a motorboat excursion in the Atlantic Ocean. Within minutes of entering the ocean, the captain encountered a large wave. Our ... client went flying up into the air and slammed back down on her buttocks. This caused a disc in her back to burst and compress her spinal cord. She was taken to the hospital where she underwent emergency back surgery. Although the surgery was successful, she was left with permanent physical restrictions and disability. The captain of the motorboat vehemently denied any responsibility. He argued that the weather forecast was clear that day and that it was a rogue wave which was an act of god and beyond his control. Extensive investigation proved otherwise: 1.) weather reports confirmed a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean off Bermuda that was likely to cause swells on the east coast; 2.) the captain had only recently obtained his boating license and lacked experience; and 3.) a certified marine investigator we hired had found responsibility on the captain for failing to timely recognize the wave and for improperly traversing the wave. This case went to a hearing where it was determined that the captain was at fault and our client was awarded the policy limit of $500,000.00.

Car accident

Geoghan vs. Rugletic

N/A

OUTCOME: $500,000.00

A military veteran with a prior medical history of spinal injuries was involved in a rear-end motor vehicle crash. Because he failed conservative treatment and pain management, he had to undergo a lum ... bar fusion surgery. His treating doctors placed him on permanent disability. The insurance company refused to settle and argued that our client’s herniated disk must have been caused by his physical job as a maintenance superintendent or his prior spinal injuries. They also claimed that our client already had a bad back from his degenerative spine. Our law firm counter with an expert neuroradiologist who concluded that the disk herniation in our client’s back was separate from the other incidental degenerative findings and consistent with his injury from the accident. We also secured a vocational expert who confirmed that our client was permanently disabled from his job as a maintenance supervisor as a result of his accident injuries. Faced with these proofs, the insurance company settled for their entire policy limit of $500,000.00.

Slip and fall accident

Chiarulli vs. Super Fresh Markets

N/A

OUTCOME: $450,000.00

On a wet and snowy day, a grandmother’s trip to the supermarket for holiday cookie ingredients turned tragic. As our client entered the store, she slipped on water that had accumulated on the tile flo ... or. She fell to the ground, fracturing her hip and requiring a hip replacement surgery. The supermarket turned down our client’s claim because a mat was placed at the entrance. We filed a lawsuit to uncover all the information surrounding the fall. Upon investigation, we learned that the mat had been haphazardly placed at the entrance site. Photographs and video surveillance revealed a gap between the entrance threshold and the mat. We successfully argued that the gap allowed slippage on the tile floor. We were able to secure a recovery for our client in the amount of $ 450,000.00. Our firm’s commitment to our client and refusal to take no for an answer is why this grandmother and her extended family continue to return to us for help. We take great pride in proving to each of our clients why we are voted One of the Best Law Firms in South Jersey.

Slip and fall accident

Hill vs. Connolly Properties

N/A

OUTCOME: $450,000.00

On a cold winter night, our client was returning to her apartment unit after visiting friends in the same complex. As she stepped down off their landing, she slipped on ice that was covered beneath fr ... esh snow and landed on her elbow. She heard and felt her bone crack. She require two operations to her elbow that disabled her from a data entry job. Her elbow eventually healed but with decreased range of motion. Management at the apartment complex refused to pay our client’s medical bills. When we sued, it was discovered that the building owner was nowhere to be found and was indicted for fraud and other criminal charges. When the case settled for $450,000.00 our client felt vindicated. The recovery not only paid for her medical bills and time out of work, but also gave our client economic freedom.

Michael Sussen's Legal Cases (10)

Deal vs. OKT-AY, LLC t/a Jersey Diner, et al.

Onasch vs. Just Four Wheels, et al.

Booth vs. LSP of New Jersey, et al.

Shapiro vs. Pennsauken Board of Education

King, Jr. vs. Tallman

Lloyd vs. Chew

Chambers vs. Horner, et al.

Geoghan vs. Rugletic

Chiarulli vs. Super Fresh Markets

Hill vs. Connolly Properties