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Serving Clients Throughout Upstate New York with Multiple Convenient Locations Syracuse | Oneida | Watertown | New Hartford | Binghamton | Cortland | Rochester | Oswego | Albany | Buffalo

Syracuse Personal Injury Lawyers

Serving Clients Throughout Upstate New York with Multiple Convenient Locations

If you or a loved one has been injured, it is imperative that you retain a law firm that has extensive experience in personal injury cases. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Syracuse Personal Injury Lawyers, we have the experience and a proven track record to help you achieve the best possible outcome for your case.

DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm dedicated to helping people who have been wrongfully injured. Our extensive experience in the personal injury field is reflected in the results we have achieved for other clients, some of which are posted on our results page. Our firm also handles a lot of medical malpractice cases. Knowledge and experience in the field of medical malpractice gives our firm a greater understanding of medical treatment for all types of injury cases, your prognosis, and it provides us with greater access to quality medical experts. Unlike other law firms, we do not delegate cases to less experienced lawyers. We take great pride in giving our client’s cases the time and attention they deserve in order to achieve the best result possible for you. Consultations are always free, and you will never owe any legal fees unless we obtain compensation for you. Please call us today for a free consultation. Thank you!

Call 833-200-2000 for a free consultation. We serve clients throughout Upstate New York with offices in Syracuse, New Hartford, Oswego, Watertown, Oneida, Cortland, Rochester, Binghamton, Albany, and Buffalo, New York.

"This firm gets my highest possible recommendation." — Former Client Mark A.

Our firm handles all types of personal injury cases, ranging from car and motor vehicle accidents to construction accidents. Our Syracuse personal injury lawyers have achieved extremely favorable results at trial and by settlements for our clients in medical malpractice cases and cases involving birth injuries, such as delivery trauma and negligent prenatal care. Additionally, we represent families and individuals who have lost loved ones in wrongful death cases. In every case, we strive to help clients obtain the compensation they are entitled to receive.

Why Choose Us?

The reputation of our firm precedes us and gives our clients an advantage in adversarial proceedings. As experienced personal injury attorneys in the Syracuse and Rochester areas, we are recognized as strong litigators who fight tenaciously for the rights of our clients. Therefore, defendants and their insurers often feel pressure to provide an appropriate settlement for a case rather than taking it to trial. They know that we will pursue them relentlessly until justice is served. If a case does go to trial, however, we are familiar with litigation procedures in Upstate New York and are ready to showcase the full scope of our courtroom acumen on your behalf.

Comprehensive Representation, Complete Commitment

Our firm handles all types of injury cases, with equal confidence and skill. Our personal injury representation is comprehensive, with a well-documented track record of favorable results through settlement or trial.

Syracuse Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Every day brings more evidence about how frequently medical negligence occurs. This awareness has been building since 1999, when the Institute of Medicine estimated that tens of thousands of deaths occur every year due to medical mistakes. Now researchers believe the number of errors is greater than they first thought.

Of course, not every error results in death or serious harm. But when things go badly, it is important to know that you have quality legal representation you can count on. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we are open and honest about every case. We also consult with highly qualified medical experts from outside of the area to ensure that we obtain a fair and objective review of your potential medical malpractice case.

We have the experience, skills and proven track record to take effective action to help you seek rightful compensation for your injuries. Doing this will help others, too. By holding negligent providers accountable, you can discourage the behavior that caused you such harm and make things safer for others in the future.

Medical mistakes are surprisingly common and can be highly damaging. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano, we help patients in Syracuse, Rochester, and elsewhere in Upstate New York hold health care providers accountable for errors such as misdiagnoses, delayed diagnoses, surgical errors, anesthesia errors, emergency room negligence, and other malpractice. Most of these cases hinge on expert testimony, which will show how the health care provider failed to meet the appropriate standard of care and why this led to the patient’s harm. We have connections with persuasive experts who can support your claim and maximize your damages.

Birth Injuries

Some of the most devastating incidents of medical malpractice affect a baby during the childbirth process. If a doctor fails to order a timely C-section, fails to respond to fetal distress, or mishandles instruments during delivery, for example, a child may suffer from lifelong disabilities. They may require expensive treatment to help them live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. In some cases, a mother may suffer serious injuries as well. Parents may shoulder a heavy emotional burden as they cope with the aftermath of a birth injury. Let us take the burden of the legal process off your shoulders.

Failure to Diagnose Cancer

A prompt diagnosis of cancer is critical to arrest the progress of the disease. The timing of a diagnosis may affect not only the course of treatment but also a patient’s life expectancy. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors do not diagnose cancer as soon as they should. They may not conduct the appropriate tests or take sufficient steps to rule out the possibility of cancer. Sometimes these errors prove fatal, and a patient’s family can recover wrongful death damages from a health care provider. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano, we understand the challenges that patients and their families face in these situations. We can fight for justice on your behalf.

Other Medical Mistakes

Most medical professionals mean well, but unfortunately preventable errors can occur anywhere. From anesthesia errors to emergency room errors to urology malpractice, there are a host of things that may have harmed you or someone close to you. Our personal injury lawyers can help.

Car Accidents

Our personal injury attorneys represent victims throughout Upstate New York who have been injured by careless drivers. Serious accidents can result when a driver texts behind the wheel, drives while intoxicated, fails to yield at an intersection, or engages in aggressive behaviors like excessive speeding. To prove liability in these cases, we would need to show that the defendant driver failed to use the care that a reasonable driver would have used, and this caused the victim’s injuries. We can thoroughly investigate the events leading to the accident and thwart efforts by insurers to minimize their exposure.

Truck Accidents

Often, truck accidents are even more serious than ordinary car accidents. This is because the massive weight of a truck can cause devastating harm to people in a passenger vehicle upon a collision. Complex federal and state regulations govern the operations of the trucking industry. A driver or a company can be held accountable for failing to comply with these rules. For example, a driver may fall asleep behind the wheel after spending too long on the road, or they may fail to properly load the truck. A trucking company also may be held accountable if it employed the driver, even if it did not act negligently.

Motorcycle Accidents

While motorcycles can be an efficient way to travel around Syracuse, Rochester, and the surrounding areas, they pose certain risks. Drivers may fail to notice motorcycles in their vicinity, or they may respond aggressively to their presence. A rider who is struck by a car or truck may suffer serious injuries, such as brain trauma, spinal cord damage, paralysis, broken bones, and road rash. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano, we protect the rights of injured motorcyclists. We can pursue all of the damages to which you are entitled, such as medical bills, future medical costs, lost wages and earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Construction Accidents

The construction industry poses elevated risks of harm, and injuries occur all too often. Under New York law, injured construction workers may be able to pursue remedies beyond workers’ compensation. This is important because workers’ compensation provides only limited wage replacement and medical benefits, while offering no compensation for pain and suffering. To recover additional damages, an injured construction worker can pursue a third-party personal injury claim against any entity other than their employer that was at fault for the accident. These may include manufacturers, contractors, and subcontractors.

Defective Products

Consumers frequently suffer injuries in encounters with products that contain unexpected defects. When this happens, they can bring a claim against the manufacturer or any other party that was involved in the chain of distribution. Strict liability usually applies in these cases, which means that the consumer does not need to prove negligence by the defendant. Instead, they need to show that the defect existed in the product when it left the defendant’s control. A defect may involve an error in the manufacturing process or a flaw in the product’s intended design. It also may involve inadequate warnings of risks.

Serving Clients Throughout Upstate New York With a Personal Touch

We do not take a volume-based approach to practicing law. Instead, we focus on providing quality, personal service. We will listen to you and give you the individualized attention you deserve.

To speak with an attorney about your case, contact a personal injury attorney at our Syracuse firm at 833-200-2000 or contact us online. Initial consultations are free, and you will pay no attorneys' fees unless we help you recover compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Cases?
Because there are a variety of statute of limitations for personal injury cases, it is extremely important to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following an injury. In general, the statute of limitations for a standard personal injury case is 3 years from the date of the injury. In general, the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice case is 2 ½ years from the date of the malpractice. We say, in general, because there are a variety of exceptions to those general provisions. For example, if an injury was caused by a municipality, or a governmental run facility, a Notice of Claim would need to be filed within 90 days of the incident. Federal cases require a Form 95 to be filed. In 2018, Lavern’s law was exacted which extended the statute of limitations for failure to diagnose cancer cases. If you have a personal injury case, it is always best to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected. We are a Syracuse personal injury law firm with offices throughout Upstate, New York.
2. How Do I Know if I Have a Personal Injury or Medical Malpractice Case?
For all personal injury and medical malpractice cases there are 3 elements to every case: negligence, causation and damages. For an automobile accident case, the negligence could be the failure to watch the road, speeding etc. For a medical malpractice case, the negligence could be the failure to timely perform a C-section, the failure to timely screen for cancer, etc. If negligence can be proven in a case, you still need to prove the negligence caused injury. To keep things simple, if someone was texting while driving and, as a result, they struck your automobile causing you physical injury, you can prove their negligence caused injury to you. Under those circumstances you would have a viable personal injury case. In application to a medical malpractice case, if you can prove that a doctor’s failure to screen for prostate cancer delayed your cancer diagnosis to the extent you now have late-stage cancer, one would have a case. Hypothetically, if someone has a really bad cancer where studies have shown that even with timely diagnosis and treatment, most people don’t survive, even if the cancer diagnosis was not timely, it would be very difficult to prove the negligence caused injury. It is always best to consult with an experienced Syracuse personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected. For your convenience, we have additional offices throughout Upstate, New York.
3. How Long Does a Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Case Take to Pursue?
The honest answer is that it depends. The best personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers will not rush your case. The reason being is that most often we will not know the extent of your injuries or the extent of your recovery until a reasonable amount of time has passed. If you rush a personal injury case and settle it quickly, you will be precluded from getting additional compensation down the road if you later learn your injury was worse than initially thought.

It also depends on the underlying case and the issues involved. Our law firm has handled many very complex personal injury cases such as birth injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, failure to diagnose cancer, etc. Complex personal injury cases in Syracuse and beyond often require a variety of specialized medical experts and the cases are often defended by multiple defense lawyers. The more complex the case is, the greater the time it will take to pursue in order to achieve the best result possible. On the other hand, if the case involves a less complex injury such as a broken bone due to a fall or an automobile accident, then those cases often get resolved much quicker provided the insurance carrier is offering fair and reasonable compensation. Our office has experienced medical malpractice and personal injury lawyers to ensure that your case has the best chance of success.
4. Will My Personal Injury or Medical Malpractice Case Go to Trial?
Once again, the honest answer is that it depends. Smaller personal injury cases such as broken bones from automobile accidents, falls or otherwise, more often than not, tend to settle before trial. This is the case because trials are very expensive for the Plaintiffs and Defendants and it usually makes financial sense to settle provided a fair offer is being made. Larger and more complex personal injury or medical malpractice cases have much greater damages involved. When a family suffers a wrongful death, a loved one is paralyzed, have a brain injury, a child needs care for life due to a birth injury, a loved one will never be able to work again, etc. are all cases where typically millions are at stake. If someone has a very strong case with large damages, the insurance carrier will not want to risk going to trial. On the other hand, if an insurance carrier is not willing to pay full and fair value for a case, then we have no other option than to go to trial. Being represented by an experienced Syracuse personal injury and medical malpractice law firm is very important to ensure your case has the opportunity to get the best result for you. Our personal injury and medical malpractice law firm also has offices throughout Upstate, New York.
5. What Are Some of the Results Your Law Firm Has Achieved?
At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we always push to try to get cases settled for our clients. However, if the insurance carrier isn’t being fair, we have absolutely no reservation going to trial. Attorney DeFrancisco has obtained 2 verdicts in the amount of $10,000,000 each in cases where the Defendants were not being fair. Attorney DeFrancisco also achieved a settlement for a birth injury in the amount of $5,600,000, among many other results. Attorney Falgiatano has handled many cases where the results were in the millions. Attorney Westlake achieved a $3.8 million verdict at trial in addition to all of her other accomplishments. Our firm prides ourselves on providing high quality personal injury and medical malpractice services throughout Upstate New York, including Syracuse. Please see our results page for a list of other results we have achieved.
Why Choose Us?
We have a proven track record of getting results.
Our practice is dedicated solely to personal injury matters.
We have a reputation of providing high-quality representation.
Your case will get the time and attention it deserves.
Our skills and track record are incentives for others to settle.
We have received professional recognition many times over for our expertise.
Client Reviews
★★★★★
"We were very impressed with how Jeff DeFrancisco represented us at trial and we were extremely happy when the jury found in our favor." D.M., Auburn, NY
★★★★★
"I cannot express in words what an awesome job Charlie Falgiatano and Jean Marie Westlake did in representing my family in my mother's case at trial. There can never be enough thank-yous." D.L., Cortland, NY
★★★★★
"I suffered a serious injury as a result of medical malpractice. My husband and I retained Jeff DeFrancisco to assist us in this case. We were extremely happy with his representation and highly recommend him." Kelley R., Syracuse, NY
★★★★★
"Since the insurance company was unwilling to settle the matter my case ultimately went to trial. At trial Jeff DeFrancisco did an absolutely amazing job by obtaining a very favorable result for me." T.H., Oneida, NY
★★★★★
"I highly recommend DeFrancisco & Falgiatano - Charlie represented me for a medical malpractice case. He is the best of the best. He is friendly and I am very happy with the representation he provided." Roger N., Oneida, NY
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