What New Yorkers Need to Know About “Res Ipsa Loquitur”

Res ipsa loquitur is Latin for “the thing speaks for itself.” In legal terms, res ipsa loquitur is a doctrine of law that establishes a presumption of negligence if the individual had exclusive control over what caused the injury, even without evidence of negligence. It is potential grounds for a personal injury claim in New…

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Liability for Driverless Cars in New York

By 2025, estimates place the partially autonomous vehicle market at a value of $36 billion. Partially autonomous vehicles are those with smart, driverless features such as automatic braking and lane recovery, but that still depend on a human operator. Companies such as Google, Uber, Toyota, GM, and Ford have all begun crafting plans for partial…

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Evidentiary Standards and Burdens of Proof in New York

The structure of the New York civil justice system places the burden of proof in a personal injury case on the victim, or plaintiff. This means it is the plaintiff’s burden – or his or her attorney’s – to prove to a judge or jury that the defendant was at fault for the accident or…

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Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in New York

New York, along with the rest of the country, is experiencing an opioid crisis. Opioids are drugs that contain opium, a painkilling substance that naturally occurs in the poppy plant. Prescription opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, oxymorphone, codeine, and fentanyl. Some illicit drugs are opioids, such as heroin. The nationwide opioid epidemic stemmed largely from…

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