David C. Cook - New York, NY

Overview

David C. Cook was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 1973 and has been with the firm for 30 years and a partner at the firm since 1988.

He has focused on litigation for over 35 years, with particular attention to major transportation accidents, including aviation disasters, multidistrict litigation, products liability, including railroad disasters, major bus accidents, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, job site and construction disasters, property and fire damage as well as flood insurance litigation resulting in wrongful death and life altering injuries.

He has served as vice-chair of the ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, a member of the New York State Bar Association's Executive Committee for Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law, and Chairman of its Fire and Property Insurance Section. He has been a member of the New York County Lawyers Association, American Bar Association and the American Association of Justice.

He practices nationally, internationally and throughout the New York Metropolitan Tri-State area and has been admitted in many state and federal courts, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Utah, Georgia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

He has tried cases in federal and state courts the past 35 years and has been noted for his accomplishments and recognized by his peers as well as regularly named as one of “New York's Top Lawyers,” “Best Lawyers in America,” “The National Million Dollar Advocates Forum,” as well as “America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals,” “New York Times Best Lawyers in New York” and “Strathmore's Who's Who.”

He is a co-author of the recognized three volume treatise "New York Law of Torts."

Mr. Cook prides himself and his firm in their hands-on approach in the aggressive representation of each of their clients and recognizes that each client's case is the most important in each of their respective lives.

He litigates and tries many high profile cases throughout the United States obtaining decades-long history of numerous multi-million dollar results, a few of which include:

• 2018 high seven figure recovery for fall from elevated structure

• 2018 high seven figure wrongful death recovery in transportation accident

• 2017 traumatic brain injury high seven figure recovery Federal District court

• 2017 seven figure wrongful death recovery resulting from structural collapse

• 2014 seven figure conclusion of railroad personal injury accident

• 2013 seven figure jury verdict in New York County, State Supreme Court, against NYCTA

• 2012 conclusion of seven figure wrongful death and personal injuries resulting from a Railroad tunnel excavation collapse

• 2011 stairways and construction sites

• 2011 Wrongful death of construction concrete worker resulting from 2008 collapse of a Manhattan high rise superstructure

• 2010-2015 Second Avenue subway construction catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.

• 2009 Medical malpractice, seven figure conclusion of loss of limbs by college student

• 2005-2006 Mr. Cook won a record setting eight figure verdict in New York State for a young man paralyzed as a result of being struck by a Budget rental car under New York's prior vicarious liability laws sustained on appeal. He has written and lectured on the flawed 2005 Federal Graves Amendment which has since preempted certain state vicarious liability laws insulating lessors and renters of motor vehicles from liability of the operator and exposed innocent victims to lives without needed comfort, care or necessary life extending medical attention.

• 2002 Derailment of Amtrak Auto Train P052-18 near Crescent City, Florida

• 1999 American Airlines Flight 1420 crash near Little Rock, Arkansas
Co-Chair of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee

• 1999 General aviation litigation and wrongful death trial in Massachusetts state court due to inflight engine failure

• 1999 Egypt Airlines Flight 990 crash off the Coast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

• 1998 Swissair Flight 111 crash near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

• 1998 Raytheon Beech Model 200 aircraft crash carrying United Nations envoys near Abidjan, The Ivory Coast, Africa

• 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster off Long Island, New York

• 1996 General aviation wrongful death litigations against manufacturers and maintenance organizations, including representation of a decorated U.S. Naval Submarine Commander

• 1996 United Express Beech 1900 runway incursion and explosion killing all onboard at Quincy, Illinois

• 1996 Dram Shop actions causative of wrongful death and quadriplegia

• 1990-1996 Counsel to multiple plaintiffs in the successful wrongful death litigations and catastrophic injuries due to product liability of General Motors in the design and production of its “X Car”

• Plaintiff’s cases arising from Son of Sam tragedy

• Traumatic brain injury cases emanating from:
• falls into elevator shafts and transportation accidents, etc.

• Catastrophic construction and premises litigation, including:
• 1990 Happy Land Fire Disaster
• 1990 Elevated Subway Wrongful Death
• 1987 Fire Destruction of Long Branch Pier and Kids World Amusement Park (five month jury trial)

• Actions against municipalities and states for wrongful death catastrophic personal injuries within various venues, including trials before New York State Court of Claims, Chief Justice presiding

Virtually all of Mr. Cook’s practice is dedicated to catastrophic injury and wrong death lawsuits with seven figure plus damages.