Ziff Law Firm, LLP

09/17/2025

Find the Good Day is this Thursday! See comments for details on how you can support and participate.

✨ REMINDER ✨
📅 Thursday, September 18, 2025
🕔 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM (while supplies last)
📍 Neighborhood Transformation Center, 314 W. Church Street, Elmira, NY

The Junior League of Greater Elmira-Corning, in partnership with the Neighborhood Transformation Center (NTC) and with the generosity of the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, is excited to celebrate Find the Good Day by supporting families in our community.

Join us for a warm community dinner at 5:00 PM, and while you’re here, take part in our free diaper giveaway!

👶 Diapers in various sizes available (first come, first served)
✅ No pre-registration required
✅ No income verification needed

Come enjoy an evening of kindness, connection, and support for Elmira families.

09/02/2025

🚸 BACK-TO-SCHOOL Safety Reminder for Drivers in the Southern Tier

As students return to school across the Southern Tier, it’s important to remember the laws — and responsibilities — that come with sharing the road:

🚌 Stopping for School Buses
New York law requires all drivers to stop when a school bus displays flashing red lights, regardless of the direction you're traveling — even on divided highways unless there’s a physical barrier. Passing a stopped school bus is not only dangerous but can result in:
• Fines up to $250-$400
• 5 points on your license
• Potential jail time
• Civil liability if a child is injured

🚶‍♀️ Yielding to Pedestrians
Pedestrians have the right of way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Be extra cautious in school zones, residential neighborhoods, and intersections where students may be walking, biking, or crossing without warning.

📵 Avoid Distracted Driving
Put down the phone. With increased traffic, crossing guards, and school buses back on the road, a moment of distraction can cause a lifetime of consequences.

⚖️ If an Injury Occurs
Injuries involving school children, pedestrians, or unsafe drivers are unfortunately not uncommon during the back-to-school season. If someone is hurt due to a driver’s failure to follow the law, the injured person may have legal options under New York law. Every situation is unique — we’re available to answer your questions and help you understand your rights.

📞 Contact us for a free consultation.

This is Attorney Advertising. This post is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.

08/21/2025

Ziff Law Firm is very proud to announce that Managing Partner Christina Sonsire has once again been recognized by ‘Best Lawyers in America’ as the top Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice lawyer in the Southern Tier — a region stretching from Binghamton to Corning and including the Finger Lakes. This marks the second time Christina has earned this distinguished honor.

Since joining Ziff Law in 2008, Christina has built a record of excellence:

⚖️ 10+ verdicts & settlements exceeding $1 million

💰 5 verdicts & settlements of $5 million or more

🏆 Secured one of the largest medical malpractice settlements in Pennsylvania history

📚 Vice President, New York Academy of Trial Lawyers

⚖️ Member, Academy’s Court of Appeals Selection Committee

💼 Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum

🎤 Frequent lecturer on personal injury and medical malpractice topics across New York State

⭐ Recognized as a Super Lawyer every year since 2014

We are honored to celebrate Christina’s achievements and proud to have her leading our firm in fighting for justice across New York, Pennsylvania, and federal courts.

08/07/2025

🚴‍♀️ E-bikes are everywhere in the Southern Tier — and so are the accidents.

As more riders hit the road, we’re seeing a rise in serious crashes involving electric bikes, cars, and pedestrians. Do you know the rules? Do they?

If you or someone you know was injured in an e-bike accident — whether riding one or hit by one — the legal issues can be complicated. New York law doesn’t treat e-bikes the same as traditional bicycles or vehicles, and liability isn’t always clear.

📞 Contact our office for a free consultation to learn your rights.

This is attorney advertising, not legal advice — every case is unique.

05/29/2025

📣 New York Just Changed the Game on Dog Bite Laws 🐾⚖️

A recent decision by the New York Court of Appeals is reshaping how dog bite victims can pursue justice.

In the landmark case Flanders v. Goodfellow, postal worker Rebecca Flanders was seriously injured by a dog with no prior history of aggression. Until now, New York law made it difficult for victims to recover damages unless they could prove a dog had known dangerous tendencies.

✅ BUT THAT HAS CHANGED!

The court has ruled that victims can now bring negligence claims—even if the dog has never shown aggression before.

🔍 What This Means for You:

👉 Dog Owners: You’re now legally expected to take reasonable precautions to prevent your dog from causing harm—no exceptions based on past behavior.

👉 Victims of Dog Attacks: You no longer need to prove the dog had a history of aggression to seek compensation.

🚨 If you or someone you know has been injured in a dog attack, don’t wait. Contact us today to understand your rights under this important legal change.

📞 CALL THE ZIFF LAW FIRM (607) 733-8866 https://www.zifflaw.com 📍 Serving injured New Yorkers with compassion and experience.

01/29/2025

Ziff Law Partner Christina Bruner Sonsire will testify tomorrow in Albany before the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission regarding ways to improve New York’s jury system and address barriers to jury service.

One of just three civil attorneys selected to testify, Christina will focus her remarks on issues impacting jurors in rural areas, the most pressing of which is compensation of just $40.00 per day for jurors without any reimbursement for transportation, parking, childcare or lunch.

“The constitutional right to a trial by jury is a cornerstone of our judicial system. Compensation of $5.00 per hour without reimbursement for other necessary expenditures is palpably unreasonable, and it creates a genuine barrier to service - especially for more complicated trials that can last two weeks or more. We simply must make a change.”

Christina is appearing before the Commisson in her role as the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers Third Department Vice President. She will deliver her remarks at roughly 2:00. A link to a live stream of the hearing is below.

https://cmi.nycourts.gov/fhw.html

01/08/2025

‼️What do YOU think?

In her role as the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers’ Third Department Vice Chairperson, Ziff Law Partner Christina Sonsire will testify at a hearing before the Appellate Division regarding challenges to participation in our jury system such as lack of childcare, financial hardship and transportation. The hearing will also focus on the public’s general perception of jury duty and ways the jury experience can be improved in rural areas.

Attorney Sonsire would love to hear YOUR thoughts and ideas about the jury system in New York so that she can share them during the hearing on January 30th!

Please either post them below, or send an email to [email protected].

01/02/2025

***UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING SOUTHERN TIER ORTHODONTICS***

This afternoon Ziff Law Partner Christina Sonsire has been in further communication with the New York State Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Division.

She strongly encourages anyone who has been financially impacted by Dr. Horn’s abrupt departure to immediately file a claim with the AG’s Office.

Complaints may be submitted online at https://ag.ny.gov/file-complaint.

To ensure complaints are received by the Binghamton AG’s office, please use the “Consumer Fraud Issues” link on the right-hand side of the page under the “Popular Complaint Forms” heading, and select “Regional Office Binghamton” for the Complaint Bureau.

Alternatively, the complaint form linked below can be mailed to the address provided on the form, or e-mailed to [email protected].

Attorney Sonsire will provide additional information on this matter tonight on WENY’s 6:00 News.

If you have any questions about how to make a complaint, please do not hesitate to contact Ziff Law Firm at 607-733-8866 and we will help in any way.

FORM:

https://cms7files1.revize.com/chathamny/document_center/AG-Complaint-form.pdf

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01/02/2025

Ziff Law Firm has received dozens of calls over the past 24 hours regarding Dr. Jason Horn. Dr. Horn was the owner of Southern Tier Orthodontics until Monday when he abruptly closed his practice and informed hundreds of patients that he would neither reimburse them for monies paid upfront nor for fees that will need to be expended for future care.

Two members of our firm - including Partner Christina Sonsire - have children who were patients of Dr. Horn as of Monday. We all fully share the outrage being felt by so many families across our community at this situation.

Unfortunately, options for recouping expenses and paying for future care are extremely limited. The likelihood of recovering money from Dr. Horn and/or his business is low given the near-certain financial stress they are under, and pursuing orthodontic malpractice claims would take several years and be very expensive, meaning anything close to full financial recovery for families would be unlikely.

For this reason, the Ziff Law Firm will not be pursuing individual malpractice claims for these matters. We encourage families to reach out to large firms that specialize in class action lawsuits as they may have better perspectives as to how recovery could happen. We are doing this as well, and will pass along any information we find as soon as possible.

At the same time, Attorney Sonsire has been in contact throughout the day with the Consumer Fraud Division of the New York State Attorney General’s Office. The AG’s office recognizes the grave seriousness of what has occurred.

Today, Attorney Sonsire filed a claim with the Attorney General on behalf of her daughter. She encourages all other families who have been impacted to do the same. Although there is no guarantee that action by the AG will result in reimbursement, it may provide the best chance for it.

The link below brings you to the form. If you would like a PDF fillable form, please send an email to [email protected] and one will be provided.

Attorney Sonsire will be appearing on WENY News later today to discuss the matter more thoroughly.

Link to the form:

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08/08/2024

The Ziff Law Firm was proud to have Jack Schamel as part of our family for many years. He is a true treasure of our community.