Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC is dedicated to the representation of accident victims and their families. Calls go unanswered. Emails unreturned.

With close to 100 years of combined experience, the attorneys at KD&R have devoted their entire legal careers to pursuing justice on behalf of injured New Yorkers and ensuring that they receive fair and just compensation for their loss. The firm is guided by a core philosophy: that every client has a story to tell and deserves to be treated as if their case is the most important case. Too often, c

lients hire law firms only to never speak with an actual attorney after an initial consultation. At KD&R, we take a different approach, regularly speaking with our clients to better understand how an injury affects their life. So that we can make sure that their story gets told.

Think about how many elevators you stepped into this week. Apartment building. Office. Parking garage. Doctor's office....
06/11/2026

Think about how many elevators you stepped into this week. Apartment building. Office. Parking garage. Doctor's office. Maybe a hospital visit. Or a shopping center.

We don't think twice about them, until something goes wrong. A small misleveling (where the elevator floor doesn't line up with the hallway) is one of the most common causes of elevator injuries in NYC.

For an older adult, someone with mobility issues, or a parent carrying a child, even a one-inch height differential can cause a serious fall.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an elevator accident, contact us for a free consultation, 212-226-6662

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

Quick question for anyone who lives or works in a high-rise: When was the last time you saw an inspection certificate p...
06/10/2026

Quick question for anyone who lives or works in a high-rise: When was the last time you saw an inspection certificate posted in your elevator? 🤔

New York City has an elevator code with which owners must comply, including inspection and maintenance requirements. When they don't, and someone gets hurt, that's where the legal liability begins.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an elevator accident, contact us for a free consultation, 212-226-6662

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

You step toward the elevator. The doors open. There's no cab on the other side. It sounds like a nightmare but open-sh...
06/09/2026

You step toward the elevator. The doors open. There's no cab on the other side. It sounds like a nightmare but open-shaft falls are one of the most catastrophic elevator accidents we see in New York City, and they happen more often than people realize.

If you've ever wondered who's actually responsible when an elevator fails, my latest blog breaks it down: the most common types of elevator accidents, who can be held legally accountable, and what to do if it happens to you or someone you love.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an elevator accident, contact us for a free consultation, 212-226-6662

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com/blog | Attorney Advertising

A quick myth-buster about injury cases in New York:There's a story going around that people are filing flimsy injury cas...
05/21/2026

A quick myth-buster about injury cases in New York:

There's a story going around that people are filing flimsy injury cases and winning big payouts without real proof of injury.

I've been doing this for almost 30 years. That's not how it works. To win a soft-tissue or orthopedic injury case in New York right now, you need:

• An MRI or other objective medical imaging
• Range of motion testing showing measurable loss
• Consistent treatment records over time
• A doctor willing to put their license behind your diagnosis

That bar is already high. The proposed changes would raise it even higher knocking out legitimate cases, not frivolous ones. If you've been in an accident and you're not sure whether your injury "counts," it probably does. Don't let the news cycle convince you otherwise.

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

If you've ever:→ Walked across a street in New York → Ridden a bike to work → Sat as a passenger in a cab, Uber, or Lyft...
05/20/2026

If you've ever:

→ Walked across a street in New York
→ Ridden a bike to work
→ Sat as a passenger in a cab, Uber, or Lyft
→ Driven home after a long day
→ Helped a loved one through recovery from an injury

…there's something happening in Albany right now you should know about. Governor Hochul's proposed budget would significantly limit the rights of injured people to recover compensation after an accident.

The pitch is lower insurance premiums. The reality is that the cost lands on the small group of people unlucky enough to actually get hurt. These changes are still being negotiated. Now is the time to understand them, not after they pass.

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | http://www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

Three things in the proposed New York State budget that would affect you if you ever get hurt in a car accident:1. Harde...
05/19/2026

Three things in the proposed New York State budget that would affect you if you ever get hurt in a car accident:

1. Harder to prove your injury counts as "serious" under the law, even with an MRI.
2. If a jury says you were more than 50% at fault, you get zero. (Right now, you can still recover something.)
3. If you're hit by multiple drivers and one has way more insurance than the other, that bigger policy might not cover you the way it does today.

The pitch is that this will lower your insurance premiums. Maybe. Maybe a little. But the trade-off lands on the people who actually get hurt, and that's worth knowing before it passes.

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | http://www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

Picture a pedestrian crossing the street in midtown. Maybe they cross mid-block. Maybe they shouldn't have. Driver is sp...
05/15/2026

Picture a pedestrian crossing the street in midtown. Maybe they cross mid-block. Maybe they shouldn't have. Driver is speeding. Driver is on their phone. They hit the pedestrian.

Pedestrian ends up with a serious back injury, surgery, and months of physical therapy. In court, a jury says the pedestrian was 51% at fault for crossing where they did. Driver was 49% at fault with the speeding and the phone.

Right now: pedestrian recovers 49% of their damages. Not full justice, but something.
Under the proposed budget: pedestrian recovers zero. Driver, speeding, on the phone, owes nothing.
This is the kind of change that gets buried in budget negotiations and only matters once it's too late.

Learn More: Call 212-226-6662
Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PPLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

We just celebrated Mother's Day, and there's a proposal in the New York State budget that I keep thinking about.Right no...
05/14/2026

We just celebrated Mother's Day, and there's a proposal in the New York State budget that I keep thinking about.
Right now, the law has a category that recognizes when an injury keeps someone from doing their daily life, taking care of kids, running the household, doing all the things that don't show up on a pay stub but absolutely keep a family running.

The proposal would erase that category. Which means: if a stay-at-home parent gets seriously injured and can't function for three months, the law would treat that as if no real harm happened. Because there was no paycheck to lose.

Anyone who's actually run a household knows that's nonsense. The work has value. The law should reflect that and not strip it out.

Learn More: Call 212-226-6662

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PPLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

Quick reality check for anyone who's ever been in a car crash:Most people don't break bones. They end up with herniated ...
05/13/2026

Quick reality check for anyone who's ever been in a car crash:

Most people don't break bones. They end up with herniated discs in their neck or back. Torn rotator cuffs. Knee injuries. Chronic pain that doesn't show up on an X-ray but absolutely shows up in your daily life.

There's a proposal in Albany right now that would make it much harder for those exact injuries to qualify for compensation in court. If it passes, even a clear MRI showing damage might not be enough. You'd need more severe impairment, more invasive treatment, maybe surgery you don't want, or injections you've been avoiding.
The people who get hurt aren't the ones writing this proposal. But they're the ones who'd live with it.

To Learn More: Call 212-226-6662

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PPLC | www.kdrpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

If you bike to work in New York City, this affects you. There's a proposal in the state budget right now that would cha...
05/12/2026

If you bike to work in New York City, this affects you. There's a proposal in the state budget right now that would change a basic rule about who can recover damages after an accident.

Right now: if a cyclist gets hit by a car and a jury decides the cyclist was 51% at fault even if the driver was speeding, texting, or distracted, the cyclist still gets some compensation.

Under the proposal: the cyclist gets nothing. The driver walks away owing zero.

This isn't a hypothetical. Cyclist and pedestrian cases are exactly the kinds of cases where fault gets hotly debated. A small shift in how a jury sees the percentages becomes the difference between getting your medical bills covered or being on your own. Worth understanding before it passes.

If you would like to learn more: Call 212-226-6662 for a Free Consultation

Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC | www.KDRpilawyers.com | Attorney Advertising

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15 Maiden Lane, Suite 2005
New York, NY
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