David Cook is co-author of the recognized three volume treatise “New York Law of Torts.” David has focused on litigation for over 35 years, with particular attention to major transportation accidents, including aviation disasters, railroad disasters, major bus accidents and motor vehicle accidents. His practice also includes multidistrict litigation, products liability, medical malpractice, job site and construction accidents, property and fire damage as well as flood insurance litigation resulting in wrongful death and life altering injuries.
We take a hands-on approach in aggressively representing each of our clients, recognizing that each case is the most important in each of their respective lives.
David’s exemplar cases include:
- 2023 - Pedestrian hit and run wrongful death case. Overcame minimum insurance limits. Resulted in conviction of criminal negligent homicide and seven figure recovery.
- 2022 - Head on motor vehicle collision. Personal injury case resulted in high six figure recovery.
- 2022 - Hotel accident personal injury case resulted in mid-six figure recovery.
- 2022 - International wrongful death case involving tourist drowning. Overcame jurisdictional and forum non conveniens (FNC) defenses. Seven figure settlement.
- 2021- Head on highway collision death case. Overcame minimum insurance coverage. High six figure recovery.
- 2019 - Pedestrian knocked down by motor vehicle resulting in fractures. Six figure policy limits recovery.
- 2018 - Head on motor vehicle bus collision resulting in catastrophic brain damage. High seven figure recovery.
- 2018 – Elderly pedestrian struck by taxi resulting in wrongful death. Overcame independent contractor defense resulting in high six figure recovery.
- 2017 – Head on collision between bus and SUV causing traumatic brain injury, venued in Federal Court resulting in high seven figure recovery.
- 2011 – Collapse of Manhattan high-rise superstructure resulting in wrongful death of construction worker.
- Multiple seven figure property casualty case victories over many decades representing individual and corporate plaintiffs for real and personal property damages, including business interruption loss, against their insurance companies due to declination of policy coverage resulting from flood, fire, theft, etc.
- 2009 – Medical malpractice case in which college student lost multiple limbs resulting in seven figure recovery.
- 2005 - 2006 – Record-setting eight figure verdict for pedestrian struck by Budget rental car resulting in complete paraplegia.
- 2002 – Derailment of Amtrak Auto Train P052-18 on the CSX Transportation Railroad near Crescent City, Florida.
- 1998 – Raytheon Beech Model 200 aircraft crash carrying United Nations envoys near Abidjan, The Ivory Coast, Africa.
- 1990-1996 – General Motors’ design and production “X Car” - Multiple wrongful death and catastrophic injury plaintiffs as a result of product liability.
- Son of Sam plaintiff representation
David has served in many industry organizations, including Vice-Chair of the ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, member of the NewYork 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.
David is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York as well as in many state and federal courts, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Utah, Georgia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Noted for his accomplishments, David is also recognized by his peers and is regularly named one of New York’s Top Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, The National Million Dollar Advocates Forum, America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals, New York Times Best Lawyers in New York and Strathmore’s Who’s Who.
