John M. Burke, Attorney

John M. Burke's recent cases:

1. Mr. Burke has successfully represented more than fifty homeowners in predatory lending cases against national banks, mortgage brokers and others. In some of the cases, homeowners were given false and misleading promises and documents about the terms of their mortgages. He has successfully pursued claims under the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, and New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act among other laws.

2. Recently, Mr. Burke recovered $475,000. for the family of a prisoner who died while in custody. The family claimed that the prisoner who had serious health problems was negligently transported causing him to fall and sustain serious internal injuries. The family claimed that the law enforcement personnel denied the prisoner adequate medical care, which caused his death. The defendants denied any wrongdoing, but settled the case before trial.

3. In 2004, Mr. Burke obtained a $750,000. settlement for a nineteen year old woman who was significantly injured in a motor vehicle accident. The young lady sustained herniated discs in her lower back and in her neck and a jaw (TMJ) injury. She underwent back surgery about two years after the accident as well as arthrscopic surgery for her jaw. The insurance carrier for the other driver contested that her injuries were related to the motor vehicle accident. The case arbitrated for $750,000. which was paid by the insurance company in a settlement of this case.

4. In 2007, Mr. Burke settled a case for a young woman who sustained a broken ankle in a motor vehicle accident when another driver cut her off and she then collided into a guardrail. The other driver fled the scene of the accident. The young woman was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery inserting screws and a plate in her ankle. After the accident, she developed a pulmonary embolism which required her to take blood thinner medication for about eighteen months. The driver of the vehicle that cut her off denied that he was involved in the accident and claimed that he was not even in the area at the time. His insurance company offered no money to settle the case before the lawsuit was filed and stood by their insured's version of the accident. Our firm's investigator tracked down a witness who saw the accident. Mr. Burke conducted a videotaped deposition of that witness thus preserving it for trial. Mr. Burke then also obtained EZ-Pass records of the Defendant driver which showed that he was in the area around the time of the accident. The case settled a week before trial for $247,500. which was paid by the insurance company which initially offered no money.

5. Mr. Burke won a jury verdict for an injured client, a United States Marshall Officer, who fell and sustained a non-displaced broken ankle while transporting a prisoner through a parking lot. We contended that the owner negligently maintained the area of the parking lot where Plaintiff fell on an uneven surface. The Plaintiff wore a cast for six weeks and then underwent physical therapy to help rehabilitate the ankle. Evidence was presented at trial that the injuries impeded the Plaintiff from engaging in rigorous physical activity, including special training in the United States Army Reserve. Plaintiff returned to work as a United States Marshall though without restriction. A jury awarded him $48,400.

6. In 2006 Mr. Burke obtained a $350,000. recovery for his client who was injured in a motor vehicle accident. The woman, thirty years old at the time, alleged she sustained herniated discs in her neck. She required a neck surgery (fusion) about two years after the accident. The insurance carrier's attorney aggressively contested that the injuries were caused by the accident, or that a surgery was necessary. The case was submitted to a retired Superior Court Judge for a binding arbitration which resulted in the above recovery.