Christopher James Patsos | New York, NY and Hudson Valley Personal Injury Lawyer

• Member | New York State Bar Association

• AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell
  2020

I settled a case this year involving a motor vehicle accident in Orange County for $800,000. I spent a lot of time with the clients (husband and wife, the wife had been struck by a car), both in person and by phone, getting to know them and to understand everything about her injuries and the effect it had on her life. I also spent a lot of time getting to know the defense attorney, and frankly ended up having a very good working relationship with him as a result. We were adversaries but treated each other with respect and actually developed a bit of a friendship that I believe worked to my clients' advantage. I don't think we would have achieved the result with did without the time I spent cultivating relationships with both the clients and the defense attorney.

I have handled serious injury accident cases since 1983, and I have had a solo practice for 22 years. I have built my practice up by treating each client as if they were a family member. My motto for many years has been "Call A Lawyer Who Cares". I do care. And I also give each case my personal attention from beginning to end. I meet with the clients, I visit accident scenes, I conduct the depositions, I attend the conferences, I try the cases, and I handle all negotiations. The client gets me, with 37 years of experience, from beginning to end. I have a very capable legal assistant whom I have known and worked with over 25 years, but the client always has direct access to me whenever they want. And as a result of the way I handle my cases and treat my clients, most of my business comes from referrals from former clients. I have former clients who have remained in contact with me for decades, some who have become actual friends.

Clients should look for an attorney who is going to make their case the priority that it is for them. I had a client years ago who could not believe that I had ANY other cases, because of the time and attention that I gave to her and her case. It actually became a joke between us. Clients should also look for attorneys with experience (I have 37 years so far), compassion, and the respect of their adversaries (it is not unusual for me to get referrals of cases from former adversaries of mine, I even represented a former adversary when she had a bad fall down a staircase).

Local knowledge is important, although it someone is willing to do the job of investigating and research, they can attain knowledge of a local area pretty easily nowadays. When I handle an accident case, particularly a motor vehicle accident case, I always spend time at the accident scene myself, I do not rely solely on an investigator. Some accident scenes I have visited 4-5 times, as I find I can learn something new each time I go.

I come from a family of teachers. I pride myself on explaining to new clients exactly how the process works, and what it means to have a valid case that can be pursued. I also believe every client deserves to know about me before I ask them about their case and themselves. They should know that I attended one of the best law schools in the country (New York University School of Law), that I worked for three top tier Manhattan personal injury firms before opening up my own practice, that I have handled accident cases since 1983, that my legal assistant has worked in the personal injury area for over 25 years, and has worked with me for a total of 10 years, and that I handle cases in New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley. Any new client will learn from me how a case will proceed, how long it will take, and what the possible outcomes could be. What they will NOT learn from me is what their case is worth, at least not on the first phone call, because to do that would be dishonest. Only after treatment has completed and we have fully investigated the case, and especially determined the insurance limits available, will I be able to discuss possible case value with the client.

Depending on the case, initially I need to know what happened, what type of accident was it, when did it happen, what injuries were sustained, the names of any witness, what treatment took place so far, who was at fault, what insurance is available to pay on the claim, did the person lose time from work, what type of medical insurance do they have, what prior treatment do they have regarding the same body parts. Generally, the answers to these questions will result in additional follow-up questions.

What differentiates me from other lawyers in the community are that I will always go the extra mile for you, you will always know what is happening in your case, I will be straight with you about every aspect of your case and will not just ""pump it up"" so that you hire me, I will let you know from our first meeting that you can hire me and sign a Retainer Agreement with me and then fire me the next day, I will show you that we work as a team on your case and that means I need you to help me as I help you, and I will always treat you with caring and compassion and will handle your case honestly and zealously.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is that I help people in their time of need, and that I get to meet people of all walks of life, and I have established friendships with many clients over the years after our working relationships have finished.

In addition to law, I have a passion for reading, photography, cooking, taking long walks and hiking, nature, the beach, and my family.

I have for many years been involved in our church, in sponsoring many community events (summer concerts, Halloween Walk, Easter Egg Hunt, Third Avenue Festival), in community groups and l