Accident & Injury

Viral Mehta has called Charlotte his home for over 30 years. He attended and graduated from Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools. He then graduated from nearby Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Mr. Mehta obtained his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and then returned home to Charlotte to begin his legal practice. Mr. Mehta spent the first decade of his legal career defending employers and large insurance companies in workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Mehta developed expertise in workers’ compensation law, but he felt a lack of fulfillment in representing insurance companies against injured workers. Mr. Mehta began representing injured workers when he founded the workers’ compensation practice group at a local law firm. Mr. Mehta then co-founded Mehta & McConnell PLLC. Mr. Mehta’s previous experience representing insurance companies gave him the insight necessary to effectively represent injured workers. He knows how insurance companies and adjusters handle workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Mehta is a North Carolina State Bar board-certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. He has obtained favorable decisions before all levels of the North Carolina Industrial Commission, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court. Viral Mehta was a contributing author of the 2017 edition of the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation LexisNexis Practice Guide, and he was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Mr. Mehta is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as a Superior Court mediator. He enjoys mediating cases, especially workers’ compensation claims. In addition to practicing workers’ compensation law, Mr. Mehta also handles personal injury cases. Mr. Mehta is married with one son and a dog named Alfred. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, sports, and reading.

I fight for those in my community and helping my clients is my highest priority. I will do whatever I can to ensure my clients receive the best outcome and I will look out for your interests as if I were in your shoes. I will give your case the time and attention it deserves. I have appointments available right away, you will not have to wait weeks to have your concerns addressed. In 1998, I established my practice in the heart of Halifax County, North Carolina, right on US Highway 301 across from the Halifax County courthouse. I had always worked tirelessly to help those in my community, but I knew as an attorney I could take that drive a step further. I could now fight for the rights and freedom of my clients; and today I have more than eighteen years of experience in doing so. I welcome the chance to put my knowledge and tenacity to work for you. When your freedom, health or reputation is on the line, I will take your fight on as my own.

I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami where I clerked for the Hon. Edward Moore of the 11th Circuit Court and interned with the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. I have been practicing law in New York for almost 30 years. I am a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Bronx Bar Association, and I am a member of the Bronx 18B panel which appoints private attorneys to represent indigent individuals charged with crimes in the Bronx. I am admitted to practice in all of the Courts of the State of New York as well as the Southern and Eastern District Courts. I have represented clients in immigration matters in the Federal Immigration Court and before the USCIS in several different States. I represent attorneys in disciplinary proceedings before the Office of Character and Fitness, and I volunteer as a Judge at mock trials and moot court competitions at NYU Law School, Cardozo Law School, and NY Law School. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. Working with a same-sex couple where we are on the verge of obtaining permanent residence status for the beneficiary through the Immigration court. Prio counsel didn’t take the time to listen to the clients to really establish the bona fides of the relationship Got a criminal matter dismissed on behalf of a client whose spouse had lied about him in order to obtain government benefits. The client was facing incarceration and was devastated both by the loss of the relationship, the nature of the charges and of course the consequences. We proved that the charges had been fabricated, without subjecting the client to the financial and emotional burden of a trial. How did you build a successful practice? Listening to my clients and working with them. Understanding that the client needs to be part of the process. Providing cost-effective, successful results. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Someone who has the time to handle their case. Someone who will give them an honest assessment of their matter in advance. Someone who is personable and with whom they can establish a relationship of trust. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Knowing your venue and your possible Jury pool can be essential in certain types of cases, especially in personal injury matters. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Depending on the type of case that answer will vary greatly. A short conversation can generally point the client in the right direction and put them at ease whether or not they retain my firm. Things like the type of bankruptcy, whether they should be speaking to law enforcement, or whether they have a case at all. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? That answer will vary greatly. Generally, the nature of the case, when, where and how they the matter arose, and then the broad particulars of the matter. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I believe that it is my level of empathy and my ability to visualize situations and present creative solutions that sets me apart. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Achieving a successful result for a client where the consequences would otherwise be truly life-changing. Things like saving someone from deportation, or jail, or crushing debt gives me a feeling that is almost indescribable. Its why I continue to practice law. What are your other interests in addition to law? My family of course. I also enjoy staying fit and outdoor activities hiking and cycling. Are you involved in your community? Besides being on the board of a local county bar association, and being on the Bronx 18b panel for appointments to criminal cases, I am a member of the NY Bar Association, and I am affiliated with the National Action Network, and STARR, (Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform.

Howard Chetkof is partner at Levin & Chetkof, LLP. He is a seasoned attorney and a highly skilled negotiator concentrating his practice in personal injury. He has represented clients who have sustained all types of serious personal injuries as the result of automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, pedestrians struck by motor vehicles, wrongful death, construction site accidents, premises liability, trip/slip and falls, dog bites, assault and battery, nursing home negligence, and certain medical malpractice matters. Mr. Chetkof’s representation of injured individuals has extended to both the state and federal courts. In addition, Mr. Chetkof handles matters involving legal malpractice, no-fault/first-party benefit arbitrations, and real estate. Mr. Chetkof and the firm handle their cases from inception to conclusion, including the claims stage, litigation, trials, and appeals. He has also directly negotiated and handled hundreds of cases at mediations and arbitrations and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients. Not only does he represent his firm's clients, but Mr. Chetkof has also been retained as outside counsel, by other law firms, to represent their clients' interests at mediations, arbitrations, trials, and appeals. Mr. Chetkof believes that every client has the right to talk directly to their attorney, not just the office staff, and has an open-door policy for the firm’s active clients, former clients, and prospective clients.

Max Leifer has been practicing civil law since 1972 and is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Federal Court. He is a 32nd Degree Mason; a member of various religious and civil organizations, and is associated with numerous Bar Associations. He has a successful background in Social Security, Long-Term Disability, Union Benefits, and Personal Injury, both Plaintiff and Defendant. He is associated with other attorneys who specialize in criminal, trademark, malpractice, and commercial/real estate litigation. Due to successful trials, Max is a current member of the Million Dollar Club, which requires recoveries in excess of one million dollars. He has numerous cases reported in Jury Verdicts and has lectured on Social Security Disability and various conferences.

Richard S. Gershman, the firm’s founder, has been practicing law for more than five decades. Over the past 50 years, Richard Gershman has won recoveries amounting in the millions of dollars for injured plaintiffs and their families. As most colleagues and clients already know, Richard Gershman is a tireless advocate for those injured through the negligence of others. Richard S. Gershman, born in Far Rockaway, New York 1946, attended Oklahoma City University earning a BS in business, and continued his education at Suffolk University Law School earning a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. Professionally, Richard S. Gershman specializes in Personal Injury beginning his career with the Law Firm Queller & Fisher. He then went on to form his own firm Bernstein & Gershman which handled real estate transactions along with oil & gas transactions. He now is the sole owner of Richard S. Gershman & Associates PC. Richard S. Gershman has formerly been a board member of Franklin General Hospital. He is the former president of the Woodmere Country Club. He has served as a board member of Fresh Meadow Country Club. He is currently a Board Member of Northwell Health and was named the outstanding Associate Trustee of the hospital in 2019. Over the past 35 years, he has headed up Golf tournaments for numerous charities including Northwell Health for Cohen’s Children’s Hospital, raising in excess of twenty-five million dollars.

Leonard C. Spector is a practicing lawyer in the state of New York handling personal injury matters.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Anthony L. Ameduri received his J.D. Degree from Hostra University School of Law, received his Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration from Wagner College, and worked as a Hospital Administrator before attending law school. Mr. Ameduri is co-founding partner of Ameduri, Galante & Friscia. He established the Staten Island law firm in 1985. He concentrates on the representation of serious injury and wrongful death victims. His zealous advocacy has resulted in numerous seven-figure settlements and verdicts. Mr. Ameduri believes that without compassion, we limit our ability to respond to the needs of our clients. He takes great satisfaction in being there for his clients and helping them through the most difficult time of their lives. He has been practicing in all counties of New York City since 1980.