Proven injury lawyers in New York City

Steven R. Payne is an attorney licensed to practice before the state and federal courts of New York, New Jersey, and California. Throughout his forty-year career, he has dedicated himself to representing victims of personal injury accidents, specializing in construction-related accidents.

His skill and experience have led to successful multi-million dollar settlements against defendants such as Consolidated Edison, the City of New York, the New York City Transit Authority, and Home Depot, among others. In 2017, he secured seven of the top one hundred settlements in New York State.

In 2018, he achieved three of the state’s fifty largest settlements. Notable among his accomplishments is a $12 million settlement against Con Edison on behalf of a woman injured in a trip-and-fall accident.

He also obtained an $8.9 million jury verdict against Home Depot in Manhattan Federal Court. Additionally, he secured a $4 million settlement for a worker injured in a fall from a roof, as well as another $4 million settlement for a worker injured in a fall from a ladder.

Mr. Payne successfully litigated a $4 million case against the City of New York on behalf of a worker injured at a construction site after being struck by a scaffold plank that fell from a height.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Payne has been responsible for securing over $227,805,000 in compensation for injured individuals and their families. He earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from the California Western School of Law in San Diego.

Daniella Thompson Cruz
Lead Legal Assistant and Office Manager

Daniella Thompson Cruz serves as the Lead Legal Assistant and Office Manager at The Cakani Law Firm, P.C., playing a vital role in both legal case management and the firm’s daily operations. Since joining the firm, Daniella has managed personal injury cases from initial assessment to final resolution, ensuring that every client receives attentive care and clear guidance throughout the legal process.

She possesses extensive experience assisting attorneys with cases involving motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall claims, construction accidents, and medical malpractice.

Daniella works closely with clients to help them understand every stage of their case, providing organization and peace of mind during what can be a stressful and uncertain time.

Fluent in Spanish, Daniella is deeply committed to serving the Latino community. She takes pride in connecting with clients in a personal and compassionate manner, ensuring they feel heard, understood, and supported. With her strong organizational skills, legal expertise, and cultural insight, Daniella is a valued and trusted member of The Cakani Law Firm team.

Corey Reichardt joined The Cakani Law Firm as a Partner in February 2023.

Corey brings over 17 years of experience as a former partner and specialist in motions and appeals at prominent New York City defense firms, where he represented insurance companies in numerous construction site, premises liability, and motor vehicle accident cases.

After spending nearly two decades on the defense side, Corey now focuses his practice on ensuring that individuals injured due to the negligence of others receive the financial compensation they deserve for their pain and suffering. His professional background gives him deep insight into the processes insurers use to evaluate cases, helping to achieve the best possible outcomes and timely resolutions. His experience allows him to understand how insurance companies defend their cases and to formulate effective strategies for pursuing our claims.

Corey earned his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University and his law degree from Brooklyn Law School. He is licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey and is admitted to practice before the federal courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey.

Corey is eager to assist our clients and will represent them vigorously to secure the best possible results. His practice focuses on labor law and construction litigation, premises liability, and insurance coverage disputes involving the wrongful denial of coverage to policyholders.

Y. Cakani – Mr. Cakani has been recognized for his outstanding professional achievements by being selected by his peers as a New York Super Lawyer from 2020 through 2026 by Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters publication—an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in New York State. Mr. Cakani holds two Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees from Temple University Beasley School of Law, including an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy. Temple University Beasley School of Law has consistently been ranked by *U.S. News & World Report* among the top two law schools in the country for trial advocacy, and its LL.M. program in Trial Advocacy is the only one of its kind in the United States.

Mr. Cakani is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an elite organization of trial lawyers with membership limited to less than 1% of attorneys nationwide, based on proven results.

Throughout his career, Mr. Cakani has successfully handled a wide variety of complex personal injury and workers’ compensation cases, including construction accidents; trip-and-fall and slip-and-fall cases; motor vehicle, bus, truck, tractor-trailer, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents; railroad and subway accidents; injuries caused by falling objects; sidewalk defects; falls related to snow and water; injuries caused by table saws, circular saws, and grinders; tree-related accidents; roofing tar injuries; cruise ship accidents; and workers’ compensation claims. Additionally, he has litigated cases against major municipalities and public entities, including the City of New York, New York State, the Hudson River Park Trust, the New York City Industrial Development Agency, Metro-North, and the New York City Transit Authority, among others. His notable results include an $11 million recovery for a construction accident, $5 million for a tree-related accident in Staten Island, $4.5 million for a construction accident involving a fall from a roof in Brooklyn, New York, and a $4 million settlement for a bus accident in the Bronx. Mr. Cakani has also successfully taken on cases that were rejected or declined by other law firms, securing multi-million dollar recoveries for his clients. In total, throughout his career, Mr. Cakani has secured over $80 million in compensation for injured individuals and their families. If your case was rejected elsewhere or if you are seeking a second opinion, contact Cakani Law Firm today at 212-962-0500 for a free consultation.