Proven New York City Injury Attorneys

Steven R. Payne is an attorney licensed in the State and Federal Courts in New York, New Jersey and California. In his forty years of practice, he has focused on representing the victims of personal injury accidents with a specialization construction related accidents.

His skill and expertise has resulted in 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 to name a few. In 2017 he had seven of the top one hundred settlements in the State of New York.

In 2018 he had three of the top 50 settlements. Some of his highlights include a $12 million settlement against ConEd for a woman who was injured in a trip and fall accident.

He also secured a jury verdict in the Federal Court in Manhattan in the amount of $8.9 Million verdict against Home Depot. He was successful in making sure an injured worker who fell from a roof received a settlement of $4 Million. Steve also secured a settlement of $4 Million for a worker who had fallen from a ladder.

Steve successfully litigated a suit against the City of New York in the amount of $4 Million who was injured at a construction site when he was struck by a falling scaffold plank.

All told over his career Steve has accounted for over $227,805,000.00 to be paid out to injured people and their families. Steve received his undergraduate degree from Rutger University and his law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego.

Daniella Thompson Cruz
Paralegal & Office Manager
Daniella Thompson Cruz serves as the Lead Paralegal and Office Manager at The Cakani Law Firm, P.C., where she plays an essential role in both legal case management and day-to-day office operations. Since joining the firm, Daniella has managed personal injury cases from initial intake through final resolution, ensuring that each client receives attentive support and clear guidance throughout the legal process.

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

Daniella works closely with clients to help them understand each step of their case, providing reassurance and organization 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 way that feels personal and compassionate, making sure they feel heard, understood, and supported.With her strong organizational skills, legal experience, and cultural understanding, 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 of 2023.
Corey brings over 17 years of experience as a former partner and motion/appellate specialist for prominent New York City defense firms, having defended many construction site accidents, premises and car accident cases at the request of insurance companies.

After spending close to two decades on the defense side, Corey now focuses on making sure that those who are injured due to the negligence of others, obtain monetary compensation for their pain and suffering.
As a result of his background, Corey brings a wealth of knowledge on the process insurance carriers use to evaluate cases, which assists in achieving the best outcome and a timely resolution for his cases. He knows the way the insurance companies defend their cases, which allows him to formulate the right strategy for the prosecution of our cases.

Corey received his undergraduate degree at Yeshiva University and his law degree from Brooklyn Law School. He is admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey and is also admitted in the Federal Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and New Jersey.

Corey is excited to help our clients and will zealously advocate to obtain the best results for them. His practice specializes in construction/labor law and premises accident litigation, as well as insurance coverage disputes when insurance companies wrongfully disclaim coverage to their insureds.

Pranvera Cakani – P. Cakani, Esq has been working as our new associate attorney since November of 2018. She began her legal career with our firm in 2013 as a paralegal where she has assisted the firm and our clients.

Mrs. Cakani received an LL.M. degree in U.S. Legal Studies, from Yeshiva University, Benjamin Cardozo Law School in 2007.
Mrs. Cakani has experience as an attorney in managing all phases of litigation including construction accidents, personal injury matters, medical malpractice cases, premises, car accident cases and immigration law cases. Mrs. Cakani’s goal is to obtain the best results for our clients from the beginning of the case until the resolution. She is very passionate about pursuing justice and zealously advocating for those who have been hurt.

Mrs. Cakani is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York, and she is also admitted to practice law before the United States of America Federal Courts for the Southern District of New York.

When she is not working with the firm, Mrs. Cakani enjoys spending her free time with her husband and three children.

Y. Cakani – Mr. Cakani has been recognized for his outstanding professional achievements by being selected by his peers to New York Super Lawyers 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 nation for trial advocacy, and its LL.M. in Trial Advocacy is the only program 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 whose membership is limited to less than 1% of attorneys nationwide, based on proven results.

Throughout his career, Mr. Cakani has successfully handled a wide range 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; falling object injuries; sidewalk defects; snow- and water-related falls; injuries involving table saws, skill saws, and grinders; tree accidents; roofing tar injuries; cruise ship accidents; and workers’ compensation claims. He has also litigated cases against major municipalities and public entities, including the City of New York, the State of New York, Hudson River Park Trust, New York City Industrial Development Agency, Metro-North, and the New York City Transit Authority, among others.

Notable case results include $11 million recovered for a construction accident, $5 million for a tree accident in Staten Island, $4.5 million for a fall-from-roof construction accident 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. All told over his career Mr. Cakani has accounted for over $80 million dollars to be paid out to injured people and their families. If your case was turned down elsewhere or you are seeking a second opinion, contact Cakani Law Firm today for a free consultation at 212-962-0500.