The Orlow Firm is a family-run firm of Queens personal injury lawyers representing people hurt through someone else's carelessness. Here is who we are, the cases we take, what working with us looks like, and the deadlines every injured person in Queens should know.
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A Queens Family Firm Since 1981
Steven S. Orlow founded The Orlow Firm in 1981, and its main office has been in Queens ever since. It is a father-and-sons practice: Steven is the Founder, Brian Seth Orlow the Managing Partner and Adam Moses Orlow the Senior Trial Partner. Two generations of the family have led the Queens County Bar Association, Steven in 2008-2009 and Adam in 2022-2023.
Steven also brings government experience to claims against the City: he served as Counsel to the County Executive of Queens County and as a New York City Council Member-At-Large. Adam and Brian are admitted in the Eastern and Southern District federal courts.
Our main office at 71-18 Main Street welcomes walk-ins, and our Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx offices are open by appointment. Clients come from across the borough, including Flushing, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Jamaica and Rockaway. Se Habla Español, and if you can't come to us, we can come to you.
The firm has recovered $5,000,000 for an infant with neurological problems after lead paint exposure in a foster home, and $3,375,000 for a construction worker who fell 12 feet from a ladder and needed surgery.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What's in this video?
This video explains the firm's hands-on approach to client cases.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Queens
Each case type below has its own page with the law that applies.
Vehicle and transit accidents
Car Accidents. Crashes on Queens streets and highways can leave drivers and passengers hurt and dealing with several insurers at once. We handle those insurers and build your injury claim while you recover.
Truck Accidents. A crash with a tractor-trailer or delivery van can involve several responsible parties, such as the driver, the employer and the owner. We work to identify each one and every policy that may apply.
Motorcycle Accidents. Riders can be blamed for a crash before anyone looks at the evidence. We push back with scene photos, witness accounts and vehicle damage, so the claim reflects what happened.
Bicycle Accidents. Cyclists get hurt by turning drivers, opening car doors and broken pavement. We work to identify everyone responsible, whether a driver, a vehicle owner or whoever maintains the road.
Bus Accidents. Passengers, pedestrians and other drivers can all be hurt when a bus crashes or stops short. When a public agency runs the bus, short notice deadlines apply, so we start right away.
Pedestrian Accidents. People struck while walking or crossing the street often face long recoveries. We collect video and witness accounts and press the claim for your medical care and missed work.
Workplace and construction
Construction Accidents. Falls from ladders and scaffolds, collapsing walls and falling debris injure workers on Queens job sites. New York law gives these workers special protections, which we use against the owners and contractors in charge.
Workers' Compensation. If you were hurt on the job, workers' compensation can pay for medical care and part of your lost wages. We help you file, respond when benefits are denied or cut off, and handle appeals.
Property and premises
Slip and Fall. Ice, spills, broken stairs and torn carpet cause falls that can fracture wrists, hips and ankles. We find out who should have fixed or flagged the hazard and document it before it disappears.
Premises Liability. Unsafe conditions and inadequate security cause injuries too, such as a collapsing ceiling, falling bricks or an assault in an unsecured lobby. We pursue the owners and managers responsible.
Lead Poisoning. Young children can be poisoned by lead paint in the homes where they live. We represent their families in claims against the landlords and managers responsible for that housing.
Serious injuries and loss of life
Brain Injuries. A blow to the head can change memory, mood and concentration in ways easy to miss at first. We gather medical evidence that shows those changes, not just the first scan.
Spinal Cord Injuries. Damage to the spinal cord can mean paralysis, a wheelchair and years of therapy. We build the claim around the care you will need, such as equipment, home health aides and an accessible home.
Burn Injuries. Burns from fires, scalding liquids, explosions and electrical accidents can need skin grafts and leave lasting scars. We trace the cause, whether a defective product, an unsafe building or someone's carelessness.
Catastrophic Injuries. Amputations and other life-altering injuries change how a person works and lives for good. These cases need long-term planning, so we work out future medical costs and lost earning power before discussing settlement.
Wrongful Death. Losing a family member to someone else's carelessness brings grief and money worries together. A claim through the estate can recover the financial losses the death caused, and we handle it for the family.
Rights and abuse
Nursing Home Abuse. Bedsores, falls, unexplained bruises and sudden weight loss can be signs that a resident is being neglected or abused. We investigate the facility's records and staffing and bring claims for residents and families.
Police Misconduct. Excessive force, false arrest and other civil rights violations by police or corrections officers can be challenged in court. All three partners handle civil rights cases, which the firm brings in state and federal court.
Sexual Abuse. Survivors of abuse by a caregiver, employee or anyone in a position of trust can bring civil claims, including against the institutions that failed them. Our conversations are confidential, and survivors decide what to share.
What Working With Us Looks Like
Once you hire us, the insurance adjusters deal with us, not you. A case usually moves through these steps:
- Free consultation. We review what happened and tell you whether we see a claim.
- Investigation. We gather records, photos, video and witness statements, and identify everyone responsible and their insurers.
- Negotiation. While you keep getting care, we send the insurer a demand backed by evidence and negotiate.
- Lawsuit, if needed. If no fair offer comes, we sue. Many Queens injury lawsuits are filed in Queens County Supreme Court, Civil Term, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica.
- Settlement or trial. A case can settle at any stage. If it doesn't, a judge or jury decides it.
How long it takes depends on your injuries, your treatment and who the defendant is.
Insurers often ask for a recorded statement early, and early offers tend to arrive before anyone knows how badly you are hurt. Accepting usually means signing a release, and a release ends the claim. Before you sign anything from an insurer, let us read it and tell you whether the offer is fair.
What it costs
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, so we are paid only if we recover money for you, and the first consultation is free. Our fee is typically one-third of the net recovery. Cases also have costs, such as filing fees, medical records and expert reports. Your fee agreement is in writing and explains how the fee and costs are handled.
What's in this video?
This video explains what it costs to hire the firm and how the contingency fee works.
What to Do After an Accident in Queens
- Get medical care right away. An emergency room or urgent care visit creates the first record of your injury. Keep copies of everything.
- Report it to the right party, such as your employer, the property owner, building management, the police or the City, and ask for a copy of the report.
- Take photos of the scene, the hazard and your injuries before anything changes.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Wait before talking to insurers. Don't give a recorded statement or sign anything until you have spoken with a lawyer.
- Stay off social media about the incident.
Then call us at (646) 647-3398.
Deadlines That Apply to Most Queens Injury Claims
Missing a deadline can end a case, however strong it is. Which one applies depends on who is responsible.
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Most personal injury lawsuits | Three years |
| Claim against New York City or another public body | Written notice of claim within 90 days after the claim arises |
| Lawsuit against New York City | Generally one year and 90 days (two years from the death in a wrongful death claim) |
| Wrongful death | Two years after the death |
| Injury to a child | Can be extended while the injured person is a minor |
The 90 days is a deadline to give notice, not to sue, and late notice needs a court's permission. Some case types have their own deadlines, so call us soon.
How Fault and Compensation Work
Most injury claims are negligence claims, meaning someone failed to use reasonable care and caused your injury. Being partly at fault does not automatically end your case. Under New York's general rule of pure comparative fault (CPLR 1411(a)), your compensation goes down by your share of the blame. One exception applies to some motor vehicle lawsuits started on or after May 26, 2026: under Insurance Law Article 51, New York's no-fault auto insurance law, a person whose fault is greater than the combined fault of the people they sue recovers nothing (CPLR 1411(b)). If a vehicle was involved, ask us which rule applies.
Compensation can cover medical bills now and in the future, lost earnings and earning capacity, out-of-pocket costs, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. No two cases are worth the same. We won't put a number on yours before reviewing your records, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer for a personal injury claim in Queens?
No law requires one, but going alone is risky when injuries are serious, fault is disputed or a public body is responsible. Insurers handle injury claims every day, and most injured people don't. A free consultation with a Queens accident lawyer tells you whether your claim needs one.
How do I choose a Queens personal injury lawyer?
Ask about trial experience, who will handle your case day to day, how often you will hear from them and what the fee is, in writing. A lawyer who regularly works in Queens courts knows how cases move there.
What should I bring to a free consultation?
Bring what you have: photos, medical records and bills, any incident or police report, insurance letters, witness names and pay stubs. Bring anything you were asked to sign, too. If you don't have these yet, come anyway; we can help gather them.
How is a lawyer paid if my case settles or if we lose?
If the case settles or wins at trial, the fee comes out of the recovery at the end, so you pay nothing up front. If we lose, you owe no fee. Case costs are separate, and your written agreement explains how they are handled in each outcome.
Will a partner at The Orlow Firm handle my case?
The Orlow Firm is a father-and-sons practice run by its three partners, who stay close to the firm's cases. At your consultation, ask who will handle yours day to day and how you'll be kept informed.
