Lawyer in Dutchess County and Ulster County

Workers' Compensation ♦ Social Security Disability ♦ Criminal Defense ♦ NYS Disability Retirement

At the law offices of Peter M. Cordovano, P.C., in Highland, we have over 20 years of experience representing people throughout the Hudson River Valley in New York. We focus our practice on workers' compensation, state disability retirement, SSD claims and other personal injury cases. We also handle criminal cases in Ulster County. Contact us for a confidential consultation.

Worker's Compensation

If you have been injured in the workplace, you may be entitled to benefits under New York workers' compensation laws, although your employer and the workers' compensation insurance provider may stall or deny your claim. We have extensive experience helping men and women successfully recover lost wages, medical benefits and disability compensation when they have been hurt on the job. Whether you are just filing a claim or you need to appeal the denial of a claim, we will advocate for you and protect your rights.

Social Security Disability

If you are unable to work because of injury or illness, you may qualify for benefits to cover lost wages, medical expenses and costs of retraining for new employment. The rules governing SSD differ from workers' compensation and applying for these benefits can be consuming. At the offices of Peter M. Cordovano, P.C., we will work with you throughout the claims process, from the initial filing and determination of eligibility to the appeal of wrongful denials of your claim.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

We have extensive experience helping innocent victims recover for injuries suffered due to negligence or carelessness on New York's roadways. Unlike many attorneys, we will not take your case unless we believe you will benefit from legal representation. We handle cases involving all types of motor vehicle collisions, including accidents involving automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.

Criminal Defense

When you have been charged with a crime, you want an attorney who will help you understand all your options and the consequences of different strategies. We will keep you fully informed of the status of your case, help you evaluate whether you want to enter a plea or go to trial, and provide you with an honest assessment of your chances of acquittal. We handle a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors, including DWI/DWAI, traffic violations, assault, theft and domestic violence.

NYS Disability Retirement

The NYS Retirement Systems provide various types of disability retirement benefits for eligible members. For information on how to file for a disability retirement and about the disability retirement process, go to their website, which is linked to decide, and obtain a copy of the publication "What if I become disabled"? It is also useful to review the plan booklet for your particular plan to see what benefits you may be eligible for you. If you think you may be eligible for a disability retirement, don't delay filing your application.

Entitlement to NYS Disability Retirement may be determined by six (6) criteria:

• Membership tier
• Retirement plan
• Final average salary
• Credited service in the Retirement System
• Age when you retire
• If disability resulted from an on-the-job accident

If you are eligible for NYS Disability retirement, you may apply for service retirement and disability retirement benefits at the same time. There is no early age reduction for disability benefits. However, depending on your tier, plan and type of disability benefit, your benefit may be reduced by amounts received from Workers' Compensation. If you are a Tier 3 member and apply for Article 14 ordinary disability or accidental disability, your benefit will be reduced by 50% of the CO/ESC Social Security disability benefit in addition to the Workers' Compensation reduction.

Contact Us

At the offices of Peter M. Cordovano, P.C., we take workers' compensation, SSD and personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis. We will only charge attorney fees if we recover compensation for your injuries.

For experienced representation in worker's compensation, SSD, personal injury and criminal defense matters, contact our offices.

Peter M. Cordovano, P.C.
280 Route 299, Suite 4
Highland, NY 12528
Phone: (845) 691-4200
Fax: (845) 691-5725

At the law offices of Peter M. Cordovano, P.C., we represent clients throughout Dutchess County, Orange County, and Ulster County in New York, including individuals in Poughkeepsie, Wappinger's Falls, Fishkill, Rhinebeck, Newburgh, Goshen, Middletown, Kingston, New Paltz and Saugerties.