De Caro & Kaplen, LLP is a Manhattan-based law firm with a distinctive reputation as “The Brain Injury Law Firm”, emphasizing its long-standing focus on traumatic brain injury and catastrophic personal injury cases. Located at 228 East 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10017, with an additional office at 860 United Nations Plaza, Suite 27A, New York, NY 10017, the firm has represented injury victims across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and throughout the state for more than 40 years.
The practice is led by partners Shana De Caro and Michael V. Kaplen, both nationally recognized authorities in brain injury litigation. Shana De Caro has served as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of America and was the first woman to chair the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. Michael Kaplen is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School, where he teaches the nation’s only course in traumatic brain injury law, and has served three terms as President of the Brain Injury Association of New York State. Both attorneys are long-time advocates in state and national organizations addressing brain injury awareness, patient rights, and safety legislation.
Practice Areas
While the firm is best known for its brain injury focus, its scope of representation covers a wide spectrum of serious injury and negligence matters:
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Cases: Litigation involving concussions, diffuse axonal injury, hypoxic brain injury, and long-term cognitive impairment.
- Medical Malpractice: Cases against hospitals and medical providers for surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes, delayed diagnosis, birth injuries, and negligent monitoring.
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Representation for victims of car, truck, bus, train, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents, particularly those leading to catastrophic injury.
- Construction and Workplace Accidents: Falls from scaffolds, unsafe machinery, electrocutions, and other jobsite incidents, frequently invoking New York Labor Law protections.
- Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse: Cases involving bedsores, malnutrition, improper restraint, medication errors, and wrongful death.
- Premises Liability: Unsafe buildings, slip and fall cases, landlord negligence, and unsafe municipal properties.
- Wrongful Death: Support for families seeking compensation for the loss of a loved one due to negligence or malpractice.
Significant Verdicts and Settlements
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP has achieved numerous multimillion-dollar outcomes for clients, including:
- $8,500,000 award against a negligent truck driver for brain injuries sustained in a collision.
- $8,000,000 medical malpractice settlement involving an anesthesia error that caused permanent brain damage.
- $8,000,000 settlement for failure to diagnose and treat a stroke.
- $6,500,000 settlement for failure to treat atrial fibrillation, resulting in stroke.
- $5,350,000 recovery for brain injuries caused by a fall in a hospital.
- $4,250,000 wrongful death verdict for a construction worker killed when a crane struck a power line.
- $3,900,000 verdict for malpractice leading to a mother’s death after childbirth.
- $3,500,000 settlement for college students injured in a bus crash due to faulty equipment.
- $3,000,000 settlement for malpractice during a shunt revision surgery that resulted in permanent brain damage.
- Numerous additional recoveries exceeding $2 million in vehicle accidents, construction site incidents, and medical negligence claims.
These results reflect the firm’s strategy of preparing each case for trial, hiring leading experts, and pressing forward even when facing powerful defendants such as hospitals, municipalities, and major corporations.
Recognition and Leadership
Both partners are frequently recognized in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and national trial lawyer associations. They are also authors of published works on traumatic brain injury law, contributors to the New York Law Journal, and lecturers at continuing legal education seminars nationwide. Their expertise has led to appointments on advisory boards, amicus briefs in high-profile cases such as the NFL concussion litigation, and leadership roles in bar associations.
Client-Centered Representation
De Caro & Kaplen emphasize personalized representation. Clients are kept informed throughout litigation, given access to resources such as the firm’s Brain Injury Help Hub, and supported through medical referrals and documentation preparation. The attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning no fees are due unless compensation is recovered.
Former clients frequently highlight the attorneys’ compassion, responsiveness, and thorough trial preparation. The firm also provides resources such as free brain injury survivor identification cards to assist individuals in medical emergencies.
Offices and Contact Information
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
228 East 45th Street, Suite 1100
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 732-2262
Additional Office
860 United Nations Plaza, Suite 27A
New York, NY 10017
Toll-Free: (866) 272-4652
Email: help@brainlaw.com
Conclusion
With a concentration in brain injury litigation and a broader reach into personal injury, malpractice, and negligence cases, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP has become a trusted advocate for accident victims across New York. By combining over four decades of trial experience, nationally recognized expertise, and a deep commitment to client welfare, the firm stands out as one of the most specialized and respected personal injury practices in the region.
Website: brainlaw.com