John Bonina, Jr. grew up knowing that he wanted to make a difference. Through his talent in the courtroom and his tireless preparation he has used the law to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of clients by fighting for them when they otherwise would not have had a voice.
John has been making a difference for his clients ever since his first trial win nearly 20 years ago. Some significant verdicts include a $4,646,000.00 verdict for the wrongful death of a woman due to delayed diagnosis of lung cancer; a $2,500,000.00 verdict for the family of a woman who bled to death while waiting for emergency surgery on a ruptured aneurysm; a $1,646,000.00 verdict for the family of a man who died as the result of delayed diagnosis of lung cancer; a $1,250,000.00 verdict for failure to diagnose appendicitis; and a $1,000,000.00 for an improper diagnosis of Tuberculosis. His success extends beyond verdicts, with numerous multi-million dollar settlements in cases involving injured construction workers, catastrophically injured children and other injured by negligence or malpractice.
John Bonina, Jr. is the senior trial attorney for the firm, leading a five-lawyer team with over 75 years of combined experience representing victims of medical malpractice, negligence, and defective products. Under John's leadership in the last ten years, the firm of Bonina and Bonina has recorded more than $200 million in combined settlements and verdicts. He credits the firm's success to a combination of old fashioned hard work and innovative trial techniques. We prepare each and every case as a fight to the finish. By approaching each case this way, every day, we position our clients for the best possible result.
Bonina's approach guides everyone at his firm. There are two important ingredients in representing injured people passionately: empathy for the clients and meticulous preparation on each and every case, he explains. Our mission in pursuing fair and just compensation is to expose the wrongdoing that hurt our client -- whether it is substandard medical care, dangerous consumer products, or shoddy workplace safety practices. When we prepare for trial, we prepare as though someone's life depends on it -- because for our clients, it does.
John's empathy for his clients is matched by his rapport with juries. He approaches his clients and jurors from the perspectives he has gained in non-lawyer roles such as basketball player, bartender, little league coach and father
The combination of empathy for victims and courtroom skill has earned John the respect of his peers. Their positive evaluations have earned him a place in The Best Lawyers in America, and in New York Magazine's the Best Lawyers in the New York Area for the past 5 years. He has maintained the highest possible AV rating in Martindale Hubbell throughout his career.
A Past President of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Chair of the Medical Malpractice Committee of the Brooklyn Bar Association, John Bonina is frequent lecturer on medical malpractice and trial tactics throughout New York State.
Recipient, Rose & Philip Hoffer Torts Award. Listed, Best Lawyers in New Year. Author: "Opposing Summary Judgment Motions in Medical Malpractice Cases," "Bill of Particulars," 1991; "Use of Criminal Convictions and Prior Bad Acts to Attack Credibility," 1994; "CPLR 3407 Expedited Discovery for Terminally Ill Plaintiffs," 2001. Medical Malpractice Panelist, Queens County, 1990-1991. Program Chair, New York State Trial Lawyers Association: "Conferencing a Case," 1991; "Pre-Action Discovery," 1993; "Trial Tips from the Masters," 1993; "Pre-Trial Conference-Do's and Don'ts For Young Lawyers," 1993; "Pleadings Discovery and Beyond," 1994. Lecturer: "Motions Addressed to Pleadings and Discovery Issues," 1994; Program Chair and Lecturer: "How to Conduct Depositions," 1995; "Depositions," 1998; "Trial Practice Workshop," 2003; "Civil Practice and Personal Injury Law: Municipal Liability and Settlement Techniques," Bay Ridge Lawyers Association, Winter Seminar, February, 2001; "Presenting a Claim to the Victim Compensation Fund," Trial Lawyers Care Training Session for ATLA's Weekend with the Stars, 12/2002; "Updates in Medical Malpractice Law," New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers Precedents and Statutes Program, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
