The video of the murder of George Floyd by a former officer of the Minneapolis Police Department shocked the World. It would have been much less horrifying if this was an isolated incident where a deranged officer abused his authority. Unfortunately, police brutality is rampant in the United States due to systemic racism that infests most American police departments. Scant attention has been paid to the issue until recently when it became clear how many Black Americans and others are mistreated by the police.

Not every personal injury lawyer in NYC handles police brutality cases. These complicated cases against the New York City Police Department (NYPD) require specific expertise and experience. Police unions are powerful and try to block disclosure of information relating to incidents of brutality, and legal concepts such as qualified immunity present additional roadblocks. That said, it’s often possible to get large amounts of compensation for victims of police brutality.

The police will always claim that they feared for their life and were following proper protocols even when it defies common sense. With increasing awareness, it’s becoming harder for police departments to cover things up. For example, an officer that was likely to get away with shooting Breonna Taylor in her room 8 times and killing her is now being charged. The claim for compensation for victims of police brutality is a civil matter, not a criminal one, but prosecution of the offending officer(s) is a helpful prerequisite. If you’ve been a victim of police brutality, now is the time to come forward and get justice and compensation.

Police brutality cases are actions against the NYPD for the negligent, recklessness, or intentional acts that cause harm to a victim. The civil litigation process follows the same format that a Queens Car accident attorney or personal injury in NYC uses for car accidents, slip and falls, and other types of civil cases. The additional requirement for all cases against the City of New York and its departments and agencies, is filing a notice of claim within 90 days of the occurrence. Many of these deadlines have been extended due to Covid 19, but it’s a good idea to consult with a personal injury lawyer in NYC that’s experienced with police brutality cases as soon as possible to avoid the claim being time barred. Please call Wittenstein & Wittenstein at 718-261-8114 for an appointment to discuss your police brutality claim.