The Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, federal legislation that allows people with disabilities to create their own special needs trusts instead of having to rely on others, is now law. The measure was included in the 21st Century Cures Act, a $6.3 billion package of health-related initiatives signed by President Obama on December 13, 2016. The Fairness Act, introduced in 2013 by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), fixes an especially frustrating drafting error in the Social Security Act that has [...]

Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP is pleased to announce that Erin E. Donnelly has become a Partner of the Firm. Erin graduated from Binghamton High School, received her B.A. from Duquesne University and her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. She is a member of the New York, Pennsylvania, Broome County, Susquehanna County and Bradford County Bar Associations. She focuses her practice on Litigation, Personal Injury and Insurance Defense and Medical Malpractice. Erin practices in both [...]

The beginning of a new year is a good time to take a look at your estate plan to make sure it is up to date. Less than half of people actually have any estate planning documents in place and many of those people may have outdated documents. Documents that were created when your children were born may need updating 20, 30, or 40 years later, after your family and financial situation have changed entirely. 1. The Durable Power of Attorney The most important estate planning instrument for taking [...]

If you are ever injured in an accident, you may have to commence a lawsuit to recover compensation for such damages as lost wages, medical expenses, physical therapy expenses, pain, suffering and perhaps the costs to have future medical treatment or surgery. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer is critical to your best interests, because the process of recovering for personal injuries suffered in accidents can be complicated, time-consuming and contentious. Insurance companies are [...]

New York state has paid $1.6 million to a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was injured after being struck by a state trooper's vehicle while riding her bicycle in Whitney Point. The trooper's car struck retired Maj. Mary-Margaret Smith, from Virginia, at 9:42 a.m. on July 5, 2010, while riding in the area of Liberty and Collins streets, according to police. She suffered head and facial injuries. On Feb. 25, the state paid to resolve Smith's personal injury claim stemming from the accident and a [...]