New Jersey personal injury lawyer Steven Benvenisti was in a coma for 10 days after he was struck by a drunk driver in 1989.
Presenting this program is a part of a promise I made to myself that, if I was able to make this impossible recovery, I would do whatever I could to end drunk driving, because a drunk driver almost ended my life at the age of 21.
Teaneck, N.J. (PRWEB) May 17, 2012
New Jersey personal injury lawyer Steven Benvenisti will present his program, “The Most Significant Case of My Entire Career,” to teenagers at schools throughout New Jersey this month.
In the program, Benvenisti describes his experience of being horribly injured as a pedestrian by a drunk driver while on a spring break trip in Florida in 1989 – as well his incredible recovery.
The goal of the program is to convey to young drivers the very real and dangerous consequences of drinking and driving.
The drunk driver who struck Benvenisti had been traveling at roughly 50 mph. The impact threw him 75 feet, caused him to suffer intense bleeding, disfigurement of his legs and traumatic brain injury. He was in a coma for 10 days.
“Presenting this program is a part of a promise I made to myself that, if I was able to make this impossible recovery, I would do whatever I could to end drunk driving, because a drunk driver almost ended my life at the age of 21,” said Benvenisti, who is today a partner of the New Jersey personal injury firm of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., and a certified civil trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
In the coming weeks, Benvenisti will be speaking at:
- Somerville High School, May 23, 8:30 a.m.;
- Spotswood High School, May 24, 8:45 a.m.;
- Nutley High School, May 31, 8:30 a.m.; and
- Cresskill High School, June 1 (time to be determined).
He will waive honorariums in favor of each school donating $750 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.).
Although the New Jersey personal injury attorney presents the program to schools, national and medical rehabilitation associations and legal and law enforcement organizations throughout the year, the message is especially timely during the month of May, he said.
May is recognized by a U.S. Senate Resolution as National Youth Traffic Safety Month. It’s a time of year when teenagers are going to proms and graduation parties, Benvenisti said. It’s also the start of a summer season in which more teens are involved in deadly car crashes than at any other time of the year, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
An average of 422 teenage drivers (ages 16 to 20) die in motor vehicle wrecks every month during the summer, marking a significant increase from the monthly average of 363 teen-driver deaths during the non-summer months, the NHTSA says.
“My story, I’ve found, really grabs the attention of young people. It’s not just statistics. It’s the story of a real person, and they can relate to it,” Benvenisti said. “When I have their complete attention, it gives me the chance to make them promise right then and there that they will never drink and drive – not even one drink.”
At the conclusion of the program, Benvenisti provides the audience with a two-part “Contract for Life.” In the contract, students promise they will never drink and drive, get into a car with someone who has been drinking or allow a friend to drink and drive. Also, parents agree to pick up their children if they call for a ride without any questions asked.
“I hope that students and parents alike understand that drinking and driving puts not only themselves at risk but others as well,” he said. “The results of poor decisions can be tragic.”
As a result of his anti-drunk driving efforts, Benvenisti has been honored with many awards, including a U.S. Congressional Citation, U.S. House of Representatives Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, an Official Proclamation by the Governor of New Jersey and a New Jersey Joint Senate-General Assembly Legislative Resolution.
To learn more about his presentations, please visit his website, http://www.stopdwinow.com.
About Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.
The New Jersey personal injury attorneys and dedicated staff of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., provide compassionate and skilled legal help to those injured by the negligence of others.
Since 1981, the firm has secured more than $350 million in verdicts and settlements for clients throughout North Jersey and New York, including the communities of Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Edison, Toms River, Trenton, Clifton, Camden, Brick Township, Woodbridge Township, Bergen Co., Middlesex Co., Somerset Co., Warren Co., Sussex Co., Monmouth Co., Mercer Co., Ocean Co., Hudson Co., Passaic Co., Essex Co., Union Co., Morris Co., Teaneck, Fort Lee, Paramus, Hackensack, Hoboken, Secaucus, Englewood, Mahwah, Bergenfield, Union City, North Bergen, Ridgewood, Bayonne, Ridgefield, Belleville, Alpine, New Milford and Atlantic City.
The firm’s practice areas include personal injury, auto accidents, drunk driving accidents, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, slip and fall, truck accidents and workers’ compensation.
For more information about Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., call (800) LAW-2000 or use the firm’s online contact form.
