Daryl L. Zaslow embraces his reputation for his unmatched competitiveness. His willingness to stand up and fight for those who are impacted by serious injury or death is driven by his unparalleled knowledge in the field and empathy for his clients. That is why, when he accepts a medical malpractice or injury case, the Eichen Crutchlow & Zaslow partner is always ready for battle.
Though he has attracted national attention for high-profile cases, the past year has been one of his most successful. He won or settled several seven- and eight-figure cases in 2019 that ranged from birth injuries and fatal medical malpractice scenarios to catastrophic injuries sustained in accidents involving public transportation. For those results, as well as being highly regarded within the legal community, he was recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in Woodbridge in the area of Medical Malpractice - Plaintiffs.
“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be named 'Lawyer of the Year,'” Zaslow says. “It's very special because I recognize the enormous responsibility I have when I represent my clients, who come to me after suffering devastating injuries or the death of a loved one. It's also a credit to the attorneys throughout the state who consider me worthy enough to represent the people they refer.”
One of the standout settlements in 2019 was for $5 million on behalf of a 6-year-old girl with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and cerebral palsy. Zaslow demonstrated that a labor and delivery nurse’s failure to exercise the chain of command to circumvent the attending physician’s authority during the girl's birth in 2013 contributed to her significant brain damage. Zaslow notes that a portion of the settlement is being used to purchase an annuity, which increased its projected total value to $10,215,715.
Zaslow also recently recovered $5 million against several defendants in a wrongful death case on behalf of the family of a 53-year-old woman who had been admitted to a hospital for pneumonia and sepsis and died as a result of improper intubation. The $5 million recovery is only a partial settlement, and Zaslow expects a favorable verdict as he proceeds to trial against the remaining defendants in 2020.
“I have the utmost respect for medical professionals,” Zaslow says. “But when they make an error or omission, the damages can have profound effects on families—physically, emotionally, and financially. It is my duty to provide the strongest possible advocacy for the victims.”
Zaslow remains passionate about aggressively representing his clients and prides himself on his preparation and attention to detail. “My partners and I invest endless resources securing the best experts across the country to help ensure our clients get the most favorable recoveries possible,” he says.
His impact is often felt outside the courtroom as well. For example, in 2019, he served as a distinguished co-chair of the 18th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims in Pennsylvania, where he also co-presented a lecture about the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Zaslow continues to be hired by high-profile clients due to his ability to secure justice in nationally covered cases as well. In many of these cases, the recoveries are kept confidential. One key example arose from a trucking accident in 2014; when Zaslow represented James McNair, a comedian and mentor to actor Tracy Morgan, who was the sole fatality of a collision on the NJ Turnpike with a truck driven by a Wal-Mart employee. The tragedy made national headlines and the confidential, out-of-court settlement with Wal-Mart was recovered by Zaslow on behalf of McNair's family in 2015.
“I have been honored to have handled some high-risk and important cases to favorable outcomes at a relatively young age. Because of that, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, where I continue to be retained in more significant cases,” Zaslow says. “I know that the more significant the case, the greater the complexities and the greater the risks, but I embrace the responsibility and am always mindful of my clients’ needs. That's why other lawyers—even some I've argued against—refer injured victims to our firm.”
