Freddie Fender Verified Attorney

Howard A. Raphaelson
Personal Injury
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Freddie's Review
His Grandfather Secured America’s First Million-Dollar Injury Verdict—Howard Raphaelson Built a Billion-Dollar Legacy of His Own
When an unexpected tragedy turns your life upside down, the legal system can feel like a cold, impassable wall. Medical bills pile up, insurance companies move quickly to protect their own interests, and the future suddenly feels uncertain. In those moments, experience matters. Howard A. Raphaelson has spent more than three decades standing up for injured New Yorkers, building a career focused exclusively on personal injury, medical malpractice, and construction accident litigation. As the founding partner of Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, P.C., he has dedicated his practice to helping people rebuild their lives after devastating injuries.
Raphaelson’s commitment to personal injury law is rooted in one of New York’s most respected legal families. He is the grandson of legendary attorney and Judge Jacob D. Fuchsberg, whose groundbreaking work included securing the first million-dollar personal injury verdict in American history. Rather than relying on that legacy, Raphaelson built one of his own. After graduating from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1992, he immediately founded his own firm and has spent his entire career advocating for injured victims and their families.
That commitment is reflected in the firm’s results. Since its founding in 1992, Raphaelson & Levine has recovered more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for injured clients throughout New York City and Long Island. Raphaelson’s case history includes a $4.5 million recovery for a construction worker seriously injured in a fall-related construction accident, a confidential multi-million dollar product liability settlement involving a defective vehicle seat that left a 13-year-old boy paralyzed, and a $1.75 million pretrial settlement for a client who suffered catastrophic spinal and shoulder injuries after falling down a flight of stairs. These outcomes demonstrate an attorney willing to pursue substantial recoveries in cases involving catastrophic injuries and life-altering losses.
The strongest endorsement, however, comes from the people he has represented. The firm maintains an outstanding 4.8-star Google rating across more than 700 reviews, with clients consistently praising the team’s compassion, communication, and dedication throughout the legal process. To better serve New York’s diverse communities, the firm also provides bilingual representation in both English and Spanish, ensuring clients can communicate comfortably during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Raphaelson’s influence extends well beyond his own courtroom victories. As a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, he helps shape the future of plaintiff advocacy throughout the state. His work has earned consistent recognition from his peers, including consecutive selections to the New York Super Lawyers list from 2014 through 2026 and repeated recognition among New York’s Best Lawyers by New York Magazine. Those honors reflect decades of sustained excellence and leadership within New York’s legal community.
By combining a historic legal legacy, a firm that has recovered more than $1 billion for injured clients, exceptional consumer trust, and decades of respected leadership in personal injury law, Howard A. Raphaelson has built a practice that gives injured individuals confidence when they need it most.
That combination of experience, reputation, verified professional standing, and public credibility is why Howard A. Raphaelson was included on FreddieFender.com.
Credentials
• Education: Juris Doctor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (1992)
• Education: Bachelor of Arts, Lafayette College (1988)
• Awards, Honors, and Industry Recognition: Selected to Super Lawyers (2014–2026)
• Awards, Honors, and Industry Recognition: Recognized among "New York's Best Lawyers" by New York Magazine
• Awards, Honors, and Industry Recognition: Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Awards, Honors, and Industry Recognition: Member of The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers
• Media Appearances, Publications, Legal Commentary, or Speaking Engagements: Featured legal commentator and writer for specialized consumer-relevant platforms including Commercial UAV News
Career Highlights / Proven Experience
Career Highlights
- Founding Legal Visionary: Founded Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm immediately out of law school in 1992, strategically steering it over 34 years to become widely regarded as the "Voice of the Injured" across New York.
- More Than $1 Billion Recovered: Helps lead a personal injury law firm that has recovered more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured clients and their families.
- Super Lawyers Selection (2014–2026): Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list for thirteen consecutive years, recognizing professional excellence and peer recognition among the top 5% of attorneys in the state.
- Perennial Elite Tier Selection: Earned a continuous, elite selection to the New York Super Lawyers list every consecutive year from 2014 through 2026, a distinction reserved strictly for the top 5% of attorneys in the state.
- State-Level Board Leadership: Serves actively on the Board of Directors for the highly influential New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), directly shaping civil litigation advocacy across New York State.
- Premier Trial Credentials: Selected to both The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers and the exclusive Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is restricted to trial lawyers who have secured multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.
- New York Magazine Distinction: Consistently named and published in New York Magazine's highly vetted, consumer-trusted directory of "New York's Best Lawyers".
Proven Experience
- $4.5 Million Appellate Recovery: Partnered to secure a $4.5 million recovery for a construction worker who suffered severe injuries from a fall off a movie theater roof under construction, successfully litigating the high-stakes case all the way through the Appellate Division.
- Seven-Figure Product Liability Seating Defect Case: Co-counseled and secured a confidential multi-million dollar seven-figure settlement against a global automotive manufacturing giant on behalf of a 13-year-old boy paralyzed by a minivan seating design defect.
- $1.75 Million Supreme Court Settlement: Successfully secured a $1.75 million pre-trial recovery during the jury selection phase in the Orange County Supreme Court for a plaintiff who sustained catastrophic spinal and shoulder injuries requiring multiple surgeries after falling down a flight of stairs.
- $1.5 Million Motor Vehicle Spine Injury Settlement: Successfully negotiated a $1.5 million recovery for a motorist who suffered life-altering spinal trauma when his vehicle was struck by a negligent driver.
- $1.3 Million Prior Injury Aggravation Award: Recovered $1.3 million for a female driver in her 50s, aggressively defeating defense arguments by proving that an automobile accident severely aggravated and worsened her pre-existing medical conditions.
- $825,000 Wrongful Death Fatal Strike Settlement: Co-negotiated a pre-trial wrongful death settlement with a structured payout exceeding $1 million for the estate of a young mother fatally struck by a tow truck, utilizing expert investigative techniques to legally establish "pre-impact terror".
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