Secret of My Success: Attorney Kenneth B. Goldblatt

Kenneth Goldblatt of —The Orthopedic & Brain Injury Law Group, has been practicing law since 1988.

Originally an attorney for the city of New York, he defended the city in personal injury cases and eventually went into private practice to represent injured parties—and began to specialize in brain injury cases. His firm, located in Mohegan Lake also represents families of children with special needs, in cases against school districts.

The Cortlandt Manor resident and father of two boys spoke with Patch about his uniquely focused practice and his thoughts on success.

Patch: How did you come to focus on the area of orthopedic and brain injury law? 

KG: I became a personal injury attorney because I liked being a trial lawyer. It was also a way to help people fight against insurance companies. I started specializing in representing people with brain injuries about 13 years ago when I had a client who sustained a bad brain injury and was left with significant cognitive problems.

In representing him, I was forced to do research and to learn about brain injury. I discovered that there is a large population of people who have suffered brain injury and live daily with persistent cognitive problems and decided I wanted to focus on representing brain injured people so I could help them long-term.   

Patch: In your opinion, what distinguishes a successful attorney?

KG: In order to be a successful attorney, perhaps the most important thing is to listen to your clients, be compassionate and really develop an understanding as to what they go through after being injured.

This is what drives me to want to help them. In representing brain injured clients, my expertise is in my understanding of the medicine. I subscribe to medical journals and keep up with medical research which has enabled me to become quite proficient in the anatomy and neuro-physiology of the brain.

Patch: What are some of the hardest aspects of your work?

KG: Perhaps the hardest part in representing people with brain injury is proving to juries that the client has suffered such an injury that has left them permanently disabled. Brain injury is often referred to as the “invisible injury” because most of the time, you cannot see it. A person that has sustained a brain injury and suffers from persistent symptoms including headaches, short-term memory or concentration problems does not look any different than you or me. They can drive, work and engage in recreational activities; yet to do so every day is a struggle. Explaining the nature of brain injuries and hoping that juries understand it, is very difficult.     

Patch: What has success meant to you personally?

KG: My being successful means that I have been able to help people rebuild their lives. After sustaining an injury, people often incur medical expenses and are unable to work for some time, if not permanently.

I am able to assist them in getting their medical bills paid, in recovering their lost wages and getting compensation for them to ensure future financial security for things like medical care.    

Patch: If you could give advice to young people entering the law field, what would it be?

KG: If you want to be a personal injury attorney, you must be compassionate and a good listener and really believe in what you are doing. Trial lawyers are often looked down upon but I am truly proud of the work that I do. It is our work that helps ensure that employers provide safe work environments and that manufacturers take steps to produce safe products. I represent the average person, the “little guy.”

Patch: What are some of the most important lessons regarding success that you have learned?

KG: Stay grounded. Never lose sight of the fact that the client’s best interests are most important.