Member Bio
Owner - Rush & Sabbatino, PLLC
April 2011 – Present
Claire Rush is a trial attorney who specializes in the defense of high exposure personal injury actions. Ms. Rush has tried more than 100 jury cases to verdict in New York State. She has over 25 years experience defending private and public entities against bus, truck, auto, railway, premises, construction, elevator and escalator accident cases. She also has documented expertize in the defense of environmental, security, police and 42 U.S.C. §1983 actions.
Partner - Russo, Keane & Toner, LLP
September 2001 – April 2011 (9 years 8 months)
Ms. Rush defended general liability matters including premises, auto, construction, mold and lead paint claims. Ms. Rush tried 23 cases to verdict while a partner at RKT. In addition to trying cases Ms. Rush was responsible for mediating catastrophic injury actions and handling complex claims from inception through trial.
Assistant General Counsel - New York City Transit Authority
October 1984 – September 2001 (17 years)
Ms. Rush tried over 75 high exposure personal injury and wrongful death actions arising out of bus, truck, auto, railway, premises, elevator and escalator accidents. She also defended security, police and 42 U.S.C. §1983 actions. During her tenure at the MTA/NYCTA Ms. Rush was a supervisor in the Bronx Trial Unit and the Chief of the Major Case Unit in New York County.
Author, How to Make and Defend Against Batson Challenges, DRI, Trials And Tribulations, 2011
Lecturer, Current Issues In Construction Law, South Bronx Economic Development Corporation, Turner Construction School, 2011
Lecturer, The Timing of Expert Disclosure Under CPLR 3101(d), Defense Association of New York, 2011
Lecturer, Effective Use of Evidence From Investigation Through Trial, National Buisness Institute, 2010
Lecturer, Jury Selection, The Bar Association of the City of New York, 2009
Lecturer, Recognizing Automobile Defect Cases and How to Handle Them, National Buisness Institute, 2008
Presenter, The Biomechanical Defense of Soft Tissue Injury Claims, American Transit Insurance Company, 2008
Lecturer, Expert Witness Testimony at Trial, National Buisness Institute, 2008
Lecturer, Direct and Cross Examination, Defense Association Of New York, 2006
Lecturer, Anatomy of a Complex Personal Injury Trial, National Buisness Institute, 2004
ORGANIZATIONS
Defense Research Institute;
Council on Litigation Management;
Defense Association of New York;
New York City Chapter of the International Assoc. of Insurance Professionals; Association of Professional Insurance Women;
New York Women's Bar Association;
The Catholic Lawyers Guild
Education
New York Law School JD, Law
1980 – 1983
Activities and Societies: Editor, International Law Journal;
Moot Court
Trinity College-Hartford BA, Political Science
1976 – 1980
Marymount School of New York 1972 – 1976