Steven's Story: Crash Victim Becomes Injury Attorney

Steven Benvenisti, Esq. is a personal injury attorney as well as an injury survivor. As a Partner in Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., Steven brings to each injury case he handles a firsthand knowledge of what it is like to have a serious injury disrupt your life.

Click Here to Purchase100% of the proceeds donated to charitiesAs a college senior six weeks from graduation from The College of New Jersey (Trenton State College), Steven nearly lost everything when a drunk driver’s vehicle struck him as a pedestrian while he was walking in Daytona Beach, Florida. His head went through the car’s windshield and his broken body was tossed his 70 feet. A driver’s bad decision to drive drunk left Steven with a life-threatening brain injury, crushed lower legs, other fractures, open flesh wounds and significant blood loss. He was in a coma for almost 2 weeks. The doctors, not expecting Steven to survive, asked his parents for consent to donate his organs.

After 5 months in the hospital, 15 major surgeries, countless prayers from family and friends, and a two year struggle to walk again, Steven made a full recovery from his physical and brain injuries. He went on to graduate from college with high honors, went to law school, passed the bar exam on the first try and became trial attorney representing injured accident victims.

Steven’s recovery from the ordeal inspired his choice of careers to represent injury survivors. As a personal injury attorney, he chose to represent those who are injured from car crashes, including drunk driving victims, fall victims, and other personal injury victims. He is among only 3 percent of New Jersey lawyers designated by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney.* For the past 8 years he has been included on the National Trial Lawyers list of Top 100 Trial Lawyers.

He also made a lifetime commitment to warn teens and their parents of the dangers of drunk driving as well as helping those living with brain and other injuries.

He served on the National Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (2012-2018) and currently serves on the New Jersey Board of MADD. He is the President of the Board of the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and is on the Board of the Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. He authored Spring Break: A True Story of Hope and Determination to end drunk driving and help those living with brain injury.

Approximately 20 times a year, Steven Benvenisti serves as a motivational and keynote speaker to medical and rehabilitation associations, high schools, universities, judicial conferences and trial lawyer associations. His program The Most Significant Case of My Career has touched hundreds of thousands of people. He has been featured on National and local television, as well as newspapers and radio programs.

Disclaimer: *Attorneys may be designated by the Supreme Court as “certified attorneys” if they demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge and skill in a specific area of law or practice, pass a rigorous examination and receive recognition from peers as having sufficient skills and reputation in the designated specialty.

One word: Inspirational! This morning’s presentation opened up my eyes. I thought it would be like every other DWI presentation, but I was completely wrong! I would never have imagined that victim would have been you. You are like a miracle man. In my opinion, you were born on this planet for that specific reason: to inspire teenagers and flip their perspective of DWI. I never thought it was that bad, in fact, I would always get in cars with intoxicated people, thinking NOTHING could ever happen. This presentation really touched my heart, and I never thought someone could get to me as much as you did. You are a courageous, strong, valiant, patron, brave, fearless benefactor, determined person. You are a hero… Point blank. Bogota HS Sophomore

This assembly was probably one of the most memorable assemblies I’ve been to. When you were was talking about this college student’s condition after the accident, I thought to myself that this student would be physically and mentally impaired for the rest of his life or maybe dead by now. When you revealed that you were the college student, it took me a moment to process it because it is amazing how he fully recovered from that and had the courage to talk about something so traumatic. The impact it had on me was that with determination you can overcome anything. It also made me think of a quote I heard “The harder the fall, the greater the ascension” You are living proof that this quote speaks true. Fair Lawn HS student

I mean I can’t even describe the feeling I had when I heard your story. It takes a lot of courage to even relive that moment with many different schools. I just think about all those different people that have been in a similar accident and weren’t even close to living and those families that cared and lost a part of their lives. That story can change millions of peoples lives because it makes anything possible. Thank you for coming to my high school. Your story touched me and everyone else. Wood-Ridge HS Senior

Making a Contract for Life

Steven shows his gratitude for his recovery and life by honoring a lifetime promise Steven made to himself. He pledged that if he was able to recover from his catastrophic injuries despite the long odds, then he would do everything he could to help those with brain injuries and to put a stop to drunk driving. Benvenisti waives 100 percent of the honorariums for his speaking appearances and asks that the inviting organization donate the money directly to a worthwhile charity.

His goal through his speeches is to convey to young drivers the dangerous and life-changing consequences of drinking and driving—how in the blink of an eye your entire life or the lives of others can be altered in unimaginable ways by the consequences of a bad decision.

Too many people still disregard the consequences of getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. More than 100 people die in alcohol-related collisions in New Jersey each year. Drunk driving collisions are the single largest cause of deaths of teens in New Jersey and across the country. Each of these alcohol-related deaths is preventable.

Download & Sign the Contract for LifeSteven asks teens who he speaks with to consider a lifetime pledge of their own. When he addresses school groups, he urges teenagers to sign the “Contract for Life” that he created and trademarked. By signing the contract, the teen pledges never to drink and drive and never to accept a ride with anyone who has been drinking.

It is a contract between teenagers and their parents, allowing teens who have consumed alcohol to call their parents for a No Questions Asked ride home. As part of the contract, parents shall not punish or ask questions of their teens about their behavior, but rather to recognize their good judgment to call for a ride. His contract for life has helped thousands of young people survive their teenage years. You can learn more about the Contract for Life here.

Honors and Recognition for Inspiring Work

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Steven is a well-known advocate for driving safety. In more than 26 years of making safety presentations and trying to have a positive impact, Steven has received many awards as well as recognition from federal and state government:

• U.S. Senate Official Proclamation
• U.S. Congressional Citation
• U.S. House of Representatives Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
• Executive Proclamation by the Governor of New Jersey
• N.J. Joint Senate-General Assembly Legislative Resolution

His recent awards include:

Receive Help After Being Injured in a Drunk Driving Collision

Steven Benvenisti is committed to doing everything possible to prevent drunk driving collisions. When serious crashes are caused by drunk drivers, he and his fellow attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., are committed to providing compassionate and skilled legal representation to the crash victims and holding the at-fault drivers accountable for their actions.

The firm’s practice areas include auto crashes, drunk driving collisions, truck crashes, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability and workers’ compensation. Since 1981, the law firm has secured more than $350 million in verdicts and settlements for clients.