I started off in this business in 2001 just shortly after 9-11. Job prospects were bleak, but I found a home a plaintiff personal injury firm in the Bronx, NY. I had my degree from John Jay College of Criminal justice and after graduating, I managed to scrape together a few years of investigative experience. When I started in the law firm, I was an in-house employee. I did sign ups, site investigations, witness interviews and service of process. As I gained more experience, I started drafting Notice of Claims and working on Bills of Particulars. My passion, however, always focused on the intake. I had this quest to find the truth. To determine the who, what, when, how and the why. The why was always and is always one of the most important aspects of personal injury investigations. Where does the liability stand? If you could establish liability early on, you could avoid litigation and focus on early settlement. I spent 4 years at the law firm honing my skills as an interviewer and learning things like labor law.
In 2005, Satellite Investigations officially launched. My ex-employer was my first client and I partnered up with John Afrides, a trial photographer expert. John took me under his wing and taught me how to really focus on getting the right photos and letting them tell a story. Here are some important facts to remember when approaching a new case intake and why Satellite Investigations excels at this assignment.
- Our investigators know what to look for. Most of our staff is former law enforcement and have transitioned to civil investigations. They have been trained in how to establish liability. They have completed continued education classes on labor law and other subjects to hone their craft. They understand how to build rapport with clients and with witnesses. Our staff are more than just foot patrol officers. These are former decorated detectives with experience in accident reconstruction, Special victims unit and missing persons. Many have also served on task forces with federal agencies and have the training to excel at their craft.
- By using an investigative staff, you can cover more areas through the city and take in new cases in a quicker fashion. We cover all 5 boros, all of Long Island, Westchester, Rockland Putnam, Orange and Dutchess County with our in house staff. We also have the ability to cover all of New York State with our vast network of investigation teams. We are licensed to cover all of NY State. We have the ability to do same or next day assignments and cover many areas. Satellite Investigations is a mid size Investigation firm
- Satellite Investigations is a Partner for Justice with the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Since 2009, we have supported NYSTLA and we have the reputation as the “Go to” investigation firm for all plaintiff based investigative work. Not only do we support NYSTLA, but our President, Matthew Spaier has even taught NYSTLA CLEs. Our relationship with this organization has given us access to the best law firms in NY State. These firms have partnered up with our team members and given them training to accomplish investigative goals. We also have team members that are OSHA certified and know what to look for when they respond to construction site cases.
In conclusion, its hard to argue against a good investigator with good contacts and the domain knowledge to provide your firm with actionable intelligence. The satellite team works diligently and within budget to get you the very best results possible on your cases. You can learn more by visiting Satellitepi.com and browsing the site for services. Discover today why we get results not excuses.
Matthew Spaier, Pi is the President of Satellite investigations and the CEO of Investigators-toolbox.com He Speaks around the country and internationally on investigative topics. You can also listen to his weekly podcast, PI-Perspectives. Matthew was named the 2021 Investigator of the year by PI Magazine and he currently serves as the President of the Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State (ALDONYS)
