Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
*Named the "Lawyer of the Year" in this practice area in the 2026 edition in New York City.
Daniel P. O'Toole
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2014 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Daniel P. O’Toole is an award-winning trial attorney known for obtaining record-breaking results in some of New York’s toughest personal injury cases. With results including $110 million, $32 million, and $30 million verdicts, Mr. O'Toole has devoted his professional life to helping victims and their families recover from devastating accidents. In 2024, Mr. O’Toole, along with partners David L. Scher and Scott Occhiogrosso, obtained the largest reported personal injury settlement in New York history in the amount of $65,000,000, with a projected payout expected to exceed $117,000,000 over the plaintiff’s lifetime.
As a partner at Block O’Toole & Murphy, Mr. O’Toole focuses his legal practice on cases involving:
Construction accidents, including scaffolding accidents, ladder accidents, and heavy machinery accidents
Motor vehicle accidents, including car collisions, truck collisions, bus collisions, pedestrian accidents, and highway defect cases
Premises liability, including ceiling collapse accidents, retail store accidents, and slip/trip and fall accidents
Wrongful death
Workplace accidents
Bad faith cases against insurance companies
Named the 2026 New York Lawyer of the Year in Personal Injury – Plaintiffs by Best Lawyers®, Mr. O’Toole has been the lead attorney on some of New York’s most significant personal injury cases. He obtained over $150,000,000 for clients in 2024 alone, and his total reported settlements and verdicts now well exceed $1 billion.
Mr. O’Toole is a fierce advocate for the legal rights of injury victims. He has written articles for various legal publications, including the New York Law Journal, and he has served as the Co-Chairman of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association’s (NYSTLA’s) Labor Law Committee for over a decade. His devotion to his clients has earned him numerous honors and awards from organizations including Best Lawyers®, US News, Super Lawyers, and the Brehon Law Society.
Additionally, Mr. O’Toole is committed to charitable giving. He is a major donor to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, having been instrumental in raising over $10,000,000 for the hospital at the firm’s annual New York City Wine Tasting event. As a dedicated supporter of increasing access to education, Mr. O’Toole has provided scholarships to students throughout New Jersey, and he and his wife have also endowed scholarships at Fordham University School of Law and Georgetown University. He is also a dedicated supporter of Black and Missing, and in 2025, Mr. O’Toole ran the Philadelphia Half-Marathon to help raise funds for the organization. Additionally, Mr. O’Toole and his wife, Claire, are major donors to Home Start, One Mission, the Institute for Educational Achievement, and Pony Power Therapies.
He is admitted to both New York and New Jersey bars.
Overview
- Fordham University, JD - Juris Doctor, graduated 1992
- University of Scranton, MA - Masters, graduated 1989
- University of Scranton, BA - Bachelor of Arts , graduated 1989
- New Jersey, since 1992
- New York, since 1993
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association - Member, Board of Directors
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Labor Law Committee - Co-Chairman
- New Jersey, since 1992
- New York, since 1993
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association - Member, Board of Directors
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Labor Law Committee - Co-Chairman
- Fordham University, JD - Juris Doctor, graduated 1992
- University of Scranton, MA - Masters, graduated 1989
- University of Scranton, BA - Bachelor of Arts , graduated 1989
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, New York City (2026)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Awards:
- Super Lawyers – since 2008
- Irish Legal 100 – since 2010
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers from American Trial Lawyers – since 2009
Honoree at Fordham Law School Scholarship Benefactors Reception, 2023
Frank O'Hara Distinguished Alumni Award at University of Scranton, 2019
- James F. Gill Spirit of Hope Award from Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice – October 2018
- Runner of the Year from One Mission – 2018
- Founder’s Medal from Bergen Catholic High School – 2016
- Man of the Year from Brooklyn to Alaska Project – 2013
- Lawyer of the Year from Institute of Jewish Humanities – 2012
- Lawyer of the Year from Brehon Law Society in New York – 2011
News & Media
Insights
Raising the Bar: Block O’Toole & Murphy
by John Fields
New York City-based powerhouse Block O’Toole & Murphy continues to set new benchmarks for personal injury cases, with the firm achieving landmark victories.
Shine with Wine: One Firm’s Heroic Efforts to Combat Pediatric Cancer
by Best Lawyers
Block O’Toole & Murphy’s annual event has raised millions—and counting—for the world’s premier pediatric cancer treatment facility. Their commitment to the cure is unmatched, and each year boasts more success than ever before.
The Tragic Limitations of New York’s Outdated Wrongful Death Law
by David Scher
New York might be a progressive state in many respects, but its wrongful death law is itself a regressive tragedy—essentially the same statute first passed in the mid-1800s—that prolongs and deepens grieving families’ suffering. This must change.
Structurally Unsound
by Daniel P. O'Toole
Too often, developers and contractors put profits above the people who work for them. Construction site safety is nonnegotiable. Here’s how to make that aspiration a reality.
2022: Another Banner Year
by John Fields
Block O’Toole & Murphy continues to secure some of New York’s highest results for personal injury matters.
Talent Meets Teamwork
by John Fields
A combination of skill and collaboration has led to enduring success at personal injury firm Block O’Toole & Murphy.
Additional Information
Case History
Cases
- $110,174,972 jury verdict against the MTA following Brooklyn pedestrian accident
Plaintiff, a 23-year-old cyclist, was biking under a stretch of subway tracks when he was struck by a falling railroad tie. He sustained devastating injuries to his thoracic spine which left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Mr. O’Toole and Partner Scott Occhiogrosso tried the case, arguing that the subway construction workers failed to remove the railroad tie safely. The jury found the MTA 100% liable for Plaintiff’s injuries, and the result is believed to be the largest catastrophic injury verdict in the history of New York.
- $65,000,000 record-breaking settlement for pedestrian paralyzed in cycling accident
Plaintiff, a Brooklyn resident, was struck by a falling object while biking under a subway construction project, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. This landmark result is the largest reported settlement of a personal injury case in New York State history, and the payout will exceed $117,000,000 over the course of the plaintiff’s life.
- $32,756,055 jury verdict for a pedestrian left with serious brain injuries after car crash
Plaintiff, a 60-year-old army veteran, was assisting the victims of an unrelated motor vehicle accident when a driver, under the influence of drugs, crashed through a police barricade and struck him. He sustained severe brain damage and skull fractures that would affect him for the rest of his life. Mr. O’Toole and Partner Stephen J. Murphy handled the case, securing the largest reported catastrophic injury jury verdict in Long Island history.
- $20,181,484 jury verdict against New York State for a driver in a devastating icy road collision
Plaintiff, a 33-year-old computer engineer, suffered open fractures in his dominant arm after his car crashed on a road covered in black ice. Even after 28 surgical procedures, Plaintiff was still left with almost no use of his arm below the elbow. The lawsuit, handled by Mr. O’Toole, alleged that the State of New York was aware that the road was prone to ice build-up but had taken no measures to warn drivers of the hazardous conditions. As a result, the state was found fully liable for the accident.
- $15,000,000 settlement for a Bronx worker killed by a falling object
Plaintiff, a 38-year-old HVAC technician, was tragically killed when a massive chiller unit fell on its side and pinned Plaintiff against a wall. Plaintiff had been removing the chilling unit from the site when the accident occurred. The Appellate Division, First Department ultimately granted Mr. O’Toole and colleagues’ motion for summary judgment based on Labor Law 240(1).
- $13,500,000 settlement for a pedestrian with severe injuries after being struck by a car
Plaintiff, a 24-year-old mother of two, was walking home in the dark when a speeding car struck her. The accident caused devastating blunt force trauma injuries, including fractures across her body and a traumatic brain injury that left her unable to testify on her behalf. Through a thorough investigation and liability trial, Mr. O’Toole was able to show that the defendant should have seen the plaintiff on the road and avoided the crash. This is the largest reported personal injury settlement in Suffolk County, New York.
- $12,000,000 settlement for union tunnel worker injured on Manhattan subway construction site
Plaintiff, a 45-year-old union tunnel worker, fell about 40 feet into a ventilation shaft while working on a subway extension line project in Manhattan. He suffered severe injuries, including multiple fractures, internal organ damage, and an optic nerve injury that left him blind in one eye. Mr. O’Toole and Partner David Scher pursued the claim under New York Labor Law 240(1). Despite rigorous defense, the case settled at a private mediation prior to trial.
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