Jeffrey A. Block

Jeffrey A. Block founded what is now known as Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP in 1989, after graduating from Brooklyn Law School. Early on, Mr. Block was determined to make his mark in the courtroom, practically sprinting up the courthouse steps as a young lawyer to wage a battle on behalf of the underdog. Since then, his career has been marked by a series of highlights and remarkable results, yielding more than one-hundred resolutions that exceed one-million dollars. His successes have been underpinned by two consistent themes: outwork your adversary and prepare every case like it is the most important case in the office. This dogged approach has served the clients of this gifted trial lawyer quite well.

Today, Mr. Block is highly regarded by the bench and bar. He is often called upon by fellow trial attorneys to serve as trial counsel on their most significant cases. He has handled cases for clients that were referred to him by both judges and courthouse employees that respect his legal acumen. Over the last several years, in recognition of his achievements, Mr. Block has been elected as a “Super Lawyer” in New York State, identifying him as being among the top 5% of New York personal injury trial lawyers. He also has been recently honored as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York State” by The National Trial Lawyer. Mr. Block has also been selected by his peers to be included in the New York’s Best Lawyers since 2014.

Mr. Block handles some of the firms most significant construction accidents, tractor trailer accidents, medical malpractice cases, premises liability cases and motor vehicle accidents. While his practice is not confined to any particular area of personal injury law, there is industry-wide respect for Mr. Block’s efforts and achievements on behalf of injured construction workers. Some of his recent results for injured workers include:

• $53,500,000 verdict for a construction worker who became a paraplegic after falling from a rooftop bulkhead during an air conditioning installation
• $10,875,000 settlement for a union laborer that suffered internal injuries while constructing a rooftop
• $10,500,000 settlement for the family of a union laborer who tragically died in a construction accident
• $7,000,000 settlement for a union carpenter struck in the face by a falling pipe scaffold clamp
• $6,800,000 verdict for an injured laborer that fell on top of an uncapped rebar
• $5,000,000 settlement for a laborer that suffered injuries from an electric shock
• $5,000,000 verdict for a laborer that fell from a scaffold
• $5,000,000 verdict for an injured laborer that sustained a heel injury after falling through a soffit
• $5,000,000 verdict for an injured worker that sustained back and ear drum injuries
• $5,000,000 settlement for a 37-year-old IATSE member who suffered multiple injuries requiring surgery after a serious work-related accident
• $4,995,000 settlement for an injured laborer who sustained ankle fractures after falling from a height
• $4,950,000 settlement for a union laborer who was hit by falling shotcrete due to lack of overhead protection on a scaffold, resulting in chronic lower back pain and injuries that required surgery.
• $4,750,000 settlement for a 51-year-old union worker who suffered multiple injuries that required surgery after he was struck by an NYC sanitation vehicle
• $3,800,000 award in Suffolk County case for a delivery driver injured when a trailer step he was standing on broke, causing him to fall
• $3,750,000 settlement for a laborer that was struck by a falling beam
• $3,700,000 settlement for a construction asbestos laborer that fell from a scaffold
• $3,250,000 settlement for a laborer that fell from a temporary train platform
• $3,000,000 settlement for 30-year-old electrician’s helper who suffered knee and spinal injuries during a work site fall at a commercial space
• $2,700,000 settlement for a concrete laborer that sustained ankle injuries
• $2,600,000 settlement for a construction laborer that required back surgery after falling from a scaffold
• $2,500,000 settlement for a demolition worker injured in a work fall
• $2,500,000 settlement for mail clerk who suffered back and shoulder injuries after a rear-end accident involving a tractor trailer
• $2,300,000 settlement for a construction worker struck by concrete truck
• $2,250,000 settlement for a union carpenter struck by a falling door
• $2,200,000 settlement for a plumber who suffered severe back injuries in a ladder fall on a Queens construction project
• $2,200,000 settlement for an undocumented construction laborer in Queens
• $2,195,000 settlement for a laborer injured after falling through a hole on an Orange County site
• $2,000,000 settlement for 49-year-old non-union painter who sustained spinal and brain injuries after falling backwards from a ladder at work
• $1,850,000 settlement during trial for a construction worker that injured his fingers during a hoisting accident
• $1,750,000 settlement for a non-union deliveryman who slipped and fell on the floor of a diner, resulting in the exacerbation of previous injuries.  
• $1,750,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered multiple right arm fractures in a fall
• $1,750,000 settlement for man who suffered worsening lower back pain as a result of a rear-end collision involving a company-owned car
• $1,475,000 settlement for laborer who fell from scaffold at a construction site
• $1,400,000 settlement for a union laborer who sustained leg injuries in a construction accident

On occasion, Mr. Block has taken on challenging cases that other lawyers have turned down and generated eye-opening results. For instance, he convinced a jury to return a $4,100,000 verdict on a non-surgical herniated disc case. In an unprecedented case, he also persuaded a judge to award his client summary judgment in a bad-faith action against an insurance company, which he then settled for more than 30 times the insurance policy.

While meeting and overcoming challenges has always motivated Mr. Block, helping folks that are down on their luck is what he finds most rewarding. A $14,000,000 result in Nassau County, reported to be the highest non-medical malpractice verdict ever in Nassau County, is one of the results that brings him the most satisfaction because he was genuinely able to impact the life of a man that truly needed it. A verdict in excess of $9,000,000 in Kings County is another example of Mr. Block waging a battle for someone that needed a fighter at his side. Convincing a insurance company to pay a young boy $12,000,000 rivals any accomplishment because of the impact he was able to make on this child’s life. A $5,500,000 result in an elevator accident also makes him proud. The result, while excellent, matters much less when compared with the strong bond and mutual respect Mr. Block now shares with this particular client. This relationship is one he now cherishes. Defense attorneys and powerful insurance companies fear Mr. Block as an adversary because of his unparalleled results; they also respect him because he truly cares about his clients and works tirelessly to get them justice.

Recent Results:

• $14,000,000 verdict in Nassau County for a motorcycle rider that suffered a below the knee amputation
• $12,000,000 settlement for an 8 year old involved in a motor vehicle accident with a structured payout in excess of $70 Million
• $10,875,000 settlement for a union laborer that suffered internal injuries while constructing a rooftop
• $9,750,000 settlement for a tow truck operator who suffered head and knee injuries requiring surgery after being rear-ended by a drunk driver
• $9,300,000 verdict for a 58 year old man involved in a car accident with knee and low back injuries
• $7,000,000 settlement for injured laborer struck in the face by a pipe clamp
• $6,793,000 verdict for a Union Laborer impaled by Re-Bar
• $6,000,000 settlement for an infant who suffered birth trauma in med mal action
• $5,850,000 settlement for a woman who suffered serious back injuries after the ceiling of her kitchen collapsed
• $5,500,000 in court settlement for a deliveryman that injured his back in an elevator accident
• $5,500,000 settlement for a Suffolk County contractor involved in a sideswipe collision
• $5,200,000 verdict resulting in a $5,400,000 settlement for landscaper involved in an intersection accident
• $5,000,000 settlement for a Nassau County woman diagnosed with an aggravation of her preexisting Chiari I malformation
• $5,000,000 verdict for a laborer that fell from a scaffold sustaining back and knee injuries
• $4,995,000 mediated settlement for a construction laborer that fell off a beam and fractured his heel
• $4,250,000 mediated settlement for a 46 year old that activated a preexisting back injury resulting in spinal fusion
• $4,250,000 settlement for victim in auto collision that required back surgery.
• $4,100,000 verdict for a passenger in a 2 car automobile accident
• $4,000,000 settlement for an infant suffering from Erb’s Palsy
• $4,000,000 settlement for HVAC worker injured on the job
• $4,000,000 Settlement for a pedestrian struck by an Audi while crossing the street, resulting in permanent foot and ankle injuries
• $3,750,000 settlement for Laborer hit by falling beam
• $3,700,000 settlement for a construction asbestos laborer that fell off a scaffold
• $3,369,000 verdict for a Brooklyn Court clerk for neck injuries she sustained following a car accident
• $3,550,000 settlement for a woman that injured her low back in an automobile accident
• $3,500,000 settlement prior to trial for pedestrian that fell through deteriorated vault door
• $3,500,000 verdict for a building maintenance man that sustained head, neck and back injuries after being struck by falling debris
• $3,250,000 settlement for a laborer that fell from a temporary train platform
• $3,250,000 settlement for an injured motorcycle driver
• $3,250,000 settlement in a wrongful death and negligence action for an 86 year old man that passed and his surviving 82 year old wife who sustained orthopedic injuries
• $3,125,000 settlement during trial for a hotel supervisor that slipped down stairs and injured her back
• $3,000,000 settlement after trial for a laborer/painter that fell off a scaffold
• $3,000,000 settlement for a landscaper injured after a tractor trailer collision in Westchester County
• $3,000,000 settlement during trial for a Brooklyn man that suffered back injuries after his vehicle was struck by a snow plow
• $3,000,000 settlement after trial for a Brooklyn man that suffered back and knee injuries following a motor vehicle accident
• $3,000,000 settlement after trial for a Verizon cable worker injured in an automobile accident
• $3,000,000 settlement in a wrongful death action on behalf of a 48 year old Plaintiff
• $2,850,000 settlement of bad faith action in a seminal case that received coverage in the New York Law Journal, New York Daily News and New York Post.
• $2,800,000 settlement against the City for a pedestrian after a collision involving a marked police car. The plaintiff sustained a fractured femur, ribs and hand.
• $2,800,000 verdict for a Brooklyn woman that injured her back in a collision
• $2,750,000 settlement for a passenger injured in a two vehicle accident
• $2,750,000 settlement for a Queens man involved in a motor vehicle accident requiring back surgery
• $2,700,000 settlement for a Union Laborer that sustained ankle injuries
• $2,650,000 settlement during trial for a Suffolk County man that injured his back in a traffic accident
• $2,600,000 settlement for a construction laborer that required back surgery after falling from a scaffold
• $2,500,000 settlement for a Nassau County man injured in a one car collision
• $2,500,000 settlement for a motorcycle rider struck by a car
• $2,500,000 settlement during trial for a building superintendent that injured his neck and back at work
• $2,500,000 settlement for a woman that sustained back injuries when her car was hit by a cement truck
• $2,500,000 settlement for a wrongful death of a 73 year old
• $2,500,000 settlement for a client who was injured after striking a metal spike while jogging through an intersection
• $2,450,000 settlement for a motorcycle rider that sustained head injuries when riding with a toy helmet on his head
• $2,400,000 settlement for a laborer with the Local 1010 Union who suffered arm injuries in a saw accident
• $2,300,000 settlement for a construction worker struck by concrete truck
• $2,300,000 for a young man that exacerbated a prior neck injury when his bathroom ceiling fell on him
• $2,300,000 settlement, with a structured payout of more than $16,000,000, for an infant in a failure to diagnose case
• $2,300,000 settlement for maintenance worker who suffered injuries during spine surgery
• $2,250,000 settlement for a woman that sued her doctor in a medical malpractice action
• $2,250,000 settlement for a woman that slipped on stairs leaving her health club
• $2,225,000 settlement for a woman who sustained shoulder and neck injuries, which later required surgery, after a tractor trailer side swiped her vehicle
• $2,225,000 settlement at mediation for an Access-A-Ride passenger injured in a two-car collision
• $2,200,000 settlement for an undocumented construction laborer in Queens
• $2,000,000 settlement for a Nassau County woman injured in a bus accident
• $2,000,000 settlement for a man whose car was hit by another vehicle that ran a red light in a Brooklyn intersection
• $2,000,000 settlement for a woman that suffered back injuries following a car accident
• $2,000,000 settlement after trial for a man that injured his knee and back in an automobile accident
• $2,000,000 settlement for a New York City employee that fell off an “A” frame ladder while working for the city
• $1,995,000 settlement for a Queens man that stepped into a hole
• $1,975,000 settlement at mediation for a 52 year old man that required a one level lumbar fusion following a traffic accident
• $1,900,000 settlement after a construction worker was badly injured in a trip and fall, requiring shoulder replacement surgery
• $1,850,000 settlement for a client who slipped on an icy driveway while at work in Westchester County, sustaining injuries to her head, neck, shoulder, and arm that necessitated multiple surgeries to resolve
• $1,850,000 settlement during trial for a construction worker that injured his fingers during a hoisting accident
• $1,800,000 settlement of a Bad Faith action against an insurance carrier
• $1,800,000 settlement for a female police officer with the New York City Police Department hit by a refuse truck
• $1,750,000 settlement for a Union carpenter involved in an automobile accident
• $1,700,000 settlement during jury selection for a Kings County man that required a lumbar surgery following a minimal impact car accident
• $1,700,000 settlement for a Brooklyn man involved in a minimal impact automobile accident
• $1,600,000 settlement for a Bronx man involved in an automobile accident
• $1,600,000 settlement for a Staten Island man involved in a car accident
• $1,500,000 settlement for a Nassau County woman that required a cervical discectomy following a motor vehicle collision.
• $1,500,000 settlement for a Westchester County woman involved in a car accident
• $1,475,000 settlement for a Brooklyn woman injured in a car accident
• $1,475,000 settlement for laborer who fell from scaffold at a construction site
• $1,400,000 settlement for a 65 year old woman that sustained a compression fracture in her lumbar spine
• $1,400,000 settlement for a Nassau County woman alleging medical malpractice
• $1,325,000 settlement for driver that suffered neck and lower back injuries in a Queens motor vehicle accident
• $1,300,000 settlement for pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle at a Queens crosswalk while the walk sign was in her favor
• $1,250,000 settlement for a victim of medical malpractice
• $1,250,000 settlement for a woman involved in an automobile accident
• $1,250,000 settlement for a man hit by a car
• $1,250,000 settlement for a woman diagnosed with breast cancer that her radiologist failed to diagnose
• $1,200,000 settlement for a union longshoreman who was hit in the rear while driving and sustained neck and back injuries
• $1,200,000 settlement for a man involved in an automobile accident involving back injuries
• $1,175,000 settlement for a rear-end accident victim who had to undergo spinal surgery as a result of her injuries.
• $1,125,000 settlement for a woman that fractured her hip in a ferry accident
• $1,100,000 settlement after a trial verdict for a man that fractured his hip
• $1,075,000 settlement for a Nassau county woman that claimed her doctor was guilty of malpractice
• $1,065,000 settlement for a Queens woman involved in a sideswipe motor vehicle accident
• $1,050,000 settlement for a pedestrian struck by an automobile who sustained an ankle injury
• $1,050,000 settlement for a wood worker injured in a traffic accident
• $1,050,000 settlement for a livery driver that required a cervical discectomy
• $1,025,000 settlement for motorcycle driver
• $1,000,000 for college student that sustained burns in an off campus house
• $1,000,000 settlement for an orthopedic surgeon involved in an automobile accident
• $1,000,000 for a Brooklyn woman in a failure to diagnose breast cancer medical malpractice action cancer medical malpractice action

Charity Work:

In the past five years, along with his partners, Mr. Block has been instrumental in raising in excess of $5,000,000.00 for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Mr. Block and his partners are major donors to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation and Candlelighters of New York City. All of these charities focus on aiding the families of children with cancer.

Mr. Block and his partners have also funded the construction of a hospital room in Santo Domingo to help assure that the rural poor receive quality healthcare.