The Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy attained four of Top Verdict’s 2020 Top 50 Personal Injury Settlements in the United States, the highest number of Top 50 results achieved by any law firm in the country.
Top Verdict is a legal publication that honors law firms and individual attorneys based on objective data rather than peer or expert review. Each year, individuals and firms are recognized for their specific outstanding achievements in the legal industry. According to Top Verdict, the list consists of legal cases filed in state or federal court, as well as cases that were settled before going to trial. The Top Verdict team selectively curates their lists using information provided in court records, electronic attorney submissions, and major legal publications.
BOM Partners Daniel P. O’Toole and Scott Occhiogrosso achieved the list’s number 25 result, a $7,000,000 settlement for a worker whose back came into contact with elevator doors that gave way, causing him to fall three stories down an elevator shaft in a Manhattan building. The client suffered serious injuries that ultimately required nine surgeries. This matter was settled before going to trial.
Mr. O’Toole notes, “Our firm is very fortunate to have a great team of people that work tirelessly to manage every case. We will not stop working until our clients receive the compensation that they deserve under the law.”
Partners Stephen J. Murphy and David L. Scher notably attained three of the Top 50 results in the U.S., the only lawyers to do so across the nation. Ranked at number 37, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Scher obtained a $4,500,000 settlement for a carpenter who fell 10 feet and was knocked unconscious when he was forced to climb atop an A-frame ladder placed precariously on top of scaffolding at a job site in Brooklyn. As a result of the fall, the victim was left permanently disabled and unable to work. This case was settled after multiple mediations and before trial.
Handled by Mr. Murphy and Mr. Scher, the number 38 result is a $4,450,000 settlement resolved prior to trial for a laborer who suffered brain and spinal injuries when he fell from a forklift while stocking shelves in a Brooklyn warehouse. This case was heavily fought for by our attorneys who argued that the worker was indeed covered by New York Labor Law 240(1).
Lastly, ranked number 46 on the Top 50 list is a $3,600,000 settlement for a 29-year-old construction worker who fell two stories through a gap in scaffolding onto the top of a sidewalk shed at a Manhattan work site. The worker was not provided with any personal fall protection from his employer. Mr. Murphy and Mr. Scher filed a Labor Law 240(1) claim against the building’s owner. This matter was settled prior to trial following a private mediation.
“Our clients come to us for help after sustaining life altering injuries. We are committed to fighting on their behalf to help them move forward from their accidents,” says Partner David Scher.
Recognition in Top Verdict’s Top Settlements list is an exclusive honor with only 50 available spots in the country for the year. The majority of law firms are only ever recognized once in their history by Top Verdict.