Block O'Toole & Murphy
Personal Injury | Serving East Windsor, NJ
212-736-5300Assisting people in New Jersey with their Personal Injury needs. Learn More.
Se Habla Español
Free Consultation
Virtual Appointments
A Winning NYC Personal Injury Law Firm
Located in the heart of New York City, Block O’Toole & Murphy is a premier plaintiff’s personal injury law firm serving all five boroughs of the city and the entirety of New York State. Our attorneys have recovered over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements, and, according to ALM’s Verdict Search, no other New York firm has reported more case results exceeding $1 million than Block O’Toole & Murphy since 2012.
Block O’Toole & Murphy attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping victims of serious accidents. In doing so, they have recovered some of New York State’s most significant verdicts and settlements, including $110 million and $32 million jury verdicts and a $65 million settlement. Our attorneys, many of whom started their careers as prosecutors and civil litigators, draw on their wide range of experiences to tackle construction, motor vehicle, and premises liability accidents.
Block O’Toole & Murphy attorneys are ready and willing to bring every case to trial, if necessary. Their extensive skill and experience in plaintiff trial law has given them the tools, strategies, and insights to deliver strong results for clients.
In recognition of its stellar reputation and commitment to its clients, the firm has been recognized by Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, Forbes Magazine, the National Trial Lawyers, and many other industry publications. Partners Jeffrey A. Block, Daniel P. O’Toole, and Stephen J. Murphy have all been named “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury – Plaintiffs in New York by Best Lawyers. Super Lawyers has also selected them to the New York Metro Top 100 list of all attorneys in the region, regardless of practice area.
As thought leaders in law, many of our attorneys have also published guest commentary and spoken at significant legal events. Mr. O’Toole, Mr. Murphy, and
Partner David L. Scher have each had work published in the New York Law Journal and Best Lawyers Magazine. As former president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), Mr. Scher has also given lectures at NYSTLA-sponsored events, including one titled “Framing and Pleading a Labor Law Case” at the annual construction accident seminar. Our attorneys have also been featured in The New York Times, the New Yorker, CNN, Fox News, and many other outlets.
Contact us today if you need legal assistance with any of the following:
- Animal Bites
- Car Accident
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Trucking Accidents
- Wrongful Death
Call 212-736-5300 today to arrange your free initial consultation.
Jeffrey A. Block
Education:
- Brooklyn Law School, New York
Daniel P. O'Toole
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- New Jersey
Education:
- Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, 1992
- University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 1989 B.A. and M.A.
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Labor Law Committee (Co-Chairman)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors (Member)
Stephen J. Murphy
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
Education:
- St. John's University School of Law
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Honors: Ranked in the Top 3% of His Class
- Honors: Recipient Several Academic Honors
- Johns Hopkins University
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors, 2008 - 2017 (Member)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Partnership for Justice (Past Co-Chairman)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Labor Law Committee, 2012 - Present (Member)
- Brooklyn Manhattan Trial Lawyers Association (Past President)
- The Brehon Law Society (Member)
- New York County Democratic Judicial Screening Panel (Panelist, 2012)
- Kings County Democratic Judicial Screening Panel (Panelist, 2015)
- New York State Bar Association
David L. Scher
Education:
- Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York
- Tufts University
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Past President)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Labor Law Committee (Co-Chairman)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Judicial Committee (Member)
- New York State Unified Court System Artificial Intelligence and the Courts Advisory Committee (Member)
- American Association for Justice (Member)
- New York State Bar Association
S. Joseph Donahue
Bar Admissions
- New York
Frederick C. Aranki
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court District of Colorado
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Active Member)
Scott Occhiogrosso
Education:
- Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York
Pawel P. Wierzbicki
Bar Admissions:
- New York
Education:
- University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
- Master of Laws
- University of Warsaw
- Doctor of Law
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- New York County Lawyers’ Association
- New York State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Injured Workers’ Bar Association
- Pulaski Association of Professional Men, Inc.
Michael J. Hurwitz
Bar Admissions:
- New York, 1999
- New Jersey, 1999
- U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 2005
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1999
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1999
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1999
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2007
Education:
- St. John's University School of Law, 1998
- Juris Doctor
- Northeastern University, 1993
- B.S.
- Major: Criminal Justice
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Member)
- New York County Bar Association
- American Association for Justice (Member)
- Highest Panel of the Legal Referral Service of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Panel Member)
- Legal Referral Service of the Brooklyn Bar Association (Panel Member)
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Christina (Mark) Mercado
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- New Jersey
Education:
- Notre Dame Law School, Indiana
- Juris Doctor
- Law Journal: Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, Executive Articles Editor
- New York University
- Major: Journalism
Kristian Krober
Bar Admissions:
- New York, 2016
- New Jersey, 2016
Education:
- Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, New York, 2015
- Fordham University, 2011
- B.A.
- Major: History
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- New York City Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
Aaron Fishkin
Bar Admissions:
- New York
Education:
- SUNY Buffalo Law School, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 2015
- J.D.
- SUNY Oneonta, 2012
- Major: Business Economics
- Minor: Business Communications
Olga Baginski
Education:
- Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York
- LL.M., Master of Laws
Languages Spoken:
- English
- Polish
- Russian
George Freitag
Bar Admission
- State Bar
- Federal Bars
Education
- Brooklyn Law School
- 1992 graduate
Professional Association and Membership
- Treasurer of the Emerald Association of Long Island and Brooklyn
- Brehon Law Society of New York City
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- Torts, Insurance, Compensation Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association
- Defense Association of New York
Office Locations
Since 1997, the "Lead Counsel Verified" status has been granted to attorneys who possess:
- The Right Professional Experience
- A Spotless Record
The following attorneys at this firm are Lead Counsel Verified:
Stephen J. Murphy
This attorney practices in New York and is Lead Counsel Verified in the following practice areas:
| Practice Area | Year |
|---|---|
| Personal Injury | Since 2015 |
Michael J. Hurwitz
This attorney practices in New York and is Lead Counsel Verified in the following practice areas:
| Practice Area | Year |
|---|---|
| Litigation and Appeals | Since 2017 |
| Personal Injury | Since 2015 |
Frederick C. Aranki
This attorney practices in New York and is Lead Counsel Verified in the following practice areas:
| Practice Area | Year |
|---|---|
| Personal Injury | Since 2015 |
State Required Disclosure: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.