Block O'Toole & Murphy, LLP

Partners Daniel O'Toole and Frederick Aranki, along with Associate Gabriela Pulla, secured a $7,500,000 settlement for a client who suffered severe injuries in a workplace accident. Our client underwent surgery to repair these injuries, but continues to suffer from chronic pain and weakness today. Tragically, his injuries have disabled him from working in the same capacity. 

This year, 15 of our incredible attorneys have been named to the 2024 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. The lists include our firm’s 11 partners, two associates, and two Of Counsel attorneys. Additionally, our three named partners – Jeffrey Block, Daniel O'Toole, and Stephen Murphy – were each named to the New York Metro Top 100. Our attorneys are honored to be recognized for their relentless dedication to their clients and community. Read more about the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists, along with our firm’s recent accomplishments: https://lnkd.in/evKYKwv6

Partners Daniel O'Toole and Frederick Aranki secured a $4,500,000 settlement for a construction worker who fell approximately 10 feet after the scaffold plank he was standing on broke. Our client suffered serious injuries to his neck and back, which required surgeries to his lumbar and cervical spine to resolve. Despite claims from the defense that our client’s injuries were not sustained at the time of the accident, our attorneys were able to secure this settlement at mediation.

Please join us in welcoming Christopher Soverow to Block O’Toole & Murphy as our newest associate attorney. Throughout his career, Chris has steadfastly represented clients in a wide variety of legal fields, including personal injury, constitutional law, insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and more. Today, he is widely recognized as one of New York’s sharpest appellate minds and is well-respected by New York’s bench and bar for his forceful and persuasive appellate advocacy. After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, Chris spent time representing both plaintiffs and defendants in constitutional law and personal injury claims. He joins BOM after five years representing personal injury plaintiffs across New York, with a specific focus on drafting and arguing substantive motions and appeals. We’re thrilled to have such a passionate, erudite, and dedicated attorney joining our team. Welcome, Chris!  

Partners Daniel O'Toole and Frederick Aranki secured a $1,750,000 settlement for a Union Laborer who fell to the ground when the ladder he was working on broke, resulting in serious injuries to his right shoulder and arm. Arthroscopic surgery was required to repair tears in our client’s rotator cuff and biceps tendon, and he was unable to continue working after the accident.    Our firm filed a motion for summary judgment under Labor Law Section 240, which the defense filed a subsequent motion to dismiss. The case was settled while these motions were still pending.

Partners Daniel O'Toole, Frederick Aranki, and Pawel P. Wierzbicki, Esq. secured a $5,050,000 settlement for a carpenter who fell off a ladder at a Queens construction site. Our client injured his lumbar spine in the fall, which ultimately required surgical intervention. Defense argued that the injuries claimed by our client were not causally related to his fall. They pointed out that the initial hospital records mentioned that the plaintiff felt low back pain when lifting heavy bricks at work.    Due to weakness in his left leg after the surgery, our client had a subsequent fall, sustaining consequential injuries to his left ankle and knees. These injuries required additional, extensive treatment. Despite the defendant's arguments, our attorneys managed to settle the case at the second mediation while on the trial calendar.  

We at Block O’Toole & Murphy are thrilled to announce that two of our attorneys, Christina Mercado and Joshua Stern, have been made partners at the firm. Starting as a summer intern with the firm in 2010, Christina eventually came to lead our appellate and complex motions practices, bringing her superior research, writing, and analytical skills to every case. Joshua, meanwhile, joined us in 2021, following a decade working on the defense side of litigation. It was there, litigating cases against BOM, that his talents were recognized by our firm, and since his hiring, he has played a role in the recovery of over $43,000,000 for our clients. Both have become invaluable members of the BOM team, and we’re excited to have them with us as partners for years to come. Join us in congratulating Christina and Joshua!

Partners Jeffrey Block and S. Joseph Donahue secured a $2,500,000 settlement for a young professional who was injured after striking a protruding metal spike at an intersection while jogging. He suffered a fracture and dislocation of his left pelvis and femoral head, which required surgery to repair. The Defendant had mistakenly left the metal spikes on the roadway after wrapping up a construction project several months prior to the accident. Though the New York City Department of Transportation instructed the Defendant to remove the spikes, they failed to do so, leading to our client’s injuries.

Partners Jeffrey Block and S. Joseph Donahue, along with Associate Kristian Krober, secured a $1,850,000 settlement for a client who slipped on an icy driveway while at work investigating the home conditions of two children in Westchester County. The fall caused her to sustain injuries to her head, neck, shoulder, elbow, arm, and hand. Ultimately, she underwent two neck surgeries and an arthroscopic shoulder surgery to resolve her pain.   Our attorneys successfully argued that the Defendants acted negligently by failing to remove the snow and ice from the driveway. Despite the defense’s argument that our client’s injuries were the result of pre-existing conditions, the settlement was secured prior to trial.  

Partner Pawel P. Wierzbicki, Esq. and Associate Joshua Stern secured a $950,000 settlement for a client who suffered lacerations to the face while she was working as a plumbing apprentice. While attempting to catch a falling concrete core with a bucket (as she was instructed), the concrete struck her face, causing injuries. She underwent physical therapy for neck pain, had her lacerations sutured, and later underwent revision surgery. Her scars healed well, and she returned to work full-time five months after the accident. The claim was brought under Labor Law § 240(1). The general contractor conceded the plumbers could have used alternative safety devices that would not have exposed our client to gravity-related risks from the falling core.