New York Personal Injury Blog | Block O'Toole & Murphy

11 BOM Attorneys Named to 2019 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Accolades on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

^{SEATED (left to right): David Scher*, Scott Occhiogrosso*, Stephen Murphy*, Jeffrey Block*, Daniel O'Toole*, Joseph Donahue*}

^{STANDING (left to right): Ravi Sattiraju†, Frederick Aranki*, Pawel Wierzbicki, Michael Hurwitz*, Ameer Benno*, Christina (Mark) Mercado**, Daniel Seiden**}

^{*Chosen to 2019 NY Super Lawyers; **Chosen to 2019 NY Rising Stars; †Chosen to 2019 NJ Super Lawyers}

In recognition of their dedication to success, 11 of our attorneys have been chosen as 2019 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars. Our attorneys honored as Super Lawyers are among the top 5% of lawyers in their area of practice and those named Rising Stars are among the 2.5% of attorneys selected in the New York Metro area to receive this recognition of excellence.

Block O'Toole & Murphy Leads in ALM's 2018 Top Settlements Report

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Firm News on Thursday, October 10, 2019.

For the seventh year in a row, personal injury law firm Block O'Toole & Murphy dominated in the New York Law Journal's 2018 Top Settlements report.

Four of the Top 10 settlements were achieved by the firm, in addition to seven of the Top 15, eight of the Top 20, and 18 of the Top 50. Since 2012, every single year, Block O'Toole & Murphy has obtained more reported results exceeding $1,000,000 in verdicts and settlements than any other law firm in New York State.

14-Year-Old Mario Valenzuela Dies in Tragic LIC Cyclist Accident

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

On Saturday afternoon, September 21, 2019, 14-year-old Mario Valenzuela was struck and killed by a sanitation truck in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. This accident tragically brings the number of cyclist deaths in New York City to 21 so far in 2019, more than double the amount throughout the city in 2018, according to The New York Post.

Cyclist Injured in Truck Accident on Third Avenue in Gowanus, Brooklyn

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.

A man riding an electric bicycle on Third Avenue was seriously injured in a collision with a truck driver on Sunday, September 8, 2019, continuing the disturbing trend of high rates of NYC bicycle accidents in 2019. This year, there have already been 20 cycling fatalities, with 15 of those deaths occurring in Brooklyn, compared to 10 such fatalities throughout the city in all of 2018.

Carlos Olmedo Lala Killed in Underreported Manhattan Scaffold Fall

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Construction & Work Injuries on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

In an accident that received nearly zero media coverage at the time it occurred, construction worker Carlos Olmedo Lala died in a scaffold fall on a construction site in Harlem on June 22, 2019. Altogether, at least fifteen safety violations have been issued to four different companies regarding the fatal accident, which was not initially reported to the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) as required under Local Law 78.

Worker Segundo Huerta Killed in Bronx Building Collapse

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Construction & Work Injuries on Tuesday, August 27, 2019.

In what the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) is calling a "preventable tragedy," a construction worker and father of five named Segundo Huerta was killed in a building collapse accident that occurred in the Norwood section of the Bronx on Tuesday, August 27, 2019. In a cruel twist of fate, other friends and family of Huerta's were also seriously injured in the collapse.

Derrick Paris & Justin McLoughlin Fatally Electrocuted in Orange County

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Construction & Work Injuries on Friday, August 23, 2019.

Two utility workers were killed in a mysterious electrocution accident while performing work which was supposed to be non-electrical in Orange County, New York on Monday, August 19, 2019.

Samuel Waisbren Killed by Malfunctioning Elevator in Manhattan

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Construction & Work Injuries on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

A man named Samuel Charles Waisbren was killed in a tragic elevator accident at the Manhattan Promenade, a residential building located at 344 Third Ave. in Kips Bay, on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Disturbingly, it is being reported that the owners of this building were recently fined for unsafe elevator conditions in the building.

Fire at Bronx Apartment Building Injures Multiple Firefighters and a Baby

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Personal Injury on Monday, August 5, 2019.

At least six people, including five firefighters and a 9-month-old baby, were injured in a fire that tore through an apartment building located in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx on Monday, August 5, 2019.

Crane Collapse Damages Jacob Riis Apartment Building in East Village

By Block O’Toole & Murphy posted in Construction & Work Injuries on Friday, August 2, 2019.

Residents of the Jacob Riis housing complex narrowly escaped a frightening scene after a crane partially collapsed, sending part of the crane and heavy metal beams into the exterior of an apartment building, knocking air conditioners out of windows and shattering glass on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. Luckily, no injuries have been reported, although the accident did briefly shut down FDR Drive and force residents to evacuate one of the New York City Housing Authority-managed buildings in the East Village.