Bronx Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or someone you love is considering filing a personal injury lawsuit in the Bronx, you’re likely dealing with intense physical pain and feeling overwhelmed by the legal process. You deserve to work with a law firm that understands the specifics of the Bronx court system and has a long history of success handling cases in one of the country’s busiest courthouses.

At Block O’Toole & Murphy, our attorneys have fought tirelessly to obtain strong verdicts and settlements in Bronx injury cases. Some of our top results include:

• A $25,000,000 settlement for a Bronx worker who fell 12 feet
• A $15,000,000 settlement for the family of an HVAC technician who tragically died while removing a 28,450 pound chiller unit, and
• An $8,000,000 settlement for a man who was struck by an NYCTA bus on East 149^th

Keep reading to find out why the attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy are especially prepared to handle your Bronx personal injury case.

Need to Know:

• Block O’Toole & Murphy has secured approximately $250,000,000 in verdicts and settlements for our Bronx clients.
• Because it’s a highly populated borough with a dense volume of cases, lawsuits often sluggishly make their way through the Bronx court system.
• Your case may be filed in the Bronx if you or one of the defendants resides or is headquartered in the Bronx, or if your accident occurred there. If you have a municipal case that occurred in the Bronx, your lawsuit must be filed there.

In This Article:

• Why Block O’Toole & Murphy Is the Right Choice for Your Bronx Personal Injury Case
• Case Study: Block O’Toole & Murphy Secures $5,850,000 Settlement in Bronx Premises Liability Case
• Case Study: $3,258,000 Jury Verdict for Bronx Resident Hit by Forklift
• How Personal Injury Cases Differ in the Bronx
• Case Study: $25,000,000 Settlement for Bronx Worker Knocked Off Building in Tremont
• Notable Verdicts and Settlements in Bronx Accident Cases

Why Block O’Toole & Murphy Is the Right Choice for Your Bronx Personal Injury Case

Block O’Toole & Murphy is uniquely prepared to handle cases filed in the Bronx. Here’s why:

• Block O’Toole & Murphy is well-recognized throughout the Bronx court system. Judges and court staff know that our attorneys will be thoroughly prepared at each step of a case, and are equally aware of our ability to secure multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts.
• A history of strong results is an excellent negotiation tool. If the defense doesn’t think a case is worth as much as we’re demanding, we can walk them through similar cases which we’ve settled or taken to verdict for comparable amounts.
• Our attorneys build close connections with our clients. Beyond keeping our clients informed at every step of their case, our attorneys value having a deep rapport with each person we represent. This connection makes all the difference when discussing a client’s case with a judge, the defense, or in front of a jury.
• Block O’Toole & Murphy’s attorneys have received numerous awards. Our attorneys are regularly recognized for their work in the field of personal injury law. For example,
  • Partner Daniel P. O’Toole has been recognized as one of the Top 5 for Personal Injury Plaintiffs in the New York Metro area by Super Lawyers
  • Partner Jeffrey A. Block received the Excellence in Advocacy Award from The New York City Trial Lawyers Alliance in 2025
  • Partner Stephen J. Murphy has been recognized by Best Lawyers each year since 2013 and was named their New York Lawyer of the Year in 2022

Additionally, Block O’Toole & Murphy has filed hundreds of injury cases in the Bronx, including:

• Construction accidents, such as ladder falls, scaffolding accidents, and defective equipment accidents. For example, partners Daniel P. O’Toole and Scott Occhiogrosso negotiated an $11,500,000 settlement for a worker injured by a defective circular saw.
• Motor vehicle accidents, such as pedestrian accidents, NYCTA bus accidents, and rear end accidents. In one Bronx car accident case, Partners Jeffrey A. Block and S. Joseph Donahue secured a $4,000,000 settlement for a woman hit by a car in Claremont Village.
• Premises liability accidents, such as ceiling collapses and slip and fall accidents. For instance, Partners Jeffrey A. Block and S. Joseph Donahue negotiated a $3,500,000 settlement for a man who fell through a sidewalk electrical vault door.

Case Study: Block O’Toole & Murphy Secures $5,850,000 Settlement in Bronx Premises Liability Case

In one case handled by Partners Jeffrey A. Block and S. Joseph Donahue, our client was a 44-year-old home health aide living in Norwood. She was preparing Easter dinner when her kitchen ceiling collapsed, resulting in severe injuries to her spine and right knee. Our client underwent five surgeries to treat her lumbar and cervical spine injuries, and dozens of steroid injections to treat her knee.

In premises liability cases, it’s crucial to prove that the defendant knew or should have known about dangerous conditions before the accident happened.

In this case, our client had given actual notice by reporting a leak in her ceiling the day prior. The superintendent stopped the leak and inspected the ceiling. Though the sheetrock was visibly wet, he told our client it would be safe to be in the kitchen.

To further illustrate the building’s failure to rectify the unsafe condition, Mr. Donahue deposed the superintendent and asked if he knew that wet sheetrock had the potential to collapse. The superintendent admitted that it was a hazard, and removing the sheetrock would have been the proper thing to do.

This careful preparation confirmed the building’s liability in the accident and helped our attorneys settle the case for $5,850,000.

Case Study: $3,258,000 Jury Verdict for Bronx Resident Hit by Forklift

In one case handled by Block O’Toole & Murphy, Partners Scott Occhiogrosso and Frederick C. Aranki represented a Bronx man who was injured while delivering beverages to a supermarket. While our client was waiting to unload his truck, he stepped backwards off a curb and was struck by a forklift, leaving him with severe leg and lumbar spine injuries.

Handling an Injury Case With Partial Liability

In this case, the defense argued that the accident was entirely our client’s fault, and the forklift operator was therefore not at fault for his injuries.

Since our client had stepped backwards into the street without looking where he was going, Occhiogrosso and Aranki acknowledged that he was partially liable. However, they still argued that the supermarket bore the brunt of responsibility for the accident.

Occhiogrosso and Aranki returned to the supermarket multiple times to observe the unloading process. Each time, they witnessed a chaotic system, often with an overworked forklift driver who was operating in the street and on the sidewalk without a dedicated spotter or flag person to clear his path.

Our attorneys also hired a forklift expert who testified at trial and explained the many ways the supermarket failed to create a safe environment, including the lack of a designated area for the forklift to operate in. Had the supermarket followed these best practices, our client may never have stepped in the path of the forklift.

This argument was effective with the Bronx jury, who found our client only 10% responsible for his accident.

Addressing Prior Injuries in a Construction Accident Case

This Bronx trial was also difficult because our client had been involved in a prior accident, which the defense claimed was the source of his injuries.

Partner Scott Occhiogrosso used a novel approach to rebut this claim. During his closing arguments, he placed a stack of our client’s medical records from his previous accident next to a stack of all the records from the forklift accident. The height difference in the piles was stark, making it clear to the jury just how serious this accident was in comparison to the previous one.

Deciding Whether to Settle Before Receiving the Jury’s Verdict

While the jury was deliberating, the defense offered to settle the case for $1,500,000. Occhiogrosso and Aranki advised our client not to accept. Although it’s impossible to ever be certain how a jury will decide a case, they were confident that this jury was going to award our client much more money.

Our attorneys’ experience in reading a jury paid off: the jurors returned a verdict of $3,258,000, more than double the amount of money offered by the defense.

How Personal Injury Cases Differ in the Bronx

Personal injury cases usually follow the same steps throughout New York, but there are a few key things that set Bronx County cases apart.

The Bronx Has Unified Trials

Personal injury trials are generally unified in the Bronx. This means that if your case goes to trial, a jury will decide issues of both liability (fault) and damages (compensation) at the same time.

By comparison, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island all tend to have bifurcated trials, which means the jury will first decide on liability. The jury will only hear about the plaintiff’s injuries if they decide the defendant is partially or fully at fault for the accident.

Bronx Court System Delays

Cases tend to move more slowly in the Bronx for a few reasons:

• High case loads. The Bronx is a densely populated borough and considered to be a plaintiff-friendly venue, which means juries tend to side with injured parties more often. Because of this, many people will file their cases there if they can.
• In-person conferences. Many judges in the Bronx prefer in-person conferences for pre-trial motions and other meetings, which can take longer to schedule than virtual conferences.
• Fewer oral arguments on summary judgment motions. A summary judgment is a pretrial decision made by a judge. While all summary judgment motions must be filed with the court, some judges will also allow attorneys to make oral arguments on a motion. Our attorneys find this usually leads to faster decisions; however, oral arguments are less common in the Bronx.

Jury Demographics in the Bronx

The Bronx is largely considered a plaintiff-friendly venue because its juries, which have traditionally been among the most diverse in the United States, tend to be sympathetic to victims and award higher amounts for damages.

Case Study: $25,000,000 Settlement in Bronx Construction Accident Case

In another case handled by Block O’Toole & Murphy, Partners Jeffrey A. Block and S. Joseph Donahue represented a 49-year-old man who was gravely injured while working on a construction project on Park Avenue in the Bronx. Though our client was trained as a crane operator, he was filling in as a signal man on the day of his accident, meaning he was directing another crane operator hoisting a load of concrete forms.

Unfortunately, the crane operator’s load hit a cable and bounced back toward our client, knocking him off the first floor of the building and causing him to fall 12 feet into the unfinished basement. His injuries were severe: he fractured his ribs, hip, leg and ankle, and suffered further injuries to his neck, shoulder, back and knees. He has undergone seven surgeries to date, and he will likely require more surgeries in the future.

Tragically, our client is still living with a lot of pain and mobility restrictions, which has left him reliant on assistive devices. He is unable to work, maintain his own home, or be as present as he previously was in his children’s extracurricular activities.

Filing for Summary Judgment Based on Labor Law 240 (1)

This case clearly fell under Labor Law 240(1), which protects workers from gravity-related injuries, including injuries caused by falling from a height. Under Labor Law 240, property owners and general contractors can be held 100% liable for damages.

Our attorneys confirmed that our client had not been provided with any equipment to prevent a fall, such as guardrails or safety harnesses. Arguing that this failure to provide equipment violated Labor Law 240, they filed for summary judgment on liability. In other words, they asked the court to issue an official ruling that there was no issue of fact as to whether the defense was at fault for the accident. The court granted our motion, meaning the only thing left to determine at trial would be the amount of compensation. Additionally, winning the motion for summary judgment meant that the defense began accruing interest at a rate of 9% per annum on any compensation determined by a jury.

In the end, the case did not make it to trial: our attorneys negotiated a $25,000,000 settlement for our client. Though no amount of money can replace what the accident took from him, we hope this compensation makes his pain and suffering easier to manage.

Notable Verdicts and Settlements in Bronx Accident Cases

At Block O’Toole & Murphy, we recognize that our clients come to us while they’re facing the heavy burden of physical pain and financial instability. Our firm is defined by a commitment to securing maximum compensation for those we represent. This is evidenced by our history of significant verdicts and settlements throughout the Bronx:

• $25,000,000 settlement for worker who suffered severe injuries after falling 12 feet at construction site on Park Avenue and East Tremont Avenue
• $15,000,000 settlement in wrongful death case for family of an HVAC technician
• $11,500,000 settlement for worker with multiple lacerated tendons in his left hand due to a defective circular saw
• $9,792,412 verdict for medical malpractice victim who suffered an inter-operative stroke
• $8,000,000 settlement for a man struck by NYCTA bus on East 149^th street
• $6,400,000 settlement for ironworker who suffered a broken tailbone after accident at the Bronx County Hall of Justice
• $6,000,000 settlement for birth injury lawsuit filed against North Central Bronx Hospital
• $5,900,000 settlement for bricklayer who fell 20 feet from ladder at PS 66 on Jennings Street
• $5,850,000 settlement for woman who suffered serious spine injuries due to a ceiling collapse caused by a water leak in her apartment
• $4,995,000 settlement for a laborer who fell through a collapsed floor at a construction site
• $4,750,000 settlement for foreman hit by flying rock from construction site blast
• $4,500,000 settlement for worker who fell off ladder placed on a Baker scaffold
• $4,000,000 verdict for lead inspector who fell though temporary flooring at 170^th Street Station in the Bronx
• $4,000,000 settlement for woman hit by a car at the intersection of Third Avenue and East 169^th Street
• $4,000,000 settlementfor steamfitter injured while insulating a water pipe at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx
• $3,750,000 settlement for leg injuries sustained by laborer struck by a falling steel beam in Williamsbridge
• $3,500,000 settlement for injured pedestrian who fell through sidewalk electrical vault door
• $3,500,000 settlement for multiple surgeries for woman in car accident on Lafayette Avenue and Rosedale Avenue in Soundview
• $3,258,000 verdict for delivery truck helper who was hit by a forklift
• $3,000,000 settlement for construction site fall after carpenter tripped on wires
• $3,000,000 settlement for electrician’s helper who was injured in ladder and scaffold collapse
• $2,925,000 settlement for client hurt in side impact collision after a school bus ran a stop sign
• $2,750,000 settlement for woman who tripped and fell on uneven sidewalk at the Bay Plaza Shopping Center in the Bronx
• $2,750,000 settlement for Bronx mother who suffered neck injuries after being struck by a van
• $2,650,000 settlement for laborer who was injured while unloading scaffolding from a truck in the South Bronx
• $2,600,000 settlement for Bronx masonry worker who fell off an unguarded scaffold
• $2,500,000 settlement for a worker who suffered ankle, knee and shoulder injuries after tripping and falling on debris at a construction site.
• $2,500,000 settlement for a building porter who suffered from a degenerative herniated disc after a car accident
• $2,500,000 settlement for rear-end accident involving tractor trailer
• $2,500,000 settlement for cyclist doored by Access-A-Ride van driver at Third Avenue and 158^th Street in Melrose
• $2,325,000 settlement for motorcyclist hit by a car on Central Park Avenue in the Bronx
• $2,300,000 settlement for family of cyclist who was killed after being struck by a box truck
• $2,250,000 settlement after bus hits and kills pedestrian crossing at Havemeyer Avenue and Story Avenue in Unionport, Bronx
• $2,250,000 settlement for building engineer who suffered back and knee injuries in construction fall
• $2,250,000 settlement for tenant injured by ceiling collapse
• $2,250,000 settlement for 55-year-old woman hit by school bus while crossing the street at East 102^nd Street and Second Avenue
• $2,250,000 settlement for a tenant who fell down wet stairs in her apartment building
• $2,000,000 settlement for Local 7 union carpenter who fell from a trailer after an secured portable staircase had shifted
• $2,000,000 settlement for driver rear-ended by another vehicle that merged lanes
• $1,950,000 settlement for client who required spinal surgery after falling down the stairs due to ongoing water leak
• $1,950,000 settlement in medical malpractice lawsuit to man injured during surgery
• $1,875,000 settlement for Bronx truck driver rear-ended by large Mack truck
• $1,850,000 settlement for driver sideswiped by an 18-wheeler on Throgs Neck Expressway
• $1,850,000 settlement for driver injured on 174^th Street when a truck backed into her car
• $1,800,000 settlement for a passenger injured on FDR Drive
• $1,750,000 settlement for driver rear-ended by a school bus at Jerome Avenue and Minerva Place in Norwood
• $1,700,000 settlement for woman walking to work in the Bronx when she was struck by a large truck
• $1,680,000 settlement for client injured in crash caused by another driver who ran a red light
• $1,675,000 settlement for a woman who suffered from a herniated disc after a collision with a delivery truck
• $1,640,000 settlement for taxi passenger injured in three-vehicle collision
• $1,600,000 settlement for Bronx worker who fell from an unsteady ladder, gravely injuring his back and shoulder
• $1,600,000 settlement for a driver who suffered severe neck and back injuries after his vehicle was rear-ended by a commercial truck.
• $1,500,000 settlement for herniated discs & knee injuries after slip and fall on snow
• $1,500,000 settlement for 85 year-old woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a van making a left turn
• $1,500,000 settlement for a driver hit by a street sweeper on East 176^th Street
• $1,500,000 settlement for pedestrian hit by NYPD tow truck on 149^th Street between Morris Avenue and Cortlandt Avenue
• $1,500,000 settlement for a tenant who tripped and fell due to a defective stair in his apartment building
• $1,500,000 settlement for woman who tripped and fell due to snow outside her building
• $1,500,000 settlement for injuries after slip and fall on icy sidewalk in Mount Eden, Bronx
• $1,500,000 settlement for a woman hit by a truck while crossing Bruckner Blvd
• $1,500,000 settlement for two workers who suffered knee injuries following an elevator accident
• $1,450,000 settlement for passenger injured on Sheridan Parkway in Bronx, NY motor vehicle accident
• $1,350,000 settlement for NYC taxi driver who required lumbar fusion surgery after rear-end accident
• $1,250,000 settlement for patient at Jacobi Medical Center who misdiagnosed a mass in her breast as benign
• $1,250,000 settlement for a worker who fell off an unsecured ladder at a fruit warehouse in the Bronx
• $1,250,000 settlement for a bike messenger who suffered an open compound fracture of the right leg after being hit by an SUV
• $1,200,000 settlement for a delivery man involved in a multi-vehicle collision
• $1,100,000 settlement for worker who lost part of his fingertips in a construction site accident at the Bronx County Criminal Courthouse
• $1,050,000 settlement for driver injured in a right-turn collision with a truck
• $1,000,000 settlement for 38-year-old victim of sagging ceiling collapse in Bronx apartment, requiring shoulder and spinal fusion surgery
• $1,000,000 settlement for woman rear-ended by tractor trailer

For a free legal consultation, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our contact form.