Daniel P. O'Toole
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in New York, New York
Block O'Toole & Murphy, LLP
Practice areas: Personal Injury; view more
Licensed in New York since: 1993
Education: Fordham University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2008 - 2026 Call today:
212-736-5300
Block O'Toole & Murphy, LLP
1 Penn PlazaSuite 4850
New York, NY 10119 Visit website
Daniel P. O’Toole is a managing partner at the premier New York personal injury law firm Block O’Toole & Murphy. A highly experienced trial lawyer known for his landmark verdicts and settlements, Mr. O’Toole has obtained over $1 billion in results for clients over the span of his career.
Mr. O’Toole strongly believes in compassionately representing the rights of personal injury victims, and he focuses on pursuing justice for clients in serious injury cases including construction accidents, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability cases, bad faith claims, and more.
Some of Mr. O’Toole’s impressive and record-breaking results include:
$110,174,972 verdict in a Brooklyn case for a cyclist who was paralyzed after a railroad tie fell on him from subway tracks overhead. Handled alongside Partner Scott Occhiogrosso, this is the largest personal injury verdict in New York state history.
$65,000,000 settlement for a pedestrian after a long legal battle. This is one of the largest personal injury settlements in New York, and the expected payout will exceed $117,000,000 over the course of the victim’s life.
$32,756,156 verdict for a Vietnam War veteran who sustained traumatic brain injuries after he was hit by an impaired driver. This is the largest personal injury verdict in Suffolk County.
$22,500,000 settlement for a client who required 20 surgeries after a head-on collision in Westchester County, New York. This is the third largest reported settlement against the state.
$20,181,000 verdict for a driver who slid in icy road conditions, causing an accident. This is the second largest personal injury verdict ever in the New York Court of Claims.
$15,000,000 settlement for a pedestrian who suffered brain injuries after being struck by an automobile.
$14,000,000 verdict in a Nassau County case for a motorcyclist who required a below-the-knee leg amputation after he was struck by a truck. This is Nassau County’s third largest reported personal injury verdict.
$13,500,000 settlement for a pedestrian who suffered traumatic brain injuries after she was struck by a driver on a rainy night. After a four-week liability trial, the case resolved for the largest reported personal injury case result in Suffolk County.
Mr. O’Toole regularly obtains some of the largest settlements for accident victims. In 2024, he settled more than $150,000,000 in case results, and in 2019, he settled 20 multimillion-dollar cases. His incredible hard work and dedication have earned him recognition from Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers®, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and more. In 2026, he was named the Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Personal Injury – Plaintiffs for New York City.
For more than a decade, Mr. O’Toole has also been very active in the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), one of the largest trial lawyer bar associations in the country. There, he serves as the Co-Chairman of the Labor Law Committee, which advocates for laws that promote construction worker safety. Mr. O’Toole is also a former member of NYSTLA’s Board of Directors.
Mr. O’Toole’s work has led him to be recognized both within and outside the legal field. In April 2020, he and his wife were honored by Fordham Law School at the school’s 2020 Scholarship Benefactors Reception. In June 2019, Mr. O’Toole received the University of Scranton’s Frank O’Hara Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is the university’s highest honor, and it was given to Mr. O’Toole in recognition of his legal accomplishments and philanthropic work. In October 2018, Mr. O’Toole also received the James F. Gill Spirit of Hope Award from Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice.
Mr. O’Toole is also heavily involved in philanthropy and charitable work. Along with other partners at the firm, he has been instrumental in raising over $10,000,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at Block O’Toole & Murphy’s annual New York City Wine Tasting event.
The O’Tooles are also key donors to:
The Institute of Educational Achievement, which supports children and young adults with autism in New Jersey
Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for children with serious injuries and illnesses.
One Mission, a pediatric cancer charity in Massachusetts.
Pony Power Therapies, which connects people with disabilities to nature in Mahwah, New Jersey.
HomeStart Boston, an organization working to end homelessness in the area by helping develop strategies that prevent homelessness before it starts.
Black and Missing, which helps reunited missing persons of color with their families.
A major advocate for education access, Mr. O'Toole and his wife have also contributed to scholarships at Fordham University School of Law, Georgetown University, Boston College, the University of Scranton, and various Catholic schools in New Jersey. In 2016, he received the Founder’s Medal (the school’s highest honor) from his alma mater, Bergen Catholic High School, for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the school.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 100% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1993, New York
Professional Webpage: https://www.blockotoole.com/attorneys/daniel-p-o-toole/
Bar / Professional Activity
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association Labor Law Committee, Co-Chairman
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Treasurer (Officer), 2011
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 2011-2020
- New York
- New Jersey
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $110,174,972 verdict for a 23-year-old cyclist who became paralyzed after a falling object accident; the largest individual personal injury verdict in New York State
- $65,000,000 settlement for a cyclist after a long legal battle. This is the largest personal injury settlement in New York, and the expected payout will exceed $117,000,000 over the course of the victim’s life.
- $32,756,055 verdict for a Vietnam veteran severely injured in an accident with a reckless driver; the largest personal injury verdict ever in Suffolk County
- $22,500,000 settlement in a poor road maintenance case, the second-largest reported personal injury settlement in New York State
- $20,181,000 verdict for a motorist injured while driving on icy roads, the second-largest personal injury verdict and the largest pain and suffering verdict in the Court of Claims
- $15,000,000 settlement in a wrongful death case for the family of a worker who was tragically crushed by a 28,450-pound chiller unit when its hoist chains broke
- $15,000,000 settlement for brain-injured pedestrian
- $14,000,000 verdict for a motorcyclist hit by a truck, the largest personal injury verdict in Nassau County
- $13,500,000 settlement for a 24-year-old woman struck by a car, the largest reported personal injury settlement in Suffolk County
- $13,000,000 wrongful death settlement
- $12,000,000 with an expected payout to the 8-year-old plaintiff in excess of $71,000,000
- $12,000,000 settlement for NYC Sandhogs Local 147 union worker
- $11,500,000 settlement for laborer injured by a defective saw
- $11,000,000 settlement for laborer who suffered back injuries
- $9,750,000 settlement for a 42-year-old worker who fell from scaffolding on a Long Island construction site.
- $9,000,000 settlement for a teenage boy who sustained severe arm injuries when a wall collapsed on him in Long Island
- $8,750,000 settlement for a client with traumatic brain injuries.
- $8,166,666 settlement for a building superintendent who was injured in an elevator accident
- $8,000,000 verdict for a musician who suffered knee injuries after being rear-ended
- $7,500,000 settlement for an officer injured during a training exercise
- $7,300,000 settlement for a construction worker who fell from scaffolding
- $7,000,000 settlement for a Manhattan worker who fell down an elevator shaft
- $6,400,000 settlement (iron worker)
- $6,250,000 settlement (non-union carpenter)
- $6,000,000 on behalf of an injured construction worker in Rockland County, despite there being only $1 million in available insurance coverage
- $5,900,000 settlement (union bricklayer)
- $5,000,000 settlement (wrongful death of tourist)
- $5,000,000 (wrongful death case)
- $4,900,000 settlement (union electrician)
- $4,650,000 settlement (non-union laborer)
- $4,475,000 settlement (wrongful death with a payout of over $20,000,000 to two surviving children of a deceased non-union laborer)
- $4,250,000 settlement (union excavator)
- $4,000,000 settlement (auto accident involving hotel porter)
- $4,000,000 with $19,394,595 anticipated payout over the course of the child plaintiff's life
- $3,000,000 settlement (barber involved in auto accident)
- $3,000,000 settlement (non-union carpenter)
- $2,295,000 settlement (automobile accident)
Videos
Pro bono / Community Service
- Active supporter of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; along with partners, he has raised over $6,000,000 for the hospital
- Ran the Philadelphia Half-Marathon in support of Black and Missing, an organization which helps reunite missing persons of color with their families., 2025
- Helped fund the construction of a Young Adult Lodge at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for children with serious illnesses and injuries
- Supporter of the Institute of Educational Achievement, an organization in New Jersey that supports children and young adults with autism
- Supporter of Pony Power Therapies in Mahwah, New Jersey, which helps connect people struggling with illnesses and other difficult situations with nature
- Endowed scholarships at Fordham University School of Law, Georgetown University, University of Scranton, and Boston College
- Running Boston Marathon in support of HomeStart, 2020
- Ran Boston Marathon in support of One Mission, 2018
- Avid Marathoner, ran the Boston Marathon 2010, 2011, 2018, 2020
- Avid Marathoner, ran the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon, 2010, 2013, 2014
- Parish School Advisory Board
- The Frances Pope Memorial Foundation
- Major Donor at his alma mater Bergen Catholic High School, where he established The O'Toole Family Financial Aid Scholarship Fund in 2009
- Major Donor at the Academy of Holy Angels and Immaculate Heart Academy, all-girls schools in New Jersey
- Supports Paramus Catholic High School through the Egan/O'Toole Scholarship Fund
- Past Chairman of his parish's Capital Campaign Committee
- Candlelighters of New York City
Educational Background
- J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, 1992
- B.A. and M.A. from University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 1989
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- In this guest commentary article for the New York Law Journal, Mr. O'Toole highlights a key strategy that he implements on every personal injury case. , Why You Should Put At Least Two Lawyers on Every Case, The New York Law Journal, 2026
- This seminar series invites top legal experts to help advance the education and skills of trial attorneys in the region. , Lecturer, Negotiating a Catastrophic Case, New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 2025
- This seminar series invites top legal experts to help advance the education and skills of trial attorneys in the region. , Lecturer, Strategies for Trying Catastrophic Cases in NY vs NJ, New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 2024
- In this article for Best Lawyers, Mr. O'Toole discusses how to prioritize worker safety on New York's many construction sites. , Author, Structurally Unsound, Best Lawyers, 2023
Honors
- Lawyer of the Year in Personal Injury - Plaintiffs for the New York Metro Area, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2026
- Top 100 New York - Metro, Super Lawyers, 2025
- 2009-Present, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, American Trial Lawyers
- 2012-Present, Honoree, Irish Legal 100
- Honoree, Fordham Law School Scholarship Benefactors Reception, 2023
- Frank O'Hara Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Scranton, 2019
- James F. Gill Spirit of Hope Award, Fordham Law School's Feerick Center for Social Justice, 2018
- Runner of the Year, One Mission, 2018
- Founder's Medal, Bergen Catholic High School, 2016
- Man of the Year, Brooklyn to Alaska Project, 2013
- Lawyer of the Year, Institute of Jewish Humanities, 2012
- Lawyer of the Year, Brehon Law Society, 2012
- Panelist, New York County Democratic Judicial Screening Panel, 2010
Awards
Avvo Client's Choice Award: This award is granted to attorneys with at least 5 reviews with 4+ stars in a given year on Avvo.com
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2008 - 2026
