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Stephen J. Murphy
Block O'Toole & Murphy
Recognized Since:
Recognized in:
Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
https://www.blockotoole.com
smurphy@blockotoole.com
1 Penn Plaza, Suite 5315
Stephen J. Murphy joined the firm in early 2005 after a successful and rewarding career as a homicide prosecutor working in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. Mr. Murphy is a lawyer who is best known for his work in the courtroom, now focusing on serious construction accidents and catastrophic personal injury trial work.
Mr. Murphy's hard work and skill in the courtroom have earned him many accolades from his colleagues, opponents and judges. Mr. Murphy was described on Z100 Radio as a "legendary trial lawyer." He has been featured on Fox News Radio as one of "America's Premier Trial Lawyers" and was described in The New York Times as one of the "Top Attorneys in New York." He has regularly appeared on local and national news shows as an expert commentator on civil and criminal cases and issues. Mr. Murphy's honors and accolades include:
Being named as a "New York Super Lawyer", from 2010-2019 recognizing him as one of the top 5% of lawyers in the Metropolitan Area.
'The National Trial Lawyer Award' honoring him as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in New York State for the last 9 years.
Named to the 'Best Lawyers in America,' list from 2013-2019.
Recipient of the St. Jude Children's Hospital 'Chairperson of the Year' Award in 2019
Named to the Irish Legal 100, recognizing the top Irish American lawyers in the United States in 2013-2016.
Recipient of the St. John's School of Law P.T.A.I. '2014 Alumni Excellence Award.
'Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for the last 9 years.
Recipient of the Frances Pope Memorial Foundation 'Man of the Year Award' in 2010.
'Brooklyn to Alaska' Honoree 2017
Named as 'Volunteer of the Quarter' by The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Brehon Law Society, 2015 Honoree.
Mr. Murphy handles a wide range of cases including labor law and construction accidents, tractor trailer and truck collisions, wrongful death, premises liability, medical malpractice and motor vehicle cases.
With only 14 years in civil practice, Mr. Murphy already has an extremely impressive body of work, regularly returning verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars. He has amassed over $350,000,000 in results for his clients during that time period, including an average of well over $40,000,000 in settlements every year since 2013. Mr. Murphy is an attorney that members of the bar, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, frequently consult with on trial matters and refer their most significant cases to.
2016 . . . 3 of Top 5 Largest Results in New York State!
Mr. Murphy was the lead trial lawyer on the 2nd ($9,975,000), 3rd ($7,400,000) and 5th ($5,500,000) largest settlements in the entire state of New York for 2016, according to the New York Law Journal and the Jury Verdict Reporter. The publication also recognized Murphy for posting the 10th and the 18th largest settlements in the state. Murphy had more reported million dollar results in 2016 than any other attorney in New York.
'The Good Samaritan Case'
Mr. Murphy, along with his colleague Daniel O'Toole, persuaded a Suffolk County jury to return a record-setting verdict of $32,756,156 on behalf of a 60-year-old man in a traumatic brain injury case. The verdict, covered extensively by the local media, is the largest negligence verdict ever in Long Island and was featured in a cable television documentary entitled "The Good Samaritan." In addition, the result was also recognized by the New York Law Journal as the second highest negligence verdict in New York State for 2007 and one of the top 100 verdicts that year for the entire United States.
'10th Largest Settlement in 2014 for the Entire United States'
Mr. Murphy and his partner David Scher were able to recover $8,800,000 for a female pedestrian who sustained neurologic and orthopedic injuries in a collision. The landmark result was hailed by the 'National Law Journal' as the 10th highest settlement in the entire country for 2014. It also was the 4th largest settlement in New York State during 2014. This marks the 3rd time in seven years, and second year in a row, that one of Mr. Murphy's results was included among the top 50 results in the entire country by the 'National Law Journal.'
Three of the Top 25 Results in All of New York State in 2015
Mr. Murphy was the lead lawyer on three different cases which were recognized by the New York Law Journal in their Top 25 Settlements for the 2015 year. The results that appeared in the New York Law Journal included the #5 Settlement ($7,525,000), the #13 Settlement ($4,600,000) and, finally, the #25 Settlement ($3,200,000) in all of New York State. Mr. Murphy was the only attorney in New York State who appeared in the Top 25 Results on three separate cases.
Other Notable Results:
Mr. Murphy has successfully negotiated a $15,500,000 settlement for a client who sustained a traumatic brain injury. He also was able to persuade two insurance carriers to pay $9,950,000 to avoid a trial in Buffalo in a case where a young woman sustained an above-the-knee amputation. Mr. Murphy recovered $7,500,000 from the City of New York in a pedestrian accident case. He also was able to persuade an insurance company to pay his client, a union sheet metal worker, $7,400,000 on the eve of trial for back injuries he sustained in a construction site fall. Mr. Murphy has long been a fierce advocate on behalf of construction workers and their families. In another construction case, he fought and recovered $5,500,000 for an injured electrician who sustained a brain injury after falling from an extension ladder. Recently, Mr. Murphy was able to successfully negotiate a $7,525,000 settlement for a family after a devastating accident where a mother and a 7-year-old boy were killed and a $9,950,000 settlement for an upstate woman who lost her leg in a work accident.
In Queens County, Mr. Murphy recently convinced a jury to return a verdict of $5,585,000 for an undocumented worker who sustained back and wrist injuries in a construction accident. He also convinced a large insurance company to pay $4,600,000 out of $5,000,000 in insurance coverage for an injured Rigger who sustained neck and back injuries. Mr. Murphy also secured $3,925,000 for an injured worker that tried to help a truck driver who was stuck at a railroad crossing. The truck was struck by a locomotive while the plaintiff was trying to assist the truck driver, resulting in serious orthopedic injuries to the plaintiff. This result was also listed by the 'National Law Journal' as one of the Top 50 Settlements in the United States in 2013.
Lawyer Bio
Lawyer Practice Areas
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New York, New York State Bar Association
Brooklyn Manhattan Trial Lawyers Association - President 2012, Present Member
Labor Law Committee, The New York State Trial Lawyers Association - Member
New York County Democratic Judicial Screening Panel - Panelist
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Chairperson, Annual Autumn Winetasting
The Brehon Society - Member
The New York State Trial Lawyer's Association - Member of the Board of Directors
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:
Frances Pope Memorial Foundation, 2010 Man of the Year
"Best Lawyers in America' List, 2014
Super Lawyer, New York Metro Area, 2011-2013
Irish Legal 100, 2013
National Trial Lawyer, Top 100 Trial Lawyers List, 2011-2014
Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Brooklyn to Alaska Project, 2017 Man of the Year
St. John's University School of Law PTAI 2014 'Alumni Excellence' Award
Brehon Law Society, 2015 Honoree
Tractor-Trailer Collision
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Key: Awarded in Best Lawyers Not Currently Awarded for this Area in Best Lawyers
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Teamwork and Strategy
Results Matter
Giving 100% for Injury Victims
Lawyer Case History
Dunne v. LLoyd
$32,756,156 for Injured Vietnam Vet
DATE OF VERDICT
COURT AND COUNTY
Supreme Suffolk
AGE AND OCCUPATION OF PLAINTIFF
60 Retired Long Island Railroad Conductor
DESCRIPTION OF CASE
On March 13, 2004, Plaintiff, a Vietnam Veteran, was a "good samaritan" helping accident victims at the scene of an unrelated motor vehicle collision in Port Jefferson, New York. The road was later blocked off by emergency personnel including members of the local police and fire department. Defendant was driving her car while impaired by marijuana and prescription pain killers. She drove through a police barricade and struck the plaintiff, propelling him 30 feet in the air. Plaintiff crashed to the ground and sustained severe life threatening trauma to his head. He was rushed to the nearest hospital.
INJURIES/DAMAGES
Plaintiff fractured his skull and hip. He underwent an emergency craniotomy to evacuate the hemorrhage in his brain and an open reduction internal fixation to repair his hip fracture. Plaintiff sustained severe brain damage and has been confined to a nursing home since the accident.
VERDICT/SETTLEMENT AMOUNT
The jury verdict, which was covered extensively by the media, is the largest reported non-medical malpractice verdict in Long Island history
Krluc v. City, Accardi & Mena
$8,800,000 Settlement For Victim in Queens Pedestrian Accident Who Suffered a Brain Injury
This suit was brought against New York City as well as the drivers of two different vans. The vans collided at the intersection of 103rd Avenue and 93rd Street. Each road had a stop sign prominently positioned at the corner and the words "Stop" printed in the street. However the stop sign on the 103rd Street side was partially blocked by a neighboring tree. Despite the driver on 103rd Street initially claiming he stopped at the stop sign, trial lawyers Stephen Murphy and David Scher were able to prove that the driver went through the stop sign and successfully argued that one of the reasons he went through the stop sign was because it was obscured by a problematic tree. The tree, they established, would block the stop sign consistently as the foliage would mature each year.
When the vans collided, the van driving on 103rd Avenue was thrusted on to the sidewalk where it struck the unwary plaintiff, a woman, 53.
Argudo v. 32-90 36th Street Inc
$5,585,000 Jury Verdict For Undocumented Worker in Construction Fall
DESCRIPTION OF CASE:
Plaintiff, a spanish speaking 35 year old non-union laborer, was working at a construction project in Astoria, Queens.
At the time of the accident, Plaintiff was told to stand on a ladder on top of a scaffold so he could paint a ceiling beam. The Plaintiff was elevated between fifteen and eighteen feet. Plaintiff and the ladder he was on fell to the ground because the scaffold was unsteady.
Plaintiff successfully moved for summary judgment on the issue of liability pursuant to Labor Law 240(1), rendering the case a "damages-only" trial.
INJURIES/DAMAGES:
As a result of this incident, Plaintiff suffered a right wrist fracture and disc herniations to the L3-L5 levels of his lumbar spine. Plaintiff had an open reduction and internal fixation to his wrist.
Plaintiff also underwent a lumbar spine fusion to levels L3-4 and L4-5 due to pain caused by the disc herniations at those levels. As a result of his injuries, Plaintiff continued to experience pain to his back and right wrist. Plaintiff had not returned to work following his accident. Plaintiff did not pursue a lost wage claim for various reasons.
VERDICT/SETTLEMENT AMOUNT:
The jury returned a verdict for $5,585,000.
The case was handled by Stephen J. Murphy, a partner with the firm.
Tirado v. Fed Ex
$5,500,000 for an electrician that fell from an extension ladder and sustained a head injury
Plaintiff, 40, an electrician, was working in a Federal Express warehouse. He and a co-worker were assigned to the area to repair various high bay lighting fixtures that were attached to the ceiling of the loading dock area. In order to reach one of the fixtures, Plaintiff climbed a 28-foot aluminum extension ladder. While working on the fixture, he was caused to fall approximately 14 to 16 feet and landed on his head. Plaintiff claimed that he was not provided with any protection as he climbed the 28-foot ladder and that while he was in the course of his duties he received an electric shock, causing him to fall. The court granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on liability. Following the fall, Plaintiff was rendered unconscious after landing on his head. He was found at the scene bleeding from his mouth, ears and head. He was subsequently rushed from the scene by ambulance and presented to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was diagnosed with numerous injuries, including skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging, contusions and swelling. Plaintiff also sustained fractures to five levels of the thoracic spine and to the L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 levels of the vertebrae.
Trinca v. Northgate Electric et al
Catastrophic motor vehicle collision that occurred in Suffolk County, New York resulting in a $7,525,000 Settlement. Represented a family who lost a young mother and a 7 year old boy in a tragic accident. A 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy were also injured in the crash. Witnesses all said that the mother ran a steady red light and caused the crash. Murphy and his partners still convinced the insurance companies to pay $7,525,000 to avoid a trial.
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