About

At age 54, Mr. O'Toole has been the lead trial lawyer or co-lead trial counsel on the following record-breaking results: On five separate occasions Mr. O'Toole obtained jury verdicts which were among the top 10 largest personal injury jury verdicts in New York State. Year after year, Mr. O'Toole obtains some of the largest settlements for victims of construction accidents, automobile accidents, and wrongful death cases in the State of New York. In 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, Mr. O'Toole and his colleagues at Block O'Toole & Murphy posted more top 25 settlements than any other firm in New York by a wide margin. Mr. O'Toole has handled construction accident cases, road design and road maintenance cases, medical malpractice cases, negligent security cases, tractor trailer accidents, industrial accidents, bad faith cases against insurance companies, and automobile accident cases. In addition to the aforementioned settlements, Mr. O'Toole's settlements include the following results: Approximately 100 other settlements in excess of $1,000,000. Positions Held Mr. O’Toole is the Co-Chairman of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association Labor Law Committee, a committee that fights to preserve and enact laws to promote worker safety at construction sites. He is committed to championing laws that protect workers and all New Yorkers. Honors In April of 2020, Mr. O’Toole and his wife were honored by Fordham Law School at the school’s 2020 Scholarship Benefactors Reception. In June of 2019, Mr. O’Toole received the University of Scranton’s Frank O’Hara Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is the University’s highest honor and was given to Mr. O’Toole in recognition of his accomplishments as an attorney and for his philanthropy. In October of 2018, Mr. O’Toole received the James F. Gill Spirit of Hope Award from Fordham Law School’s Feerick Center for Social Justice. 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. In 2018, Mr. O’Toole was named Runner of the Year by One Mission, a pediatric cancer charity in Boston, Massachusetts, for his fundraising efforts running the 2018 Boston Marathon. Mr. O’Toole will run the 2020 Boston Marathon in support of HomeStart Boston, a charity dedicated to the eradication of homelessness. From 2008 through 2019, Mr. O’Toole was elected as a “Super Lawyer” in New York State, recognizing him as one of the top 5% of New York personal injury lawyers. From 2009 through 2019, Mr. O’Toole was named by the American Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers. From 2010 to 2020, he has been named to the Irish Legal 100, which recognizes the top Irish American lawyers in the United States. Mr. O’Toole has also been selected by his peers to be included in New York’s Best Lawyers for 2014-2020. In 2012, Mr. O’Toole was honored by the Brehon Law Society in New York as Lawyer of the Year. In 2012 and 2013, he was honored by the Institute of Jewish Humanities as Lawyer of the Year. In March of 2013, Mr. O’Toole was honored by the Brooklyn to Alaska Project (a group that sends young men from Brooklyn to Alaska every summer to experience the Alaskan wilderness) as Man of the Year. Charity Work Mr. O’Toole is heavily involved in charitable work. He is a major donor to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Mr. O’Toole and his wife have endowed scholarships at the Fordham University School of Law and Georgetown University. They have also contributed substantially to the Dr. Michael DeMichele Scholarship at the University of Scranton, as well as to Boston College. In the past ten years, along with his partners, Mr. O’Toole has been instrumental in raising over $5,000,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Mr. O’Toole is also a major donor for the Institute of Educational Achievement, a school for autistic children in New Jersey. Mr. O’Toole and his wife recently assisted in the funding of a Young Adult Lodge at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Mr. O’Toole has also contributed to scholarship funds at five Catholic grammar schools and high schools in New Jersey, funding high school educations for over 25 children.

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