Daniel P. O'Toole - New York, NY

Daniel P. O’Toole is one of New York's premier trial lawyers, and he has devoted his professional life to helping people whose lives have been upended by accidents. A graduate of Fordham University School of Law, he now handles a range of catastrophic injury cases, including construction accidents, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability incidents, wrongful deaths, and bad faith claims against insurance companies.

In the last few years alone, Mr. O’Toole has returned more than $460,000,000 in settlements; his career-long total results now exceed $1 billion. He has obtained more than 230 settlements exceeding $1 million, and since 2013, Mr. O’Toole and the other partners at Block O’Toole & Murphy have posted more top 25 settlements than any other New York firm. Year after year, Mr. O’Toole demonstrates his commitment to his clients by going above and beyond to secure the best possible results.

During his three decades of civil work, Mr. O'Toole has been the lead trial lawyer or co-lead trial counsel on the following record-breaking results:

• $110,174,972 verdict, the largest individual personal injury verdict ever in the State of New York
• $65,000,000 settlement, the largest reported catastrophic injury settlement ever in the State of New York
• $32,756,055 verdict, the largest personal injury verdict ever in Suffolk County
• $22,500,000 settlement, the second largest reported personal injury settlement ever in the State of New York
• $20,181,000 verdict, the second largest personal injury verdict ever in the Court of Claims (including the largest pain and suffering verdict ever in the Court of Claims)
• $15,000,000 settlement for brain-injured pedestrian struck by an automobile
• $15,000,000 wrongful death settlement for worker killed by a falling object
• $14,000,000 verdict, the largest personal injury verdict ever in Nassau County
• $13,500,000 settlement, the largest reported personal injury settlement ever in Suffolk County
• $13,000,000 wrongful death settlement for an auto accident victim
• $12,000,000 settlement for injured pedestrian child with leg injuries (lifetime payment to claimant will be in excess of $70,000,000)
• $12,000,000 settlement for injured union worker
• $11,500,000 settlement for laborer injured by a saw
• $11,000,000 settlement for laborer with back injuries
• $9,000,000 settlement for a 14-year-old minor injured in wall collapse
• $8,750,000 settlement for a brain injured client with over $20,000,000 in additional guaranteed health benefits for life
• $8,000,000 verdict for a client who underwent lumbar spine surgery and knee surgery after rear-end collision)
• $7,000,000.00 settlement for a worker who fell 30 feet down elevator shaft

Mr. O'Toole’s work has been widely recognized throughout the legal field, and he has been honored by New York Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers®, American Trial Lawyers, the Irish Legal 100, and the Brehon Law Society. In 2025, he was named Lawyer of the Year for all plaintiff’s personal injury attorneys in New York City by Best Lawyers Magazine. That same year, he was also included on the Super Lawyers Top 100 list for the New York Metro Area.

Mr. O’Toole is also heavily involved with the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He serves as the Co-Chairman of their Labor Law Committee, which fights to preserve laws that protect workers’ rights and safety in New York. Previously, he was a member of the NYSTLA’s Board of Directors and served as the organization’s Treasurer.

Aside from his legal career, Mr. O’Toole is also committed to charitable work. He and his wife have contributed substantially to scholarship funds at Fordham University School of Law, Georgetown University, the University of Scranton, Boston College, and several Catholic schools in New Jersey. He has played a key role in raising over $10,000,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the firm’s annual New York City Wine Tasting event, and he and his wife recently helped fund a Young Adult Lodge at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which helps children with serious illnesses. An avid runner, Mr. O’Toole also runs marathons and half-marathons in support of various charities, including Black and Missing, HomeStart Boston, and One Mission, which awarded him the Runner of the Year award in 2018.