Top New York Personal Injury Verdicts and Settlements
The 20 largest personal injury recoveries in New York, ranked by amount, with 94 independently-sourced results to browse. Individual client results and group recoveries are both listed and labeled. Each links to the full story, the firm, and the record behind the number.
Browse personal injury lawyers in New York →- $25 billionSettlementGroup recoveryProduct Liability
New York State Tobacco Litigation: $25 Billion Recovery Against Four Major Manufacturers
Sullivan Papain was among the firms representing New York State against Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, and Lorillard, securing a $25 billion recovery through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo1998 · New York State (Master Settlement Agreement)Read the full story → - $1.6 billionVerdictGroup recoveryPremises Liability
104 Women Win $1.6 Billion Against Long Island Pediatrician Stuart Copperman
Anapol Weiss shareholder Kristen Gibbons Feden helped secure $1.6 billion in default verdicts for 104 women sexually abused as children by former Long Island pediatrician Stuart Copperman, one of the largest cumulative civil awards against a single individual in U.S. history.
- $1.25 billionSettlementGroup recovery
$1.25 Billion Holocaust Survivors Settlement With Swiss Banks
Cohen & Malad attorneys Irwin Levin and Richard Shevitz served on the court-appointed plaintiffs executive committee that negotiated a $1.25 billion class action settlement with Credit Suisse, UBS, and Swiss Bank Corporation on behalf of Holocaust survivors and their heirs.
- $1.1 billionSettlementGroup recovery
Nassau County Secures $1.1 Billion From the Three Largest U.S. Drug Distributors Over the Opioid Epidemic
Hunter Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik represented Nassau County in negotiations that produced a $1.1 billion settlement with McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, the three largest prescription drug distributors in the United States.
- $712.5 millionSettlementGroup recoveryWorkplace Injury
9/11 First Responders Win $712.5 Million Settlement for WTC Toxic Dust Injuries
Paul Napoli served as court-appointed co-liaison counsel for nearly 10,000 firefighters, police officers, and construction workers who developed respiratory diseases after working at Ground Zero, securing a settlement worth up to $712.5 million against the city and its contractors.
- $712 millionSettlementGroup recoveryWorkplace Injury
Court-Appointed Co-Liaison Counsel in $712 Million Settlement for 10,000 Ground Zero Responders
Sullivan Papain served as court-appointed co-liaison counsel in the World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation, helping secure a settlement of more than $712 million for roughly 10,000 police officers, firefighters, and construction workers who developed serious respiratory and other illnesses after working in the toxic ruins of the World Trade Center.
Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo2010 · U.S. District Court, Southern District of New YorkRead the full story → - $272.5 millionSettlementWrongful Death
$272.5 Million for the Victims of the Tribeca Crane Collapse
A 565-foot crawler crane toppled across a Tribeca street in 2016, killing a young mathematician; the case settled for $272.5 million.
Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf2025 · New York County (Manhattan), NYRead the full story → - $190 millionVerdictGroup recoveryProduct Liability
New York's Largest Asbestos Verdict: $190 Million for Five Tradesmen with Mesothelioma
A Manhattan jury returned a $190 million consolidated verdict against boiler manufacturers Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham LLC on behalf of five tri-state tradesmen who developed mesothelioma from occupational asbestos exposure, setting a record as the largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history.
After trial: Reduced on post-trial motions to just under $30 million combined across the five plaintiffs.
- $183 millionVerdictWrongful Death
Bronx Jury Awards $183 Million After City's Removal of Safety Ropes Trapped Six Firefighters in 2005 Blaze
A Bronx jury in February 2016 awarded $183 million to five FDNY firefighters and the families of those killed after the city was found 80% liable for removing personal safety ropes years before a 2005 Bronx tenement fire that forced six firefighters to jump from a fourth-floor window.
After trial: The families settled for $29.5 million in September 2016 rather than risk an appellate reduction.
Sullivan Papain Block McManus Coffinas & Cannavo2016 · Bronx Supreme Court, New YorkRead the full story → - $182 millionSettlementWrongful Death
$182 Million Settlement in the Deadliest Crash in Metro-North History
After a Westchester jury found Metro-North 71% at fault for the 2015 Valhalla grade-crossing disaster, a settlement exceeding $182 million resolved the claims of roughly 30 victims and their families.
Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf2026 · Westchester County, NYRead the full story → - $172 millionVerdictMedical Malpractice
$172 Million Bronx Verdict After EMTs Arrived Without Oxygen or Defibrillator and Told Family to Wait
Thomas Moore won a $172 million jury verdict in Bronx Supreme Court for a woman left with catastrophic brain damage after FDNY EMTs responded to her 1998 cardiac arrest without essential equipment and advised her family to wait for a second ambulance instead of transporting her immediately.
After trial: No appellate decision is on the public record; the headline number was never tested on appeal.
- $120 millionVerdictMedical Malpractice
A Missed Stroke, a Three-Hour Delay, and a Record $120 Million Verdict
After on-call residents missed a stroke on a CT scan and delayed lifesaving treatment for hours, Gair Gair Conason won a $120 million verdict against Westchester Medical Center for William Lee, the largest medical-malpractice award in the county's history.
Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf2023 · Westchester County, NYRead the full story → - $120 millionVerdictMedical Malpractice
$120 Million Verdict for Woman Left Brain-Damaged After Three NYC Hospitals Missed Her Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
A Bronx jury awarded $120 million to Jacqueline Martin, a 45-year-old mother who suffered permanent brain damage after three New York City hospitals repeatedly failed to recognize and treat a severe allergic reaction to seizure medication that triggered Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
After trial: The hospital corporation announced an appeal; no final public outcome is on record.
- $117 millionVerdictProduct Liability
Record $117 Million Verdict for WTC Sheet Metal Worker Who Developed Mesothelioma Decades After Asbestos Exposure
A New York County jury awarded $117 million to William Durbec and his wife Victoria in May 2025, the largest single-plaintiff asbestos verdict in New York State history, after Durbec developed pleural mesothelioma from asbestos-containing fireproofing he breathed during years of sheet metal work at the original World Trade Center.
- $110.17 millionVerdictPremises Liability
Brooklyn Jury Awards Paralyzed Cyclist $110.17 Million Against NYC Transit
A Brooklyn jury found the NYC Transit Authority fully at fault after a track crew dropped a railroad tie onto cyclist Robert Liciaga, severing his spine, and returned $110,174,972.38.
After trial: Judgment was entered at $69.7 million after post-trial reductions; the appeal was decided in 2024.
- $100 millionVerdictSexual Abuse
$100 Million CVA Verdict: Largest in New York History for Childhood Sexual Abuse
An Erie County jury awarded $100 million to a woman sexually abused over four years beginning at age 12, the largest Child Victims Act verdict in New York State history.
After trial: Awarded against an individual defendant and essentially uncollectable; the total includes $50 million in punitive damages.
- $96,906,004VerdictCar Accidents
$96.9M Verdict: Nassau County Ignored 108 Crashes Before Teen Was Catastrophically Injured
A Nassau County jury awarded $96,906,004 to a woman who suffered catastrophic brain injuries at age 15 at an intersection the county had been warned about for years, making it the second-largest verdict in Nassau County history.
- $95 millionVerdictSexual Abuse
$95 Million CVA Verdict Against Former Rochester Priest for 1979 Childhood Sexual Abuse
A Monroe County jury ordered former Rochester Catholic priest Foster Rogers to pay $95 million to a man he sexually assaulted in 1979, when the victim was 15 years old, in one of the largest Child Victims Act verdicts in New York history.
After trial: Awarded against an individual defendant; collection prospects are limited.
- $85 millionVerdictCar Accidents
$85 Million Verdict for a Pedestrian Run Over by a Manhattan Tour Bus
A Manhattan jury awarded $85 million to a writer and former New York Times columnist who was severely injured by a double-decker sightseeing bus while lawfully crossing the street.
Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf2018 · New York County (Manhattan), NYRead the full story → - $65 millionVerdictSexual Abuse
$65 Million Verdict for Child Sex Abuse Survivor Against Former Buffalo YMCA Counselor
An Erie County jury awarded $65 million to a woman who was sexually abused over seven years as a child by former Buffalo YMCA counselor James B. Jackson, in one of the largest verdicts under New York's Child Victims Act.
All New York verdicts and settlements
94 results, largest first
Sullivan Papain was among the firms representing New York State against Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, and Lorillard, securing a $25 billion recovery through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
Anapol Weiss shareholder Kristen Gibbons Feden helped secure $1.6 billion in default verdicts for 104 women sexually abused as children by former Long Island pediatrician Stuart Copperman, one of the largest cumulative civil awards against a single individual in U.S. history.
Cohen & Malad attorneys Irwin Levin and Richard Shevitz served on the court-appointed plaintiffs executive committee that negotiated a $1.25 billion class action settlement with Credit Suisse, UBS, and Swiss Bank Corporation on behalf of Holocaust survivors and their heirs.
Hunter Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik represented Nassau County in negotiations that produced a $1.1 billion settlement with McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, the three largest prescription drug distributors in the United States.
Paul Napoli served as court-appointed co-liaison counsel for nearly 10,000 firefighters, police officers, and construction workers who developed respiratory diseases after working at Ground Zero, securing a settlement worth up to $712.5 million against the city and its contractors.
Sullivan Papain served as court-appointed co-liaison counsel in the World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation, helping secure a settlement of more than $712 million for roughly 10,000 police officers, firefighters, and construction workers who developed serious respiratory and other illnesses after working in the toxic ruins of the World Trade Center.
A 565-foot crawler crane toppled across a Tribeca street in 2016, killing a young mathematician; the case settled for $272.5 million.
A Manhattan jury returned a $190 million consolidated verdict against boiler manufacturers Cleaver-Brooks and Burnham LLC on behalf of five tri-state tradesmen who developed mesothelioma from occupational asbestos exposure, setting a record as the largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history.
A Bronx jury in February 2016 awarded $183 million to five FDNY firefighters and the families of those killed after the city was found 80% liable for removing personal safety ropes years before a 2005 Bronx tenement fire that forced six firefighters to jump from a fourth-floor window.
After a Westchester jury found Metro-North 71% at fault for the 2015 Valhalla grade-crossing disaster, a settlement exceeding $182 million resolved the claims of roughly 30 victims and their families.
Thomas Moore won a $172 million jury verdict in Bronx Supreme Court for a woman left with catastrophic brain damage after FDNY EMTs responded to her 1998 cardiac arrest without essential equipment and advised her family to wait for a second ambulance instead of transporting her immediately.
After on-call residents missed a stroke on a CT scan and delayed lifesaving treatment for hours, Gair Gair Conason won a $120 million verdict against Westchester Medical Center for William Lee, the largest medical-malpractice award in the county's history.
A Bronx jury awarded $120 million to Jacqueline Martin, a 45-year-old mother who suffered permanent brain damage after three New York City hospitals repeatedly failed to recognize and treat a severe allergic reaction to seizure medication that triggered Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
A New York County jury awarded $117 million to William Durbec and his wife Victoria in May 2025, the largest single-plaintiff asbestos verdict in New York State history, after Durbec developed pleural mesothelioma from asbestos-containing fireproofing he breathed during years of sheet metal work at the original World Trade Center.
A Brooklyn jury found the NYC Transit Authority fully at fault after a track crew dropped a railroad tie onto cyclist Robert Liciaga, severing his spine, and returned $110,174,972.38.
An Erie County jury awarded $100 million to a woman sexually abused over four years beginning at age 12, the largest Child Victims Act verdict in New York State history.
A Nassau County jury awarded $96,906,004 to a woman who suffered catastrophic brain injuries at age 15 at an intersection the county had been warned about for years, making it the second-largest verdict in Nassau County history.
A Monroe County jury ordered former Rochester Catholic priest Foster Rogers to pay $95 million to a man he sexually assaulted in 1979, when the victim was 15 years old, in one of the largest Child Victims Act verdicts in New York history.
A Manhattan jury awarded $85 million to a writer and former New York Times columnist who was severely injured by a double-decker sightseeing bus while lawfully crossing the street.
An Erie County jury awarded $65 million to a woman who was sexually abused over seven years as a child by former Buffalo YMCA counselor James B. Jackson, in one of the largest verdicts under New York's Child Victims Act.
After a routine lumbar epidural steroid injection left a Long Island man permanently paralyzed, Gair Gair Conason won a $60 million verdict for the client of attorney Marijo C. Adimey. It is believed to be the largest medical-malpractice award in Nassau County history.
M. Anderson Berry of Arnold Law Firm was among plaintiffs' counsel in a $60 million class action settlement against Morgan Stanley Smith Barney arising from two separate failures to secure customer data on decommissioned IT equipment, affecting approximately 15 million current and former clients.
A New York jury awarded $60 million to business sellers Dennis Demetre and Lori Lewis after finding HMS Holdings Corp. breached the earn-out provisions of a stock purchase agreement; HMS later settled the judgment for $20 million.
After a methanol "rainbow" demonstration erupted into a fireball and burned 16-year-old Alonzo Yanes over more than 30 percent of his body, Gair Gair Conason won a $59.17 million verdict against the New York City Department of Education and his chemistry teacher.