David Scher

With more than 20 years of experience fighting for victims of catastrophic accidents at the Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy, Partner David Scher has earned his reputation among New York State’s most respected names in personal injury law. As a law student at Fordham University School of Law, Mr. Scher worked for the New York State Attorney General’s Office and served as a law clerk for New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich, besides volunteering for a civil rights legal aid clinic. After graduating, he began and built his career at Block O’Toole & Murphy.

A partner at Block O’Toole & Murphy since 2012, Mr. Scher has developed a reputation for achieving landmark results, with a total in excess of $100 million. His many successes include multi-million-dollar settlements on behalf of workers injured on the job, auto and pedestrian accident victims, and surviving families in wrongful death cases.

Mr. Scher is the head of Block O’Toole & Murphy’s appellate practice. He regularly argues before the Appellate Division and has appeared before New York State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. An authority on the Labor Laws that govern worker safety in New York State, Mr. Scher is a passionate advocate for workers, successfully handling several appeals which rank among the most important decisions pertaining to construction site safety and workers’ rights in New York.

On behalf of over 5,000 New York State trial lawyers, he wrote an amicus curiae brief to the Court of Appeals which resulted in the Ortiz v. Varsity Holdings decision, which adopted his position, expanding the protections afforded to construction workers that fall from heights.

In 2023, Mr. Scher was installed as the 56th president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA). As president of NYSTLA, Mr. Scher has advocated for the passage of the Grieving Families Act, a bill, with overwhelming bipartisan support, which seeks to update the state’s wrongful death statute to allow family members in wrongful death cases to seek compensation for pain and suffering resulting from the loss of their loved one. He sits on NYSTLA’s Board of Directors and on several other committees.

Mr. Scher’s expertise is frequently sought out within the field. He has authored many articles for the New York Law Journal and other legal publications, frequently lectures to attorneys around the state about handling construction accident cases, and has appeared as an expert on panels that educate lawyers on best litigation practices. In education as in personal injury and trial, he is committed to bringing out the best in those around him and making New York State the best it can be for clients, workers, his fellow attorneys, and all who prioritize justice. “We’re all on a journey here to seek the truth,” he says of his role in relation to others in the courtroom. “That’s our job. We’re in this together.”