Thomas P. Giuffra

A partner of Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, McCartney & Giuffra, L.L.P., Tom specializes in the litigation and trial of significant medical malpractice, personal injury, pharmaceutical mass tort and product liability actions. He earned his reputation as a trial lawyer early in his career when he obtained his first million dollar verdict.  He was only four years out of law school. His successes as a leading trial lawyer have continued through a combination of hard work and dedication to his clients together with outstanding skills as an advocate. He has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict throughout New York in both State and Federal Court. He has represented severely injured plaintiffs for claims involving medical malpractice, construction accidents, civil rights violations, product liability, toxic torts, maritime, car accidents, premises accidents and general negligence. Tom has extensive experience in cases involving traumatic brain injury and birth trauma.  He has tried many of these types of cases with great success.

Over his 19 year career, Tom’s innovative approach, thorough preparation and trial advocacy skill has led to 16 verdicts and numerous settlements in excess of one million dollars on behalf of his clients. Tom is one of the youngest trial lawyers in New York to amass such a successful record. He has had one of the largest verdicts in New York State every year from 2008 to 2013 as reported by the New York Law Journal and one of the largest verdicts in the United States in 2008 and 2013 as reported by the National Law Journal. In 2014, the New York Law Journal selected four of Tom’s verdicts for inclusion in their Malpractice Verdict & Settlements Hall of Fame.

Since 2012, Tom has been named as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the New York Metropolitan Area by Super Lawyers.  For the past seven years, he has been recognized as one of the Top 5% of Lawyers in the New York Metropolitan Area by Super Lawyers for personal injury and medical malpractice litigation. Tom also holds the coveted Martindale-Hubbell A/V preeminent rating which is the highest peer review rating for legal ability and ethics. In 2011, Tom was honored by being elected to the National Trial Lawyers as one of the 100 Top Trial Lawyers in New York and among the best plaintiff’s attorneys in the United States. In recognition of his achievements as a trial attorney, he was appointed to and serves on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. His successes have resulted in his appointment to the Highest Panel of the Legal Referral Service of the New York City Bar Association. He was also appointed to and served on the Medical Malpractice Committee of The New York City Bar Association.

In addition, Tom is an expert legal commentator and has appeared on “Primetime Justice” and “Court T.V. Live” regarding product liability actions. He also figured prominently in the Dutch documentary entitled “Claiming Justice” regarding U.S. personal injury litigation and has also lectured on trial advocacy techniques and product liability litigation.

Areas of Practice

• Medical Malpractice
• Brain injury/Traumatic Brain Injury
• Personal Injury
• Construction Accidents
• Civil Rights Violations
• Product Liability
• Toxic Torts

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Languages

• Spanish

• New York, 1995
• New Jersey, 1994
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2009
• U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 2014
• U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1994
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1995
• U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1995
• U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1998
• U.S. Court of International Trade, 1995
• U.S. Tax Court, 1995

• St. John’s University School of Law, Jamaica, New York
  • J.D. – 1994
  • Honors: Member, Trial Advocacy Team
  • Honors: Best Advocate Civil Trial Institute 1993
  • Honors: Phi Delta Phi 1993

• Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
  • A.B. – 1991
  • Honors: Departmental Honors in History
  • Honors: Phi Alpha Theta: National History Honor Society 1990
  • Honors: Dean’s List

• Barton, Barton & Plotkin LLP, Partner, 2001 – 2011
• Rheingold, Valet & Rheingold LLP, Associate, 1996 – 2001
• Dougherty, Ryan, Giuffra & Zambito, Associate, 1994 – 1996

• Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, 2014
• National Association of Distinguished Counsel- Nation’s Top 100 Attorney Award, 2014
• Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, 2013
• National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys- Top 10 New York Attorney Award, 2013
• Top 100 New York Metro Super Lawyers, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury, 2012 – Present
• New York Metro Super Lawyers, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury, 2008 – 2011
• A/V Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale- Hubbell, Highest Possible Rating in Legal Ability and Legal Ethics, 2011 – Present
• National Trial Lawyers- Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York State, 2011 – Present
• Rated “Superb” by AVVO Attorney Rating Service
• National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Trial Advocacy Skills Diploma, 2004

• New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 2006 – Present
• New York City Bar Association, Medical Malpractice Committee
• American Association for Justice
• New York State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Maritime Law Association of the United States
• Brooklyn Bar Association

• $21 Million verdict for three children who suffered brain damage as a result of lead poisoning
• $20 Million verdict for infant who sustained traumatic brain injury
• $11 Million verdict for child who suffered brain damage as a result of lead poisoning
• $9 Million verdict for traumatic brain injury in motor vehicle accident
• $6.1 Million verdict for transmission of Hepatitis C due to improper use of the drug Propofol
• $4.194 Million verdict for failure to diagnose lung cancer
• $3.25 Million verdict for failure to treat MRSA
• $2.25 Million verdict for failure to properly perform a sphenoid sinus biopsy resulting in blindness in one eye
• $2.032 Million labor law verdict for a man who was injured at a construction site due to a defective scaffold
• $2 Million verdict for a man left unsupervised in a nursing home, resulting to his exposure to freezing temperatures and leading to wrongful death
• $2 Million settlement for a labor law action after a man’s right tibia was cut through by a saw at an unsafe worksite
• $1.975 Million settlement for two children who sustained brain damage due to lead poisoning
• $1.75 Million verdict for serious spinal injury in a motor vehicle accident
• $1.74 Million verdict for traumatic amputation of two fingers as a result of a defective snow blower
• $1.7 Million verdict for delayed treatment of a complication of cataract surgery resulting in blindness in one eye
• $1.6 Million labor law verdict for a man who fell from a ladder at a dangerous construction site resulting in traumatic brain injury
• $1.6 Million settlement for two children who brain damage as a result of lead poisoning
• $1.5 Million settlement for a doctor’s failure to timely diagnose lung cancer in a woman
• $1.26 Million verdict for a pedestrian sustaining traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident
• $1.08 Million verdict for failure to diagnose an I.V. infiltration of an infant
• $1 Million settlement for an infant who sustained brain damage due to lead poisoning

• Brice v. Vermeulen, 74 A.D.3d 858, 901 N.Y.S.2d 853 (N.Y.S.2d 2010)
• Alrobaia ex rel. Severs v. Park Lane Mosholu Corp., 74 A.D.3d 403, 902 N.Y.S.2d 63 (N.Y.S.2d 2010)
• Laguna v. New York City Housing Authority, 74 A.D.3d 498, 902 N.Y.S.2d 88 (N.Y.S.2d 2010)
• Quiroz v. Beitia, 58 A.D.3d 957, 893 N.Y.S.2d 70 (N.Y.S.2d 2009)
• Sau Fong Woo v. 267 Canal Street Corp., 59 A.D.3d 608, 874 N.Y.S.2d 181 (N.Y.S.2d 2009)
• Bakiridden v. Idi Construction Company, Inc., 45 A.D.3d 300, 846 N.Y.S.2d 1 (N.Y.S.2d 2007)
• Tiffany R. v. New York City Housing Authority, 35 A.D.3d 327 (A.D.3d 2006)
• People v. Salazar, 13 Misc.3d 120, 827 N.Y.S.2d 439 (N.Y.S.2d 2006)
• Santero v. Kotwal, 4 A.D.3d 464, 772 N.Y.S.2d 342 (N.Y.S.2d 2004)
• Stanley v. City of New York, New York City Housing Authority, 257 A.D.2d 497, 684 N.Y.S.2d 522 (N.Y.S.2d 1999)
• Abulhasan v. Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Company, 258 A.D.2d 728, 684 N.Y.S.2d 691 (N.Y.S.2d 1999)
• Employers Mutual Casualty Co. v. Key Pharmaceuticals, 75 F.3d 815 (2d Cir. 1996)
• DeRosa v. U.S. Dredging Corporation, 215 A.D.2d 625, 628 N.Y.S.2d 314 (N.Y.S.2d 1995)
• Flannery v. General Motors Corporation, 86 N.Y.2d 771, 655 N.E.2d 176, 631 N.Y.S.2d 135 (N.Y.2d 1995)

• “Presenting Future Economic Damages,” New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting, 2015
• “Robotic Surgery Litigation,” Attorney’s Information & Exchange Group Annual Meeting, 2014
• “Civil Trial Advocacy,” Syracuse University School of Law
• “Opening and Closing Statements,” St. John’s University School of Law