Richard M. Steigman Named 2027 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs in New York City

Recognition follows Steigman's role as lead trial counsel in the landmark Metro-North Valhalla train crash litigation, which resulted in settlements exceeding $182 million.

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is proud to announce that partner Richard M. Steigman has been named the 2027 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in New York City.

This marks the second time Steigman has received a Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" honor and recognizes his accomplishments across two major areas of plaintiffs' litigation. He was previously named 2022 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs in New York City.

The Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" distinction is awarded to only one lawyer in a specific practice area and geographic region, making it a particularly significant recognition within the legal profession.

Steigman's 2027 recognition comes following his pivotal role in the litigation arising from the 2015 Metro-North Valhalla train crash, the deadliest accident in Metro-North Railroad history.

Steigman and the firm's Managing Partner, Ben B. Rubinowitz, served as lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs during the liability phase of the litigation. Following a six-week trial in Westchester County, the jury found Metro-North 71% responsible for the collision and the driver of the vehicle 29% responsible.

That landmark liability verdict ultimately paved the way for settlements exceeding $182 million for the families of five passengers who were killed and dozens of passengers who were injured in the crash.

Steigman was also a member of the trial team with Rubinowitz and partner Jeffrey B. Bloom that obtained a $120 million medical malpractice verdict in Westchester County for a 41-year-old husband and father who suffered catastrophic brain damage following a failure to timely diagnose and treat a basilar artery stroke. The verdict was ranked the #1 verdict in New York State across all practice areas in 2023.

A partner at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, Steigman has spent decades representing plaintiffs in complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases. His practice encompasses all stages of high-stakes litigation, including case preparation, trial and appellate proceedings in New York state and federal courts.

Steigman graduated with distinction from Hofstra University School of Law, where he served as a member of the Hofstra Law Review. His history with the firm began even before he became an attorney, when he worked at the firm as a paralegal. He returned as an attorney in 1997 and later became a partner.

His selection as the 2027 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in New York City, following his previous "Lawyer of the Year" recognition in medical malpractice, reflects Steigman's longstanding commitment to representing seriously injured individuals and families in some of New York's most challenging and consequential cases.

Richard Steigman, [email protected]

SOURCE Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf