Jeff D. DeFrancisco, Esq.

A lifelong New Yorker and resident of Upstate New York, Jeff D. DeFrancisco has deep personal and professional ties to the communities he serves. He represents injured people and families throughout Syracuse, Rochester, Central New York, and Upstate New York in personal injury and medical malpractice cases.

Clients have described Jeff as an attorney of the “highest quality” who goes “above and beyond.” Those comments reflect the personal attention and commitment he brings to his work. His professional recognitions provide prospective clients with independent ways to evaluate his experience, case results, and reputation within the legal profession.

Throughout his career, Jeff has handled many complex cases resulting in substantial verdicts, arbitration awards, and settlements. Some examples of his work include:

BRAIN INJURY: $17,500,000 in payments in a brain injury matter, including cash, anticipated lifetime payments to the injured person, and guaranteed lifetime payments to the injured person’s child.

BIRTH INJURY:  More than $14,500,000 in lifetime payments in a birth injury case.

PARALYSIS:  $11,200,000 unanimous arbitration award for a patient who experienced paralysis.

PARALYSIS: $10,000,000 jury verdict following a three-week medical malpractice trial involving paralysis after back surgery.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: $9,600,000 in payments to a family for medical malpractice.

BRAIN INJURY:  $9,400,000 in payments to a family involving a brain injury.

BIRTH INJURY: $6,000,000 birth injury settlement, together with future medical expenses payable through the New York Medical Indemnity Fund.

BIRTH INJURY: $5,600,000 birth injury recovery that included lump-sum and lifetime payments, as well as coverage of the child’s qualifying future medical needs through the Medical Indemnity Fund.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE:  $5,000,000 medical malpractice settlement for an injured child.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: $3,800,000 settlement for medical malpractice.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE:  $3,000,000 medical malpractice settlement.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: $2,800,000 medical malpractice settlement.

BIRTH INJURY: $2,800,000 settlement for an injured child.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE:  $2,250,000 medical malpractice settlement on a case that was turned down by two other law firms.

PERSONAL INJURY: $2,125,000 settlement for a motor vehicle accident.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: $1,690,000 medical malpractice verdict.  The verdict was challenged on appeal and ultimately upheld by the New York Court of Appeals.

WRONGFUL DEATH:  $1,600,000 jury verdict for a case that two other law firms declined to pursue.

PERSONAL INJURY:  $1,000,000 settlement arising from a motor vehicle accident.

These are just some examples that illustrate the range and complexity of the cases Jeff has handled. More cases can be seen on the verdicts and settlements page.

Jeff has been selected to the New York Super Lawyers list every year from 2012 through 2026 for his work in personal injury and medical malpractice. This sustained recognition is especially meaningful because Super Lawyers makes its selections annually through a process that combines peer input with independent research into an attorney’s professional achievements. No more than 5% of attorneys in each state are selected each year.

Super Lawyers is an annual recognition, not a professional membership. For people searching for a personal injury or medical malpractice lawyer, Jeff’s repeated inclusion on the list offers another measure of the reputation he has earned within New York’s legal community. It also reflects recognition sustained over many years, rather than an honor received on only one occasion.

Jeff has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. Best Lawyers relies entirely on confidential peer review, asking lawyers to evaluate the professional abilities of colleagues who practice in the same area of law and geographic region.

Because this recognition comes from fellow attorneys familiar with the demands of plaintiffs’ personal injury and medical malpractice litigation, it offers prospective clients a valuable professional perspective on Jeff’s work. Lawyers do not pay to receive recognition or to be included in the Best Lawyers publication.

Jeff’s individual honors are complemented by the recognition earned by DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Law Firm. The firm has been recognized regionally by Best Law Firms® in Syracuse for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs.

Best Law Firms looks beyond the accomplishments of a single attorney. Its evaluation considers feedback from clients and professional references, assessments from other lawyers, interviews with legal-industry leaders, and information about the firm’s work. For prospective clients, the recognition speaks not only to Jeff’s experience but also to the reputation and capabilities of the team supporting each case.

Jeff’s membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum reflects another important aspect of his experience: handling cases involving serious injuries and substantial recoveries. To qualify, an attorney must have served as principal counsel in at least one case that resulted in a final verdict, arbitration award, or settlement of $2 million or more for the attorney’s client. The organization reviews information submitted by applicants to determine whether a result meets its requirements.

This experience can be particularly relevant to families facing the consequences of catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice, birth injuries, paralysis, or wrongful death. Although no past result can predict what will happen in another matter, Jeff’s membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum confirms that he has served as principal counsel in complex litigation resulting in at least one qualifying multimillion-dollar recovery. Additional examples of his work are available on the firm’s verdicts and settlements page.

No single award or membership should determine a person’s choice of attorney. Taken together, however, Jeff’s professional recognitions, significant case results, client feedback, and years of experience give prospective clients several useful points of reference when deciding who should represent them.

Jeff earned his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. Before law school, he graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in business finance and economics.

He was admitted to practice law in New York in 2000 and was also admitted that year to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. His education, combined with more than two decades of litigation experience, provides the foundation for his work representing people and families affected by serious injuries and medical negligence.

Attorney DeFrancisco has extensive experience handling all different types of personal injury matters including medical malpractice, birth injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, cancer cases, wrongful death, and general personal injury cases such as automobile and truck accidents. Because his practice is devoted to representing the injured and their families, he is extremely knowledgeable on the law, medicine, and the human anatomy.

Awards, ratings, memberships, reported cases, and prior results can all help a prospective client evaluate an attorney, but they are only part of the decision. People seeking representation should also consider whether the lawyer has handled similar claims, understands the issues involved, has the resources to investigate and litigate the matter thoroughly, and is prepared to take the case to trial when necessary.

If you have been seriously injured, call today for a free consultation.