Joseph J. Manna is a Buffalo trial lawyer whose practice focuses on medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, product liability, construction accidents, and complex civil litigation. He has practiced law since 1996 and has spent his career handling serious cases involving substantial injury, disputed liability, complex medical and technical issues, and high-stakes litigation.

Mr. Manna represents patients and families in medical malpractice cases involving surgical errors, delayed diagnosis, failure to diagnose cancer and other serious conditions, neurologic injury, hospital negligence, radiology errors, and other departures from accepted standards of medical care. These cases frequently require the analysis of extensive medical records, sophisticated expert testimony, and difficult questions of causation—including whether an injury resulted from negligence or instead represented an unavoidable complication of medical treatment.

He also represents individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of defective products, construction accidents, unsafe premises, and other forms of negligence. His product liability practice involves serious injuries caused by defectively designed or manufactured products and failures to provide adequate warnings.

Mr. Manna has particular experience in construction-related litigation. He represents injured workers and others in significant construction-accident cases, including claims arising under New York Labor Law §§ 200, 240 and 241(6). In addition to representing injured plaintiffs, he has substantial experience litigating complex commercial construction disputes. That combination gives him an unusually broad understanding of construction projects, including the relationships among owners, general contractors and subcontractors; contractual and site-safety responsibilities; means and methods of construction; site control; indemnification; and the practical realities of construction work.

Mr. Manna has received repeated peer recognition across several distinct areas of litigation. He has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Litigation – Construction, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs.

Best Lawyers has named Mr. Manna Buffalo “Lawyer of the Year” four times in three different areas of litigation:

  • Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2027
  • Litigation – Construction, 2023
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 2022
  • Litigation – Construction, 2021

Mr. Manna has also been selected to New York Super Lawyers each year from 2012 through 2026 and was named to the Top 50 Upstate New York Super Lawyers list in 2025 and 2026.

Throughout his career, Mr. Manna has handled matters involving serious and permanent injuries where the outcome depends upon a detailed understanding of medicine, engineering, construction practices, product design, expert testimony, and trial strategy. He takes a hands-on role in developing his cases, working closely with clients and medical, engineering, scientific, and other technical experts to identify the critical factual and legal issues and prepare cases for trial.

His experience is not limited to a single category of plaintiff litigation. The breadth of his practice—including medical malpractice, product liability, personal injury, and construction litigation—allows him to approach complicated injury cases from multiple perspectives and to understand both the technical issues underlying an accident and the legal principles governing responsibility for it.

Mr. Manna has also been active in the Western New York legal community, including leadership in trial-lawyer organizations and the teaching of trial advocacy and courtroom practice.

He is a managing partner at Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP in Buffalo, New York.

Practice Areas

  • Medical Malpractice
  • Delayed Diagnosis and Failure to Diagnose
  • Surgical and Neurologic Injury
  • Catastrophic Personal Injury
  • Product Liability
  • Construction Accidents
  • New York Labor Law Claims
  • Complex Civil Litigation
  • Construction Litigation

Selected Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America
  • Best Lawyers’ Buffalo Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2027
  • Best Lawyers’ Buffalo Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Construction, 2023
  • Best Lawyers’ Buffalo Lawyer of the Year, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 2022
  • Best Lawyers’ Buffalo Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Construction, 2021
  • New York Super Lawyers, 2012–2026
  • Top 50 Upstate New York Super Lawyers, 2025–2026