Lawyer Profile

Diana Santa Maria

Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria P.A.

Website for Diana Santa Maria

5220 South University Drive, Suite 205-C
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328
Phone: 954-434-1077
Firm Website: http://www.santamarialaw.net

Listed in Best Lawyers since 2009.

Attorney Bio

Diana Santa Maria is committed to obtaining justice and compensation for those injured or killed due to the negligence of others, while ensuring that unsafe and dangerous conditions are corrected.  Using the legal system and courts she brings attention to dangerous and defective conditions or practices. While working to secure compensation for her clients she strives to ensure that such dangerous conditions or practices be corrected to prevent further injury or loss to others. Over the years and through her firm's efforts defective conditions have been corrected, including roadway defects, pedestrian walkways and unsafe medical practices; medical techniques have been perfected or eliminated, security has been heightened at malls and other business establishments where crimes have occurred, dangerous construction site practices have been corrected including safer use of heavy machinery and equipment, products and services have been improved and emergency medical rescue plans have been implemented for athletes at competitive athletic events. In her practice she strives with passion to pursue justice and obtain compensation for her client's losses while ensuring that defective conditions are remedied for a safer and more secure world

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (Automobile Collision, Aviation Litigation, Brain Injury, Catastrophic Injury, Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Premises Liability, Product Liability, Wrongful Death)

Case History

  • Moore vs. North America Sports, et. al., — Lead Plaintiff lawyer in wrongful death case brought against North America Sports, USA Triathlon and others arising out of the death of a tri-athlete during the swim portion of the 2006 Panama City Ford Ironman.  The case was  brought and taken to trial in spite of  Waivers and Releases of Liability signed by the deceased competitor because of the Defendants'' negligent failure to provide adequate supervision and emergency life saving measures for the 2500 competitiors in the event. To date there have been numerous swim related deaths arising out of these triathlons. Frequently the failure to implement an emergency safety plan including adequate supervision of the swimmers and a readily available cardiac defibrillator would have made the difference between life and death for these competitors. We are now the lead lawyers in a 2nd case (Trudy Ivins vs. North America Sports et al, ) which has been filed for a similar wrongful death drowning that occurred in the same competition the following year  (2007 Panama City Ford Iroman) . These cases are the first cases ever filed against North America Sports and USA Triathlon for  swim related deaths of competitors in Ironman and other such Triathlon events. These cases hope to raise the standards of safety needed to protect the lives of competitors particularly during the Swim portion of these competitive events.
  • Diana Brady and Shannon Sneeden vs. State of Florida Department of Transportation et al, — In this case we were the lead Plaintiff''s lawfirm suing the State of Florida and numerous road contractors arising out the construction of a superhighway in Florida. Numerous accidents had occurred there as a result of construction defects when the road was built causing puddling in the road, ultimately a prominent South Florida real estate developer was killed there in a one car collision.  Finally the State of Florida corrected the defect by creating a drain for the water to run- off. As a result of our lawsuit, corrections were finally made to the road way that ended the chain of accidents occurring there as a result of puddling.

Education

  • University of Miami (AB) (1981)
  • University of Miami (J.D.) (1984)

Bar Admissions

  • Florida, United States

Organizations & Affiliations

  • Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism — Commission Member
  • South Broward Bar Association — Board of Directors
  • National Crime Victims Bar Association — Board of Directors
  • Broward County Bar Association — Board of Directors
  • Florida Justice Association — Board of Directors (1996-2006)
  • American Board of Trial Advocates — Executive Board Member- Secretary

Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America Personal Injury Litigation
  • Florida Super Lawyers 2006-2010
  • Martindale Hubbel AV Rating for past 10 years
  • Martindale Hubbel Law Directory of Preeminent Lawyers
  • Million Dollar Advoates Forum

Other Info

Gender: Female
Race: Hispanic-American
Languages Spoken
  • English
  • French
  • Spanish