Best Lawyers Near You in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Florida is home to more than 23 million people, hundreds of industries and a wide range of legal needs. From individuals navigating personal matters like divorce or estate planning to businesses managing complex contracts or regulatory hurdles, legal guidance plays a critical role in daily life across the state.
Florida’s unique economic drivers—tourism, real estate, agriculture and healthcare—create specific legal demands that often require attorneys with focused regional experience. Whether you're in the Keys, the Panhandle, or Central Florida, understanding the local context can be just as important as understanding the law.
When it’s time to find the right attorney in Florida for your needs, language matters too. In Florida—as in most states—lawyer and attorney are often used interchangeably. But technically, only an attorney is licensed to practice law.
That distinction matters here. Best Lawyers only includes professionals who are fully licensed and actively practicing—legal advocates recognized by their peers for excellence in skill, ethics and service.
Whether you're facing a personal challenge, planning for the future, or trying to protect your business, Best Lawyers connects you with attorneys across Florida who are qualified, trusted and ready to help.
How to Use This Page
Our directory makes it easy to find a Florida attorney who fits your needs. You can search by practice area, city, or name. Whether you’re based in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tallahassee, or anywhere in between, the search tools are designed for speed and clarity.
Each attorney profile provides:
- Areas of practice
- Years of experience
- Peer-review distinctions
- Contact information and firm affiliations
This transparency helps you evaluate your options and choose someone with the right background for your specific legal issue. You’re accessing a curated list of professionals with proven reputations in their field.
This is more than a directory—it’s a research tool for making smarter legal decisions. Whether you’re hiring an attorney for the first time or seeking secondary advice on an ongoing matter, the information here helps you avoid guesswork. It’s especially useful for individuals managing high-stakes or emotionally charged issues, like a contested divorce or a business dispute with large financial consequences.
Legal Coverage Throughout Florida
No matter where you live or what kind of legal help you need, chances are we’ve got it covered. Best Lawyers recognizes attorneys in both high-demand and niche areas of practice across all corners of the state. This directory includes lawyers from large metro areas like Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, as well as smaller communities like Gainesville, Pensacola and Sarasota, ensuring you can find representation no matter where you're located.
Some of the most commonly searched legal services in Florida include:
- Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice: With Florida’s population growth and busy roadways, personal injury and accident attorneys play a major role in helping people recover and rebuild.
- Family Law and Divorce: Family-related matters—from custody disputes to prenuptial agreements—require attorneys with both skill and sensitivity.
- Real Estate and Land Use: Florida’s hot real estate markets make it essential to have a qualified attorney for closings, zoning, development and litigation.
- Business and Corporate Law: From startups in Miami to legacy businesses in the Panhandle, attorneys guide everything from contracts to mergers.
- Criminal Defense: Experienced defense attorneys help clients navigate Florida’s criminal justice system with insight and integrity.
- Immigration Law: As a diverse and international state, Florida sees high demand for legal representation in immigration and naturalization matters.
- Estate Planning and Elder Law: With many retirees and aging residents, Florida has a strong need for attorneys who specialize in wills, trusts, Medicaid planning and probate.
We also include lawyers practicing in emerging or specialized fields, such as cybersecurity law, cannabis regulation, aviation law and education law. With so many attorneys practicing across Florida, it can be difficult to know who truly stands out. That’s where Best Lawyers adds genuine value by showing you not just every practitioner who’s licensed, but qualified attorneys who have earned the respect of their peers through years of dedicated service and proven results.
A Peer-Review Process You Can Trust
Every attorney listed in our Florida page has earned recognition through Best Lawyers’ rigorous annual peer-review process. This is a comprehensive methodology grounded in the insights of the legal community itself.
Here’s how it works:
- Nomination: Lawyers are nominated by peers or clients who have observed their work firsthand.
- Peer Review: Attorneys in the same practice area assess the nominee’s skill, integrity and results. This is confidential and weighted.
- Eligibility and Verification: Nominees must be in good standing with the bar and actively practicing law. We verify their status through state bar associations and other professional channels.
- Annual Re-evaluation: Because legal landscapes evolve, our recognitions are not static. Each year, the process begins again to ensure continued excellence.
This process helps ensure the integrity of our listings. If you’re selecting an attorney from our directory, you’re choosing someone who didn’t just claim to be the best—they were recognized by other attorneys as among the best in their field.
Start Your Search for an Attorney in Florida by Practice Area or City
Whether you’re dealing with a landlord dispute, a complicated contract, or a life-changing injury, finding the right attorney can make all the difference. Best Lawyers makes that search faster, clearer and more trustworthy.
Explore our Florida pages to find top-rated attorneys by:
- Practice Area: Choose the legal focus that best matches your needs.
- City: Get local insights and representation in your region.
Your legal matter deserves careful consideration—and the right advocate. With Best Lawyers, you’re not just searching. You’re starting from a foundation of credibility, clarity and peer-backed trust. Browse by practice area or location to get started today and feel confident knowing that every name you see here has been vetted by fellow attorneys who know what it takes to provide outstanding legal service in Florida.
Practice Area Overview
The term “personal injury” applies to a wide area of claims that arise when one party believes that his or her damages were caused by another party, resulting in a lawsuit. Examples of personal injury claims range from those involving wrongful death to defective products to motor vehicle accidents to discrimination and sexual harassment cases, as well as business torts such as breach of contract or securities fraud.
If the wrongful conduct of another party can be proved, the injured party may be entitled to monetary compensation from that party. Most plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyers represent clients on a contingency fee basis and receive compensation only when the case is resolved. This enables people who would otherwise be unable to afford a lawyer to have legal representation.
If someone thinks they have a personal injury case, it is important to consult with an experienced lawyer to explore your legal rights. Claims can, for example, be made by individuals, by a guardian, by a decedent’s estate as well as by larger groups in class action lawsuits, depending upon the nature of the case.
Key factors to consider in hiring a personal injury litigator are their willingness and ability to take the case to trial and a proven track record in obtaining settlements or winning jury trials – whether the claim is the wrongful death of a loved one or a spinal cord injury.
The plaintiff has the burden of proving their case. The more complex the case, the more essential it is to know that the legal team has the experience and resources that will give the plaintiff the greatest opportunity for success, whether the issue is handling a defective tire case or a train accident. This includes the ability to take an expert’s deposition, conduct mock trials and/or present tech-savvy evidence at trial.
What Is a Personal Injury Attorney?
A personal injury attorney provides representation to those who have been physically or emotionally injured as a result of someone else’s:
- Negligence.
- Wrong-Doing.
- Recklessness.
Many personal injury lawyers handle a wide variety of these cases; some of the top personal injury attorneys are much more specialized. When evaluating the best personal injury lawyers for their particular case, a plaintiff should discuss the harm they’ve suffered and the potential settlement. A personal injury lawyer will work to ensure the plaintiff gets their medical expenses paid as well as compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages and other issues.
Personal injury attorneys may choose to focus on one or more of the following.
Accidents and Wrongful Death
A personal injury litigation attorney is a legal professional who specializes in representing individuals who have been injured in accidents or through the negligence of others. These attorneys have experience in a wide range of practice areas, including:
- Slip and falls.
- Car accidents.
- Truck accidents.
- Wrongful death.
- Premises liability.
- Workers’ compensation.
A good personal injury attorney will be able to present the strongest version of their client’s cases, helping accident victims and other injured plaintiffs get the representation they deserve.
Specializing in representing individuals who have suffered harm or injury due to the negligence, recklessness or intentional actions of others, personal injury attorneys handle cases involving various types of injuries, including those resulting from medical malpractice or product liability.
Product Liability
In cases involving product liability, personal injury attorneys work to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable for producing and distributing defective or dangerous products that cause harm to consumers. While product liability is often a separate area of law, a personal injury attorney may represent an individual to litigate settlements based on emotional or physical injury.
Medical Malpractice
In cases of medical malpractice, personal injury attorneys help clients who have suffered injuries due to the negligence or misconduct of healthcare providers. Generally speaking, medical malpractice is its own separate legal practice area, but a personal injury lawyer may be involved if an individual has suffered physical or emotional harm as a result of medical malpractice.
Litigation Support for Personal Injury
In addition to providing legal representation, many personal injury attorneys offer litigation support services to their clients. These services may include:
- Helping them manage their medical bills and expenses.
- Negotiating with insurance companies on their behalf.
- Gathering evidence to support their case.
How Personal Injury Attorneys Operate
Personal injury attorneys also work to ensure that their clients' cases are cost-effective by conducting thorough investigations and pursuing settlements when possible. They have extensive knowledge of personal injury law and can advise clients on the best course of action to take, including the applicable statute of limitations.
Law firms specializing in personal injury law typically have experienced attorneys who can handle cases involving a wide range of injuries, including those resulting from car accidents, slip and falls and workplace accidents. They work to protect their clients' rights and obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries and losses.
Injury & Malpractice Legal Guide 2025
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Florida attorney, Jay Cohen focuses his practice in Plaintiff Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. As a senior partner at Cohen, Blostein & Ayala, P.A. , he represents individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic loss due to the negligence of others. His experience and professionalism have earned him membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, peer recognition from Super Lawyers, Florida’s Legal Elite and The Best Lawyers® in America, and an AV Preeminent...
Attorney Todd R. Falzone is an experienced South Florida personal injury lawyer who has secured dozens of multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for personal injury and wrongful death victims. Mr. Falzone has helped secure hundreds of millions in compensation on behalf of clients at Kelley/Uustal, particularly in the areas of product liability, auto accidents, premises liability, medical negligence, maritime accidents, and discrimination. He has been named one of the most effective law...
James S. Haliczer is the Co-Founder and Of Counsel of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, residing in the Fort Lauderdale office. For more than 30 years, Jim has built a reputation for litigation excellence, serving as trial counsel in a broad range of cases, including medical and legal malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death and commercial disputes. He also has the unique perspective of having successfully represented his clients on both the defense and plaintiff side, affording him an unpar...
Attorney Robert W. Kelley is a founding Partner at Kelley/Uustal. Mr. Kelley is a highly accomplished attorney. He has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including his continued inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America publication, Florida Super Lawyers ® Magazine, and South Florida’s Best Lawyers. Mr. Kelley has tried over 100 jury trials. His record of success includes the 7th largest jury verdict in the country according to the National Law Journal, and more than 25 multi-m...
Debra Potter Klauber is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm. As head of the Appellate Practice , Debbie collaborates with HPS trial counsel on strategic issues, conducts extensive research and prepares complex motions throughout the litigation and in preparation for trial. She also handles all interlocutory and final appeals throughout the state. Further, she serves as the firm’s in-house resource on the latest legal developments, providing ongoing u...
Kenneth J. Miller is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm. Ken focuses his practice in the areas of medical malpractice, premises liability, personal injury and administrative law. He is a native Floridian, having practiced in Broward County since 1992. Ken has extensive trial experience in the areas of medical malpractice, premises liability and personal injury. He is also frequently invited to present to insurance companies, hospitals and other health car...
Eugene K. Pettis is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, residing in the Fort Lauderdale office. For 37 years, Eugene has represented an impressive number of individual clients in civil trial matters and has also represented many corporate and public sector clients. He handles a range of complex cases, with a primary focus on representing plaintiffs in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury and commercial litigation. Eugene has the historic and laudab...
Robert M. Roselli devotes his practice to major insurance claims and the representation of individuals and families who have suffered serious injury or the loss of a loved one as a result of the negligence of a person or company. Cases that Mr. Roselli has championed have been featured in The Florida Jury Verdict Review & Analysis, Florida Jury Verdict Reporter and The Product Liability Reporter. In recognition of his achievements for his clients, Mr. Roselli has been inducted into Multi-...
Peter Spillis brings more than 20 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer to Kelley/Uustal. He has worked as defense counsel for some of the largest insurance companies in the world, and today uses his insight to protect the rights of injured victims and families. Mr. Spillis has been named to the 2010 “Legal Elite” list by Florida Trend magazine and has been recognized as a Top Lawyer by the South Florida Legal Guide from 2012 through 2014.
Attorney John Uustal is a founding partner at the Fort Lauderdale law firm, Kelley/Uustal. John specializes in protecting the rights of catastrophically injured victims. Mr. Uustal holds an impressive record of success, including many multi-million dollar verdicts and a $51 million car accident verdict—one of the largest verdicts ever awarded for an individual. As a result of his continued success, Mr. Uustal has been named one of the Best lawyers in America and has been included in mul...
Trisha Widowfield is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm. Trish handles complex civil litigation matters, focusing her practice in the areas of medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury. She has extensive experience across the State of Florida representing individuals, families, and corporations. In September 2021, Trish served as trial co-counsel, winning a $6.46M verdict for a HPS client, the largest wrongful death medical malpractice jury ver...
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Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
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