Best Lawyers in Florida, United States for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Practice Area Overview
Personal injury law involves cases in which an individual has been physically or emotionally harmed due to the actions of another party. The purpose of personal injury law is to provide compensation for the injured party, either through a settlement or through a court judgment.
In Florida, personal injury lawyers handle complex laws that can involve a variety of different situations. Personal injury law in Florida involves injury claims, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim and the damages that may be awarded to the injured party.
Types of Personal Injury Cases in Florida
Personal injury cases in Florida can arise from a variety of different situations, including:
Car accidents:
This is one of the most common types of personal injury cases in Florida. If someone is involved in a car accident that was caused by another driver's negligence, they may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover damages.
Slip and fall accidents:
Property owners have a responsibility to maintain safe conditions on their premises. A person involved in an accident on a private or commercial property may be able to file a personal injury claim if the slip and fall was due to a property hazard.
Medical malpractice:
If a patient is injured due to the negligence of a healthcare provider, they may be able to file a medical malpractice claim.
Defective products:
If a consumer is injured due to a defective product, they may be able to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer or seller of the product.
Dog bites:
If a person is bitten by a dog, the owner may be liable for the injured party’s damages.
Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases in Florida
The statute of limitations is the time period within which a person must file a personal injury claim. In Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is four years from the date of the injury. This means that if a person is injured in an accident, they must file a claim within four years of the accident.
However, there are exceptions to the statute of limitations. For example, if the injured party was a minor at the time of the injury, the statute of limitations may be extended until the injured party reaches the age of 18. A law firm with personal injury attorneys in Florida can help you navigate such nuances of your personal injury lawsuit.
Damages in Personal Injury Cases in Florida
If an injured party is successful in your personal injury claim, they may be awarded damages to compensate them for their losses. Damages in personal injury cases in Florida can include:
Medical expenses:
This includes the cost of medical treatment for the injuries sustained in the accident.
Lost wages:
If the injured party is unable to work due to their injuries, they may be entitled to compensation for the wages lost.
Pain and suffering:
This is a non-economic damage that is intended to compensate the injured party for the physical and emotional pain and suffering they have experienced.
Loss of earning capacity:
If injuries prevent someone from returning to their job or from pursuing their career, they may be entitled to compensation for the loss of earning capacity.
Property damage:
If property was damaged in the accident, the injured party may be entitled to compensation for the cost of repairing or replacing the property.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers for personal injury law 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 and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
Injury & Malpractice Legal Guide 2025
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Alex Arteaga-Gomez is a Partner at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, representing victims in general liability, mass tort, and medical malpractice matters. Before joining the firm, he acted as an assistant federal public defender at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he represented clients at trial and on appeal. He has tried cases and argued appeals in both state and federal courts and represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court.Between his ...
THEODORE (TED) BABBITT is a former managing partner at Babbitt & Johnson, P.A. who for the past five decades has represented individuals in personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial cases. In 1970, he obtained the first verdict in Palm Beach County for a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case; in 1975, he obtained the first jury verdict in Palm Beach County in excess of one million dollars. When Mr. Babbitt was 17 years old he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and still managed to be sw...
Rosalyn “Sia" Baker-Barnes is a Shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., and the Chairperson of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. In her over 20-year career, she has successfully pursued justice for victims in personal injury, medical negligence and product liability cases and frequently lectures throughout the United States on catastrophic injury cases. She has achieved numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements, includi...
F. GREG BARNHART , a senior partner at Searcy Denney Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., is recognized as one of America’s leading trial lawyers. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar and regularly handles cases throughout the United States. In addition to being named in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 25 years, Mr. Barnhart has been recognized as one of the Legal Elite in Florida Trend magazine, named a Top Lawyer in South Florida magazine, and listed ...
Brian Barr is President and a shareholder at Levin Papantonio. He litigates pharmaceutical, environmental, mass tort and personal injury cases throughout the country. Mr. Barr has been appointed to leadership in many of the largest mass tort cases in the country. Mr. Barr is presently serving as co-liaison counsel and a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs Litigation (MDL 2885) presently pending in the Northern District of Florida before the Honor...
T. HARDEE BASS III practices exclusively in the firm’s tobacco litigation unit, litigating cases against cigarette-making giants Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard Tobacco Company, and Liggett. He has tried numerous complex, multi-week tobacco cases in venues across the state of Florida, and has obtained multiple seven and eight figure verdicts, including: $21 million, Escambia County (2010) $21 million, Sarasota County (2018) $20 million, Palm Beach County (2014) $13.1 million, Pi...
ABOUT Brett Berger is a Partner at MANEY | GORDON Trial Lawyers and an experienced trial lawyer who represents individuals injured as a result of the negligence of others. Brett focuses his practice in the areas of automobile negligence, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, assisted living facility negligence, trip/slip and falls, negligent security, and acts as personal counsel to those accused of negligence when their insurance carriers refuse to take the insured’s best inter...
For more than 35 years, Attorney David W. Bianchi has represented clients in all kinds of personal injury matters. He has been selected to the list of “Best Lawyers in America” and named Lawyer of the Year for his experience in product liability. He also represents clients in matters involving business disputes, class actions, negligence-related crashes, legal and medical malpractice, aviation collisions, and more. He has been a member of numerous professional organizations recogn...
Edward R. Blumberg is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned his law degree from the College of William and Mary. He has practiced continuously in Florida since 1975. He has served as President of the Florida Bar, as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar and as a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. He has chaired and served on countless professional committees and groups and provides continuing legal education lectures to lawyers. Mr. ...
Giving Back... That is the personal mantra of Bill Bone and it’s what guides him in every aspect of his life, including his passion for cycling his service as a volunteer leader in the community and his accomplishments as one of Florida’s best known and most successful trial lawyers. In his three decades of legal practice, Bill Bone has earned a well-deserved reputation as a staunch, courageous, and powerful advocate for those in need of a car accident lawyer or having been affect...
Trial Attorney Robert Boyers is a founding shareholder of the law firm of Boyers Law Group, P.A. with offices in the BAC Colonnade in the heart of downtown Coral Gables. The Firm focuses on catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, products liability, qui tam and cruise line negligence cases. Mr. Boyers was born in Queens, New York and honed his trial skills as a New York City prosecutor and civil trial lawyer with a top Manhattan personal injury law firm. Over the pa...
Weldon Earl Brennan's goes by his nickname which are his initials (WEB). Web received his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1982. He received his Juris Doctor degree with Honors in 1989 from the University of Florida College of Law. Web is Board Certified in Civil Trial by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has achieved an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He is a past President of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (now known as the...
Before joining the firm in 2013, Joel H. Brown was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chief Judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida in 2009. Joel was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1971 and had been practicing personal injury law as a civil trial lawyer prior to his appointment by former Governor Bob Martinez to the County Court in 1990. Following his appointment, Joel served as Associate Administrative Judge of the County Court, Criminal Traffic Division, and then served as Adminis...
Virginia Buchanan is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brian, Barr & Mougey, P.A., having joined the firm in 1989. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in 1985, and received her Juris Doctorate Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1989. She has served as lead/co-lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials, with results exceeding $500 million. She has a national practice and works extensively in her local Pensacola and sur...
Julian J. Catala is an associate at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen. His practice focuses on catastrophic personal injury with a concentration on medical malpractice and aviation litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County where he gained extensive trial experience. While an Assistant State Attorney, he prosecuted hundreds of cases including armed narcotics trafficking, armed robbery and burglary, aggravated battery and assault, sexual battery, and...
Dan Clark is a Florida native and a graduate of Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. He earned his bachelors of arts degree from Duke University where he was an honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference athlete. He received his Juris Doctorate with honors from Stetson University College of Law where he was a member of the Stetson Law Review and Stetson Trial Team, and a Federal Judicial Intern for the Honorable Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, Chief Judge, Middle District of Florida.
Gary M. Cohen has been practicing law in the State of Florida for 40 years and during that time has helped hundreds of victims of medical malpractice receive full compensation for the disastrous injuries that have occurred to them or their loved ones. Mr. Cohen has concentrated his practice almost exclusively in the area of medical malpractice for his entire career and is nationally recognized for his expertise in that area. ProfileAssociationsNews & MediaBioGary M. Cohen has been practic...
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...
Natasha Cortes is a senior partner who practices in the areas of wrongful death, medical malpractice, complex personal injury matters, and complex commercial litigation. ProfileAssociationsNews & MediaBioNatasha Cortes is a senior partner who practices in the areas of wrongful death, medical malpractice, complex personal injury matters, and complex commercial litigation.Natasha shares the firm’s commitment to seeking justice for her clients. Since joining the firm in 1998, she has h...
Tom DeLattre was born in Yorktown, New York, and was raised in Syracuse, New York. He joined the firm in 1994 and is currently a partner in Wieland & DeLattre, P.A. Mr. DeLattre devotes the majority of his practice to pursuing justice for clients injured from trucking collisions, motor vehicle collisions and motorcycle collisions. Mr. DeLattre also has significant experience litigating cases involving injuries as a result of negligent road construction design, premise liability, defective...
BRIAN R. DENNEY is a Shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he currently serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He has earned Florida Bar Board Certification in Civil Trial Law, the highest level of recognition for the competency and experience of a civil trial lawyer. Mr. Denney routinely works with individuals and families throughout Florida whose lives have been devastated due to the negligence of others. He takes pride...
Steven K. Deutsch is a graduate of New York University and earned his law degree from the University of Miami. He has continually practiced in Florida since 1974. He is recognized as a civil trial attorney by virtue of being currently certified with the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Civil Trial Law; certified by the Florida Bar in Civil Trial; and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Active in the profession, he has served on the Florida Bar Rules of Civil Procedure Committe...
Joseph F. Diaco, Jr. is committed to helping injury victims in personal injury claims. Mr. Diaco began building a reputation as an aggressive advocate while litigating complex insurance cases early in his legal career beginning in 1995. For nearly 2 decades, Mr. Diaco has managed thousands of injury claims, deposed hundreds of experts (including doctors), and successfully handled dozens of jury trials Mr. Diaco grew up in St. Petersburg, and he graduated from Northeast High School in 1988. He...
Thomas S. Edwards, Jr. is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, the highest specialty recognition given by The Florida Bar for attorneys who handle litigation of civil litigation. His honors include:Best Lawyers in America – 2012 Jacksonville Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year“AV” by Martindale Hubbell Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite Florida’s Super Lawyers Florida Bar Award, Top Legal Writing Best Lawyers 2012 &...
Andrew Ellenberg is an AV rated lawyer, Martindale‑Hubbell’s highest peer rating for legal ability and ethics. A trial lawyer since 1988, Andrew’s expertise spans the range of cases that make up a plaintiffs’ personal injury and wrongful death practice – representing individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic loss as a result of medical negligence, defective products, auto accidents and aviation accidents, and cases involving abuse or neglect of vulnerable...
Marci Ball Elordi concentrates her practice in the areas of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death claims stemming from automobile, motorcycle, bicycle and trucking accidents, as well as medical malpractice and premises liability matters. Ms. Ball Elordi’s legal experience is vast. Before representing victims of negligence, Ms. Ball Elordi gained valuable litigation experience working with a medical malpractice defense law firm representing physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice la...
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...
ABOUT Adam J. Fernandez is a Partner at MANEY | GORDON Trial Lawyers and an experienced trial lawyer. Adam focuses his practice on representing clients injured as a result of Motor Vehicle/Commercial Vehicle/Trucking Accidents, Maritime/Boating Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Negligence, Defective/Unsafe products, and Trip/Slip Hazards. Adam also focuses his practice on “Dram Shop” claims against bars and restaurants for the sale of alcoho...
Robert J. Fiore, P.A. is a Florida personal injury law firm specializing in helping people who have been seriously injured and families who have lost loved ones as a result of the negligent or intentional conduct of others. The firm’s owner, Robert J. Fiore, is a preeminent trial lawyer with over 34 years of experience handling a wide variety of complex personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Mr. Fiore is Board Certified in civil trial law by The Florida Bar, a distinction earned...
Over the course of four decades, Attorney Gary D. Fox has been dedicated to representing individuals harmed due to cases involving medical malpractice, product liability, and other personal injury matters. He has helped secure verdicts and settlements that exceed $1 million, earning him countless recognition from professional legal organizations. He has been selected as Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates, Florida Chapters, an invitation-only group. Not only that...
Jason Fraxedas was born and raised in the Orlando area and has devoted his entire career on helping individuals who have been harmed when large companies place profits over people, and when people in positions of power and trust wrongfully harm those who trusted them. His practice areas include personal injury, product liability, defective drugs and medical devices, medical malpractice, class action litigation, catastrophic injury claims, and wrongful death. With a passion for biological scie...
Philip Freidin has been practicing law for 50 years and has devoted his life to representing clients who have been seriously injured by the wrongful acts of others. Phil has represented plaintiffs in some of the most significant personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Florida’s history and has earned his status as a pillar in the South Florida legal community. As one federal judge recently wrote, “he is unquestionably among the upper echelons of lawyers in our district.&r...
Jacqueline Garcell is a senior partner and active trial attorney in maritime law for Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. She routinely handles passengers’ personal injury, sexual assault and wrongful death claims, as well as non-maritime personal injury claims. Ms. Garcell is the fastest attorney to ever make partner at the firm, having been promoted to the partner position after being with us for a decade. Ms. Garcell has helped settle hundreds of cases on behalf of both cruise shi...
MARIANO GARCIA is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has been practicing in West Palm Beach since 1994, representing people in personal injury and commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts. He has achieved an AV rating for the highest level of professional ability and ethics from Martindale Hubbell. He is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the American Board of Trial Advocates and has been selected to Florida Super Lawyers...
Jeffrey R. Garvin is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has litigated catastrophic injury and death cases throughout the country for over 30 years. During that time period he has tried before juries: cases involving aviation, automobile and boat accidents, medical and legal malpractice, defective products and has achieved multiple verdicts in excess of $1 Million. Mr. Garvin has been a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® since 2004. Beginning in law school Mr. Garvin demon...
MORE THAN A LAWYER Spend a few minutes talking with Jeffrey ''Jack" Gordon about his practice and you're bound to hear terms like hematoma, or hydrocephalus, or oxygen saturation rate or standard of care. You may learn something about anatomy or physiology or hear a detailed description of spinal surgery. You might even be tempted to ask him for a medical opinion. But Gordon is not a physician. The managing partner of MANEY | GORDON Trial Lawyers is a highly respected medical malpractice tria...
ABOUT Fritz Gray, of counsel, has been a practicing attorney in Tampa for more than 30 years. He is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell with extensive experience in complex civil trials focusing on medical malpractice, general negligence, wrongful death, automobile accidents and premises liability. Mr. Gray has been a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer since 1989 by the Florida Bar and is also certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy since 1986. In addition, Mr. ...
Stuart Grossman is recognized as one of America’s preeminent trial lawyers concentrating on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, products liability, aviation accidents, and professional negligence, including medical, legal, accounting, and engineering malpractice.His successful career is distinguished by a number of favorable verdicts that are among the largest awarded by Florida juries.Mr. Grossman was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates ...
Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney Lee Gunn focuses his practiceof law upon the prosecution of cases involving substantial losses throughout the State of Florida. These cases frequently involve wrongful death and serious injuries to patients victimized by medical malpractice, defective products, and construction accidents. He also prosecutes insurance coverage and bad faith actions against property, casualty, life, health and disability insurance companies that refuse to pay fully, fairly a...
JAMES W. GUSTAFSON JR . is a Shareholder with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A., a member of the firm’s executive committee, and the managing partner of the firm’s Tallahassee office. He is a sixth generation Florida native who served with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and studied at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, before becoming a trial lawyer. Mr. Gustafson is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a worldwide organization limited to ju...
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...
Tampa Personal Injury Attorney Mike Hancock has excelled in personal injury litigation for over 30 years, earning among other honors, an “AV-Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, “Superb”10.0 rating by avvo.com, membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, being named one of Florida’s SuperLawyers and one of Tampa’s Top Rated Lawyers. After several years handling claims for the insurance industry, Mr. Hancock founded Hancock Injury Attorneys in 199...
Our Methodology
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
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.