News & Events

Cristobal Casal and Yasmine Kirollos, both partners in the Fort Myers office, obtained a defense verdict in a premises liability personal injury lawsuit involving a slip and fall at a Naples hotel.  The hotel was sued under allegations that it allowed a dangerous condition to exist on an exterior staircase on which the Plaintiff alleged that he slipped and fell.  Plaintiff was an out-of-town guest who claimed that the hotel’s air conditioning units were leaking water out onto the exterior walkway which then made its way onto the staircase resulting in algae and mold developing on the steps over time.  Defendant denied that any such condition existed on the steps or the walkway.  

Rod Lundy and Tiffany Miles of our Orlando office secured a favorable verdict for our defendant company and its driver in Lake County following a 5 day trial.  The defense admitted liability for the rear-end collision, which was captured on the company’s onboard video system.  

Cristobal Casal, managing partner, and Elliott Tubbs, an associate, in the firm’s Fort Myers office, obtained a defense verdict in a first party property case tried over 3 days in Lee County, Florida.  Plaintiff was an insured homeowner who claimed that his home's tile roof was damaged as a result of Hurricane Irma, resulting in interior damage, and that the insurance carrier breached the subject policy of insurance by denying the claim.  The jury found that the Plaintiff had not met his burden of proving that the home was damaged within the policy period.

Michael Bonfanti and Joshua Canton, partners in the firm’s Tallahassee office, and their associate Taylor Hansford obtained a defense verdict in a Hurricane Michael first party property case tried over three days in Bay County, Florida.  The Plaintiffs argued at trial that their home was a total loss due to structural damage to the pilings by the hurricane. The Defendant argued that the home had no structural damage, was repairable, and that the Defendant had already paid its insureds the reasonable costs to repair the home prior to litigation. The jury awarded $0.00 for repair of the home. The Plaintiffs also failed to secure a verdict above the expired exclusive Proposals for Settlement served upon each Plaintiff, thus entitling the Defendant to recover its attorney’s fees.  

Thomas J. McCausland and John Viggiani, Partners in the firm recently obtained a favorable verdict in a 5 day jury trial in an admitted liability motor vehicle accident case in Jacksonville, Florida. The case involved a rear-end accident on northbound I-95 during stop and go traffic. The Plaintiff was driving a pick-up truck and pulling a travel trailer headed to Virginia. The Defendant driver was operating a company box truck and hit the rear of the travel trailer. Plaintiff did not go to the hospital and continued on with his trip to Virginia to pick up his wife. He was there a couple of days and then returned back to the Orlando area. At no time did the Plaintiff seek medical care or treatment. The Plaintiff's first medical care was 13 days after the accident.