$1,000,000.00 Settlement

Our firm successfully represented the mother of a teenager killed in a tragic accident. We immediately filed suit and through our investigation learned that there was a $1,000,000.00 insurance policy. The insurer initially refused to pay the policy proceeds claiming that the insurance policy did not cover this sort of accident. We prevailed by demonstrating that, if the insurance company was correct, then almost no type of accident would be covered, meaning that the insurance was essentially worthless. Prior to hiring Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., several other law firms turned down the case.

Attorney Joins Firm

William Kempner, Esq., has joined Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., on an "of counsel" basis. He will focus on handling worker's compensation claims. Bill graduated from the University Of Florida College Of Law in 1993 and has practiced in the worker's compensation field since then. He has successfully represented both insurers and claimants in cases involving on the job injuries.

$1.6 Million Settlement

Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., was hired by a woman seriously injured in a workplace accident when her foot was run over by a forklift. Although the broken bones in her foot healed well, she developed a serious nerve injury called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy ("RSD"). Through an exhaustive investigation we were able to prove that the person driving the forklift was using cocaine and was allowed to operate the forklift despite failing his employer's safety quiz about forklift operation. The settlement will allow our client to pay her medical bills and replace her significant lost wages.

Prescription Error leads to Medical Malpractice Settlement

Our client was injured when her doctor either mistakenly prescribed her medication at twice the intended dose or wrote the prescription with such poor handwriting that the pharmacist mistook the intended dosage. Our attorneys were able to negotiate a fair, confidential settlement to compensate the client for injuries and medical expenses. Settlement was reached during Florida's statutory pre-suit process for medical negligence claims.

Dog Bite leads to Six Figure Settlement

Our client was in her front yard tending to a newborn horse, when a neighbor's dog came into the yard and attacked the foal. The dog then turned its attack on our client and, with a single bite, caused significant puncture wounds. Unfortunately, despite obtaining medical care for the wound, it became seriously infected which led to surgery to remove infected tissue and bone fragments. The complications continued and the client developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy ( RSD ), a rare neurological condition which causes severe permanent pain and limitations. The settlement will help to replace the client's lost wages and medical expenses.

Failure to Install Handrails results in Recovery for Injured Client

Our client, a self employed truck driver, suffered a serious broken leg falling down a set of stairs while delivering pine trees to a pulp mill in Fernandina Beach. Although the pulp mill denied responsibility for the accident, our investigation revealed that this accident could have been avoided if the pulp mill had installed on the stairs handrails as now required the local building code. As a result we were able to reach a settlement prior to trial to allow our client to make a recovery for the losses resulting from this needless accident.

Claims against Professional Wrestling Celebrity Settled

We were privileged to represent a Nassau County publishing company in a complex legal dispute with Rena Lesnar, an entertainer formerly known as "Sable" with the WWE. Our client entered into a contract with Mrs. Lesnar's limited liability company to produce and distribute her biography. Ultimately, the biography was not published, and we obtained a substantial judgment against her company for breach of contract. Unfortunately, her company was insolvent, and Mrs. Lesnar denied any personal responsibility. We refused to accept that as our client would be left with no recovery and pursued a direct claim against Mrs. Lesnar to hold her responsible for the judgment against her company. Although the claim was legally complicated, the matter was ultimately resolved with a financial settlement from Mrs. Lesnar.

Orange Park Office Opened

After representing clients throughout Clay County for years, Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., decided to increase its presence in Clay County by opening an office in Fleming Island at 4729 US Highway 17, Suite 203, Orange Park, Florida. Our main office will remain in downtown Jacksonville. In addition to meeting clients in either of our offices, we are always willing to meet at or near your home if necessary.

Appellate Victory

Sometimes winning a trial is not the end of a case. We proved to a jury that the driver of another car was completely at fault for an automobile accident and, as a result, our client was awarded a significant recovery. The other driver appealed, arguing that our client had to be at least partially at fault for the accident. The First District Court of Appeal ruled in our client's favor and upheld the jury's verdict. Although justice for our client was delayed, it was not denied.

Court of Appeals Upholds Victory

Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., was hired by a medical doctor who was sued by his former employer, The University of Florida, for allegedly violating a non-compete agreement. We prevailed by demonstrating that the doctor, an oncologist, was not unfairly competing with his former employer and was not seeing the patients he treated while working there. The University of Florida appealed and The First District Court of Appeal upheld our client's victory. The Court's opinion, adopting our argument, has become on of the most cited recent cases regarding the enforceability of non-compete agreements. The case citation is University of Florida Board of Trustees v. Sanal, 837 So.2d 512 (Fla. 1^st DCA 2003).

Trial Victory

A Duval County jury ruled in favor of our client and awarded her a recovery in excess of $235,000.00 for injuries resulting from an automobile accident. The defendant attempted to turn left across oncoming traffic. He did so directly in front of our client's vehicle causing a "t-bone" collision. The defendant claimed that our client must have been speeding because he thought he had enough time to clear the intersection. Using exhibits and photographs, the attorneys of Thomas & Lawrence, P.A., were able to demonstrate to the jury that the accident was not our client's fault, even if she was driving slightly faster than the speed limit. The defendant's insurer offered only $130,000.00 to settle the case prior to trial.