Insurance Coverage
The Property and Casualty Group, headed by Valerie A. Dondero, successfully represents automobile, corporate fleet, rental vehicles, marine, homeowners, commercial vehicle, and trucking insurers in insurance coverage matters. Our expertise includes both trial and appellate practice in State and Federal Courts. 

Our attorneys are also experienced in providing coverage opinions on various matters, including insurance policy provisions regarding material misrepresentation, fraud, failure of conditions precedent to coverage, failure of cooperation, cancellation of the policy, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, priorities of coverage, excluded driver issues. We also provide up to the minute research on statutory interpretation of policy language.  We are meticulous in the detail of our research that goes into the formation of such opinions. We understand that our role is to protect the insurers who are our clients. 

Our attorneys are well versed in the complex underwriting policies and practices of different insurance carriers and have a great deal of experience litigating the applicability of underwriting guidelines and insurable risks.  We have many long-term clients who rely upon our experience and thorough knowledge of their company’s practices and procedures. We understand that an expeditious resolution of coverage claims is highly favored by our clients. 

Personal Injury Defense
Our Property and Casualty team represents a variety of insurers and insureds in the automobile, commercial, and trucking industries. This practice area encompasses the defense of insureds in automobile negligence claims, including catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. We also defend rental car companies, corporate owners and leasing companies in third party actions and multiple plaintiff injury claims. Our attorneys have significant experience with Florida’s Financial Responsibility statutes, and the applicability of the Federal Transportation Act to limit liability of owners of motor vehicles.  

Our attorneys have significant experience in expeditiously setting and mediating Global Settlement Conferences where multiple competing claims are presented and evaluated for settlement.  

We provide counsel for insureds and insurers in Arbitration proceedings, Appraisal and Subrogation matters.  

We also defend Personal Injury Protection (PIP) cases in both an aggressive and expeditious manner, realizing that the attorneys fees award to a prevailing claimant is often the Plaintiff’s target of the litigation. 

Premises Liability Defense
Our Property and Casualty Team represents a vast number of hotels, motels, restaurants, franchisees, franchisors, gas stations and convenience stores in the defense of a premises liability claim. Our clients range from small, local diners to 5 star worldwide hotels.  

Our attorneys are experienced litigators in the areas of negligent security, theft, zoning, ADA enforcement, slip and fall, liquor liability and hotel maintenance. 

The experience of our attorneys who represent you in a premises liability case and the experts they retain can mean the difference between a minor security coverage case that stays minor and a case that can present a major legal and economic threat to a property owner and its insurer. Our attorneys have years of success in resolving these cases quickly and they have a team of medical and technical experts at their disposal to assist them.

Products Liability Defense
Our property and casualty practice group represents major distributors throughout the United States, automobile dealerships, fleet dealerships, and manufacturers in products liability claims, including design, manufacturing and marketing defect claims.  A thorough knowledge of the technical and scientific theories upon which many products liability cases are based allows us to quickly and effectively defend our clients.