John Clarke | Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer

I have practiced in a variety of areas of the law, including personal injury, real estate transactions and estate planning. I have worked extensively with medical providers, and have the skills to negotiate a favorable settlement for your personal injury claim. Finally, I am proud to say that I have assisted homeowners to keep their homes when they were faced with improper foreclosure actions.

When I am not working, I am relaxing at my Hollywood home with my dog Taylor. I also enjoy travel, exploring the outdoors, and playing the piano. I am active in several community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity. Education

I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Miami in 1995, earning a Bachelor of Arts. I subsequently worked as a registered nurse in several South Florida hospitals, including Mount Sinai Medical Center of Miami Beach. I decided to become an attorney to advocate for victims of personal injuries after treating many patients with serious injuries resulting from accidents. I graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida College of Law in May 2015. I am a member in good standing of the Florida Bar, and the Broward County Bar Association.

In 2015, I sued a finance company for civil theft after it wrongfully repossessed my client's mobile home. I argued that the finance company's egregious conduct met the standard for punitive damages, and obtained damages equal to three times the value of the stolen property for my client. It felt great that I was able to hold a big corporation accountable for misconduct and to help my client rebuild her life.

I built a successful practice one client at a time. By devoting care and diligence to each case, I have built a reputation for vigorous and effective representation in the areas of personal injury, insurance claims, and foreclosure defense.

Clients should look for a lawyer who is smart and accessible. A good lawyer should work to achieve his client's goals, and when it is not possible, provide the client with the best alternative solutions to his problem.

I don't think that local knowledge per se is crucial to the success of a case. The discovery and litigation processes are easier, however, when one knows the local courts and judges.

In the free initial phone consultation, I listen to the client's case and tell them how my services might assist them. I advise them as to all options that they might pursue to achieve their goal, including non-legal ones. I also provide them an estimate of the costs and fees involved in providing legal representation. At the end of the free consultation, the client and I should know whether we are a good match.

To ensure an accurate assessment of your case, it is important that you provide me the relevant facts and documents of your case at or prior to the free consultation.

What distinguishes me as an attorney is that I am focused on helping my clients succeed. I am willing to go the extra mile to get the best settlement for my clients, and I think outside the box to attain the best results when confronted with obstacles.

The most rewarding part of being a lawyer for me is when I know that I have made a positive difference in the life of a client.

• Broward County Bar Association | Member | 2016 - Present
  Florida Bar | Member | 2015 - Present
  Florida Bar | Elder Law Section | Member | 2015 - 2017

• Book Award, "1st Amendment Law Seminar" | University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law | 2014
  Book Award, "Real Estate Transactions" | University of Florida, Levin College of Law | 2014

• Moreno v. Castrillon
  Plaintiff won.

• Big Changes May Be In Store For Florida's Insurance Industry

  Repeal of Mandatory PIP (personal injury protection insurance): Several Florida legislators, including Senator Jeff Brandeis (Republican, St. Petersburg) are pushing for a repeal of mandatory PIP. Their support for changing the system is motivated by a rising tide of fraudulent personal injury protection insurance claims around the state. The proponents of the repeal advocate replacing it with a system in which injured drivers would look only to the at-fault driver’s bodily injury insurance policy (and his personal assets, if necessary) for reimbursement of their injury-related costs. They believe that a consumer would save on auto insurance premiums if he were not required to buy PIP, but property damage and bodily injury liability coverages (that would cover other drivers and their passengers) instead.

  I am not sure this repeal is the panacea that its advocates claim. It is probable that the cost of bodily injury liability insurance will climb if the repeal is enacted. Furthermore, I doubt that the repeal will reduce auto insurance fraud, since criminals could shift tactics, and purchase and claim against each other’s bodily injury liability policies. The repeal would likely help the bottom-line of attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases, as more people would use the court system to compel payment for treating their injuries rather than going to their own insurance companies.

  II. Allow patients to sue HMOs for declining coverage of treatments recommended by their doctors in bad faith: SB 262, sponsored by Greg Steube (Republican, Sarasota) would allow patients to sue health insurance corporations for denials of coverage that affects treatment. Current law exempts HMOs from liability for medical providers’ treatment decisions.

  I believe this law would help improve the quality of health care and allow medical professionals to render appropriate care to their patients. Over the last several decades HMOs have become the gatekeepers to health care for most patients. They have rationed health care for their patients by restricting coverage to what they consider “medically necessary.” Unfortunately, There are no guidelines for determining what treatments are medically necessary, and insurers’ medical decisions are often motivated by economic considerations. The proposed law would give patients the ability to challenge arbitrary denials of treatment and deter HMOs from acting in bad faith.

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