Wrongful Death

The Baker Law Firm and our founding attorney, Lance K. Baker, can help you resolve even the most complex and challenging legal problems. Our firm's founding attorney has garnered recognition both nationally and locally. In the past several years he has received the following designations: Listed in The National Trial Lawyers 2017 Top 40 Under 40 in the Criminal Defense category Listed in The National Trial Lawyers 2018 Top 40 Under 40 in the Civil Plaintiff Lawyers category Named Top Male Rising Star of Knoxville by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Honored in 2019 as one of Knoxville's top DUI defense attorneys by Cityview magazine Honored in 2021 as one of Knoxville's top Civil Rights attorneys by Cityview magazine Honored in 2022 as one of Knoxville's top attorneys by CityView magazine in DUI Defense, Constitutional Law/Civil Rights, Personal Injury- Auto Accidents, Consumer Protection, Class Action, and Antitrust Selected as one of 2022 Mid-South's Rising Stars by Super Lawyers Selected as one of 2023 Mid-South's Rising Stars by Super Lawyers Lance is actively involved in the community. For instance, he is a panelist on Fox 43's “Heavy Hitters” show and frequently offers guest political commentary on WBIR-TV. He is also a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association.

Jim Bergenn's practice is comprised of complex criminal and civil litigation, including white collar crime and government investigations, personal injury and wrongful death cases, and other trials involving significant consequences. With more than 40 years trial lawyer experience and a trial skills teacher at UConn Law for over 35 years, other lawyers and clients call Jim regularly to seek his trial skills, and experience with investigations and experts, in many different kinds of contested cases. Jim’s wide range of criminal cases includes representing targets of investigations, criminal defendants, grand jury and other witnesses, and crime victims. Because he handles personal injuries, he often helps victims during and after criminal cases are brought to obtain the right compensation for their harm. He works in cases prosecuted by all the various federal, state and local authorities, such as the US Attorney’s Office, The Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, State and Federal Grand Juries, the FBI, the State Police, the SEC, the DEA, the ATF, the DOD, the IRS, the FDA, the FTC, the Office of Inspector General for various Federal Agencies, state regulators such as the Attorney General, the DEP, the DOH, the DMR, the DCF, and the Office of Consumer Protection, and local police.

THE law firm of Friedman and Friedman has won hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of its clients. THERE are never any fees or costs unless we recover money for our clients. OUR record of successes in court serves our clients in two ways: It helps compensate for the serious losses and pain suffered because of someone else’s negligent conduct, and it accentuates our ability to obtain substantial settlements. Insurance companies and their lawyers know how successful we are at trial. THE awards we win for our clients provide justice for innocent people. It helps them mend or rebuild their lives to the extent that substantial sums of money allow. In these cases, however, we all win something equally important: corporations and individuals found responsible often take steps to avoid future bad conduct. WE are proud of our influence on corporate and individual responsibility. Many products, work places, hospitals, homes, public facilities, streets and highways are safer because of the work that we have done. THE law firm of Friedman and Friedman only represents people who have been seriously injured and/or the families of people who are killed as a result of accidents or medical malpractice. POWER in the courtroom and at the negotiation table begins and ends with total knowledge, total command of the facts and law, and the ability to cogently present these facts. We are known for our paramount ability to select juries and win large verdicts. OUR first priority is our client and winning justice. In recognition of our success, lawyers in the firm are listed in the “Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the United States” as well as multiple consumer guide books including “Guide to Leading American Attorneys”, "Law and Leading Attorneys", “The Best Lawyers in America”, "The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)" and “Super Lawyers.” The firm and its lawyers are “A Preeminent” rated by Martindale-Hubbell…its highest rating. OVER the past four decades our Miami attorneys have been at the forefront of obtaining justice for injured individuals. Our fees are always on a contingent basis. There are no costs and no fees unless we recover money for our client. Friedman and Friedman accepts cases in the following categories: Catastrophic injuries Auto, motorcycle and trucking accidents Medical malpractice Slip and fall injuries Defective products Airplane accidents Traumatic brain injury Drunk drivers Large truck cases Premises liability Negligent security Drownings in unsafe pools and swimming venues Insurance company bad faith Birth Injuries

Attorney Todd A. Bresney is the Senior Partner at Kanoski Bresney, a Central Illinois personal injury law firm with eight office locations. Born, raised, and educated in Illinois, Todd is dedicated to helping individuals and families in his local community. Having previously worked for some of the largest insurance companies in the country, Todd decided to change his practice and help those who were injured by others or those who are being victimized by insurance companies. Todd diligently works with his clients in order to achieve legal success. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Bresney, visit his website, or call 217-523-7742.

Darby Hoggatt is the owner of Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. and has over 20 years of experience. He believes in handling every case efficiently, exceeding expectations, and giving every client the personal attention they deserve. Mr. Hoggatt attended the University of Wyoming where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in finance in 1992 and his J.D. in 1995. His legal practice areas include workers' compensation and personal injury. Call today for your no cost consultation. 970-225-2190 | 1-800-664-3151

Mitchell Feldman is a practicing Employment, Personal Injury, Whistleblower, Workers' Compensation, Wrongful Termination, Shareholder Disputes, and Partnership Disputes in Georgia and Florida.

I am an attorney located in the Mobile/Baldwin Area, operating a civil law practice. I am experienced and knowledgeable in matters of personal injury, nursing home, and medical malpractice. My goal is to provide counsel and service for those suffering from injuries or losses caused by another's negligence.

Michael K. Grife, Esq., is the President and Founding Attorney of The Grife Law Firm. He formed the firm with one goal in mind: to provide an extraordinarily high level of legal representation for those who have been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence of others. Since 2005, Mr. Grife has worked exclusively for everyday people taking on insurance companies, medical personnel, and big corporations whose carelessness has caused serious injury or death. Mr. Grife has participated in multi-million dollar litigation on behalf of his clients. He takes pride in providing zealous, aggressive yet highly ethical legal representation. Mr. Grife is a results-oriented attorney who works strategically to maximize his clients’ financial recoveries. In passionately representing the injured, Mr. Grife has garnered recognition from his peers and legal organizations. He is a Life Member of the distinguished Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is limited only to those attorneys who have litigated as lead counsel a case that resolved for $2,000,000 or more. Mr. Grife was honored by his legal peers with the AV-Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell peer review. The AV-Rating signifies that Mr. Grife places in the highest category for legal ethics and ability. He is also in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Every year from 2013 through the present, Mr. Grife has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers, an honor that is bestowed on less than 3% of attorneys in the State. Mr. Grife is rated 10 out of 10 “Superb” by Avvo, the highest possible rating offered. Avvo has also given him the Clients’ Choice Award for overwhelmingly positive client feedback. Mr. Grife has been recognized as one of the “Best Attorneys of America” by Rue Ratings - an honor limited to less than 1% of attorneys. The National Trial Lawyers has named Mr. Grife for inclusion in its prominent "Top 100 Trial Lawyers". American Registry has named Mr. Grife as a "Top 1%" Most Honored Professional. In prosecuting personal injury cases, Mr. Grife retains the finest experts in engineering, medicine, and biomechanics to help ensure your best possible chance of victory. Mr. Grife’s goal is to even or reverse the playing field in your favor when taking on large corporations and powerful insurance companies. It is this sort of advantage that everyday injured people need to succeed in personal injury cases.

Maria Tejedor graduated from the University of South Florida, Magna Cum Laude, in 1992. In 1993, she commenced law school at Stetson University, the number one ranked law school in trial advocacy. In 1994, she participated in a college-wide competition and was selected by her peers at Stetson to join the law school’s prestigious and exclusive trial team. She spent the following two years representing Stetson College of Law in national and statewide trial competitions. Throughout the years she competed, Stetson College of Law maintained its number one national ranking in trial advocacy. In 1995, Maria Tejedor was the first-place winner of the American Criminal Defense Bar National Trial Competition . Ms. Tejedor secured second place in both the Florida Bar’s State Trial Competition and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers State Competition. She was the 1996 Regional Champion in the American Bar Association National Trial Competition and was awarded the American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. In 1996, upon graduation, Stetson University College of Law presented her with the Harris Ferrell Competition Award for Individual Excellence in Intercollegiate Trial Competition. In 1996, she joined the law firm of Martinez, Manglardi and Diez-Arguelles. In 2004, she became one of the youngest women to be board certified in the state of Florida. That same year she was named a full partner at the law firm and the name was changed to Martinez, Manglardi, Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor. In 2009, fueled by a passion for helping women and children, she founded the law firm of Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor and became its managing partner. That passion and focus have led to her numerous successful statewide appellate and Supreme Court decisions, which have established laws that protect the rights of the most vulnerable. Those include: The Supreme Court of Florida affirmed a $2,000,000.00 verdict for the parents of a baby boy who died due to the negligence of a hospital. Pub. Health Tr. of Miami-Dade Cty. v. Acanda, 71 So. 3d 782, 783 (Fla. 2011). The appellate court held that a negligent healthcare provider could not get a vulnerable patient to sign away their right to bring a lawsuit in the event of malpractice. Crespo v. Hernandez, 151 So. 3d 495, 496 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2014), approved, 211 So. 3d 19 (Fla. 2016). The appellate court ruled the victim of medical malpractice had a right to their day in court. The courts had to provide one upon request. Garcia v. Lincare Inc., 906 So. 2d 1268, 1269 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2005). The court held that a child who has suffered brain damage due the negligence of her hospital has a right to sue that hospital and that a law imposing a three-year limitation on such a right was not applicable. Exposito v. Pub. Health Tr. of Miami-Dade Cty., et al., 141 So. 3d 663, 664 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2014). Reversing a lower court’s dismissal of brain-injured infants’ claim against a negligent hospital and proceeding to trial later resulting a several million dollar jury verdict in favor of the injured child. Mobley v. Homestead Hospital, 291 So. 3d 987 (Fla. 3 Dist., 2019) Reversed lower court’s order dismissing an injured child’s medical negligence claim based on the statute of limitations. The appellate court determined the statute of repose had not expired and allowed the case to proceed to recovery. Reyes v. Baptist Hospital et. al., 360 So. 3rd 438 (Fla. 3 Dist., 2023) Reversing a lower court’s dismissal of a brain-damaged minor child’s claim based on the statute of limitations. The appellate court ruled in favor of the injured child and allowed the claim of the child to proceed to trial. Over her career she has successfully tried numerous medical malpractice cases throughout the nation recovering over $500 million in awards for injured families. She has been awarded record verdicts in medical negligence cases, many of which are the highest ever recovered by a woman trial lawyer in her state. In the state of Florida, she has successfully tried cases in almost every county, including Dade, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Hillsborough, Clay, Polk, Leon, Broward, and Alachua. She has also been admitted to practice and has litigated cases to success on a national level. She was awarded a judgment over $64 million in a medical negligence case, making that judgment, the largest judgment entered by a jury to a single plaintiff in a medical negligence case in Orange County history. She was also awarded over $40 million dollars by a jury in a brain damage in fact case, also reflecting a record verdict for an injured child in the state of Florida. Her jury awards in medical negligence death cases have also been record-setting. In 2019, she obtained an $18 million award for the death of mothers during a delivery and 2012 an $11,600,000.00 verdict in Volusia County, which is the highest medical malpractice wrongful death verdict in the county’s history. She was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association. During that time, she successfully testified before Congress and passed legislation to protect the rights of the women and children injured from malpractice. In 2011, after much success before the Florida Senate, she was appointed to the governing body of the Florida Justice Association. Ms. Tejedor focuses on medical malpractice cases, including injuries to children, as well as mass torts and dangerous drugs. She is a member of the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. She has served as Treasurer of the Hispanic Bar Association. In 2009, she was appointed to the Orange County Grievance Ethics Committee and served as its chairperson in 2011. She is also a frequent speaker on medical malpractice. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Justice Association, and in 2011 was appointed to their Executive Committee. Board certification recognizes Ms. Tejedor as a specialist in personal injury trial work. Board certification is an achievement acquired by less than 3% of all lawyers in the state of Florida. She is also recognized as an AV rated lawyer, which means she has been recognized by her peers as having reached the highest levels of professional excellence, skill, and integrity a lawyer can achieve.

For the past 25 years, Joseph M. Lucas has been serving his clients that have suffered serious personal, financial, and legal problems. These matters have been in personal injury, business law, and real estate law, and much more. Joseph has dedicated his practice to ensuring that his clients can have a trusted legal resource to return to time and time again. Please call 847-381-8700 or contact us online.