Fort Lauderdale Insurance Litigation Lawyer

Are you looking for an insurance litigation lawyer in Fort Lauderdale?

At The People's Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers, we have an insurance litigation practice built on 12 years of trial work.

If negotiations with your insurance company have ended without a fair payment, a lawsuit may be the next step. Our Fort Lauderdale, FL insurance litigation lawyer takes property insurance disputes to court and prepares each case with a jury in mind.

The People's Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers represents policyholders in Broward County's state and federal courts. We have tried cases against Florida's major carriers and defended those wins on appeal. Contact our office to schedule a consultation.

Insurance Litigation Lawyer Fort Lauderdale, FL

An insurance litigation attorney files and tries lawsuits against insurance companies that have not honored their policies. Most of these cases are breach of contract claims. The policyholder alleges that the carrier owed a payment under the policy and failed to make it, or made one that fell short of the covered loss. Litigation begins where the claims process ends, and it brings tools the claims process lacks: subpoenas, depositions of adjusters and engineers, and a judge or jury who decides the dispute.

Fort Lauderdale cases are heard in a large and busy court system. Broward County's circuit court overview lists 58 circuit judges and 11 general magistrates in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, with the magistrates assigned in part to reduce the civil division's workload.

Types of Insurance Litigation Cases We Handle in Fort Lauderdale

Insurance litigation covers more than a single kind of lawsuit, and our insurance litigation attorneys handle each type differently. What we file depends on what the carrier did, what the policy says, and where the case is likely to be heard. Our attorneys handle the following matters for Fort Lauderdale homeowners and business owners.

• Breach of contract lawsuits. This is the core claim in most property insurance cases. We plead the specific policy provisions the carrier failed to honor and support them with estimates, photographs, and reports from qualified engineers and contractors.
• Hurricane damage. Storm cases often turn into battles between competing engineering reports about wind and water. We retain consultants who can explain the damage to a jury in plain terms.
• Water damage. Carriers litigate water claims hard, usually over the source of the leak and how long it lasted. We use plumbers, leak detection specialists, and moisture mapping to establish both.
• Property damage. Fire, theft, vandalism, and structural losses also end up in court when the carrier disputes coverage or value. We build each case around the policy language and the physical evidence.
• Appraisal disputes. Many policies allow either side to demand appraisal, a process outside court that sets the amount of the loss. We advise clients on whether to invoke appraisal, represent them in it, and litigate when a carrier refuses to honor the award.
• Bad faith insurance. Once the contract claim succeeds, the carrier's handling of the claim may support a second lawsuit. We preserve the evidence for that claim from the start of the first case.
• Commercial insurance litigation. Office buildings, retail centers, and multifamily properties carry larger policies and larger disputes. These cases often involve business interruption claims alongside the building loss.
• Cases removed to federal court. An out-of-state insurer may move a case from state court to federal court. Federal procedure differs in important ways, and we are prepared to litigate in either forum.
• Appeals. A trial verdict is not always the end. We handle appeals by carriers that try to overturn a policyholder's win, and we track the record during trial with a possible appeal in mind.

Why Choose The People's Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers as My Insurance Litigation Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL?

Trial Experience From Both Sides of the Courtroom

Maria O'Donnell spent the early part of her career litigating on behalf of insurance companies. Before founding our firm, she ran her own defense practice, which grew into one of the largest women-owned insurance defense firms in the state. Its clients included Citizens, State Farm, Allstate/Castle Key, and Travelers. Over that career she established published precedent in Florida's courts. She has been licensed in Florida since 2002 and in Washington, D.C. since 2022.

She now uses that courtroom experience for policyholders, and every litigated matter at our firm draws on it. Knowing how defense counsel prepares a case, chooses its consultants, and values a file at each stage gives our clients a practical advantage. For anyone who needs an insurance claim lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL prepared to go to trial, that experience matters.

Wins at Trial and on Appeal

Carriers sometimes refuse to settle because they doubt a case will reach a jury. Our cases reach juries when the carrier leaves no other option, and that willingness is a large part of why many of our matters settle on fair terms. In April 2026, a Citizens Property Insurance case ended in a jury verdict for every dollar of our client's public adjuster estimate, with interest added. The same year, we won a windstorm trial against Universal Property and then defeated the carrier's appeal.

What Is Important To Understand About Insurance Litigation Cases?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Insurance Litigation Cases

In a property insurance lawsuit, liability comes from the contract. The policyholder must show that the loss falls within the policy's coverage and that the owner met the policy's conditions, such as reporting the loss and allowing an inspection. The carrier then bears the burden of proving that an exclusion applies.

Compensation is measured by what the policy owes. That usually means the cost to repair or replace the damaged property, less the deductible and any amount already paid. Interest on late payments can be added, as it was in our Citizens verdict. In some cases, related losses such as additional living expenses or business income are part of the recovery. The amount a jury can award is tied to the evidence presented at trial, which is why we prepare damages proof as carefully as causation proof.

Timing is a separate question. Section 95.11 of the Florida Statutes allows five years from the date of loss to file suit for breach of a property insurance contract. Because a carrier can take months to make a final decision, an owner who waits for the claim process to finish may have less time than expected.

What Are Important Aspects of an Insurance Litigation Case?

A lawsuit changes how both sides behave. The carrier assigns defense counsel, and every document becomes potential evidence. For an insurance litigation lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, a few factors carry particular weight in nearly every case.

• The owner's own records, especially photos taken before the loss, often decide disputes over pre-existing damage.
• Engineering testimony usually decides causation, so the qualifications of the engineer or contractor matter a great deal.
• The adjuster's claims handling process is open to examination through depositions and document requests.
• Mediation is ordered in most circuit civil cases, and a well-prepared mediation statement often produces the settlement.
• Recent appellate decisions on Florida's insurance reforms continue to change procedure in these cases.

What Is the Insurance Litigation Case Timeline?

Lawsuits move more slowly than claims, and a contested case can take a year or more to reach trial. Court calendars, the number of depositions, and the carrier's willingness to negotiate all affect the pace. Each stage builds on the one before it.

1. Before filing, we send the carrier written notice of intent to sue and wait for its response.
2. We file the complaint, and the insurer answers through defense counsel.
3. Both sides exchange documents and take depositions during discovery.
4. The court typically orders mediation, where many cases settle.
5. Cases that do not settle proceed to trial, and either side may appeal the result.

What Should You Bring to Your Insurance Litigation Consultation?

Litigation depends on documents, so bring the full claim history. In particular, gather:

• The complete policy, including endorsements and the declarations page.
• Every letter, email, estimate, and engineer report from the insurer.
• Your own estimates, photographs, and receipts for repairs.
• Notes or emails documenting conversations with the adjuster, including dates and names.
• Any denial letter or partial payment explanation.

If you have already hired a public adjuster or another firm, bring their contact information and any agreements you signed. During the consultation, an insurance litigation attorney will review the record and tell you whether we think the case is worth filing. If it is, we will explain the deadlines that apply and the steps that come first.

Broward County Courthouse and Local Resources

Most property insurance lawsuits over Fort Lauderdale property are filed in state circuit court at the Central Courthouse on SE 6th Street. The Clerk's Circuit Civil division processes those filings and maintains the court registry. Owners can follow the docket in a pending case through the Clerk's public case search, which shows hearing dates, filed motions, and orders as they are entered.

Cases that an insurer removes to federal court go to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which holds court at the federal courthouse downtown on East Broward Boulevard. We are prepared to handle a case in either courthouse, and we explain to clients early on how the choice of court may affect the schedule.

Reach Out to The People's Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation

A lawsuit is a serious step, and you should understand your case before you take it. Our Fort Lauderdale, FL insurance litigation lawyer can review your claim file and explain whether filing makes sense. At The People's Law Team, PA Property Damage Lawyers, we return consultation requests promptly, explain our fee arrangement for litigated cases, and tell you what to expect at each stage. Contact us to schedule a meeting.