$50M+ RECOVERED FOR CLIENTS
Our client, a teenager, was severely injured while riding as a passenger. Several insurance companies were involved. Cliff Wells gathered the evidence and used it to persuade every one of them to resolve the case. The case settled for $5,500,000.
On February 20, 2024, a jury awarded $2.5 million to a man who was rear-ended and left with injuries serious enough to require disc replacement surgery in his neck. A collision that lasts two seconds can reshape the years that follow it. The defense never fully acknowledged what our client had been through, and never offered a number that reflected it. So Cliff Wells tried the case. That meant understanding exactly what this man lost, preparing thoroughly, and putting all of it in front of a jury clearly enough that they could see it too.
A family lost their husband and father in a crash involving a truck. The driver was believed to be under the influence. Cliff Wells filed a wrongful death lawsuit on the family’s behalf and kept fighting until the case settled for $2,050,000.
Our client’s 28-year-old son had been knocked unconscious in an altercation and was lying in the street. A driver hit him and dragged him nearly three blocks. Testing showed the driver’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. Cliff Wells handled the wrongful death claim, and the case settled for $1,508,000.
A St. Petersburg man was seriously injured when another driver ran into the side of his car at a busy intersection. There were multiple cars involved in the crash and it took untangling who owed what before the case could be correctly resolved. The case settled for $1,275,000.
After Hurricane Michael, our client’s insurance company paid $94 to cover the damage. Yes, less than $100 for a hurricane loss. Jason Herman and Warren Duffy took the case to trial, where a jury awarded $717,523.94. The insurance company appealed rather than pay it. We won the appeal. We then pursued attorney’s fees, costs, and bad faith damages for the delay, and the insurer ultimately paid $1,275,000.
Our client was injured in a car crash. The at-fault driver’s insurance company fought the case through trial, then appealed the verdict. Cliff Wells and our team won at trial and again on appeal. The verdict was confirmed as a judgment of $936,622.15.
After Hurricane Ian, an insurance company offered $10,000 to homeowners for wind damage to their house in Pine Island. The insurance company argued the damage was less than the hurricane deductible. If the homeowners had accepted the insurance company’s offer, it would have left them nowhere close to enough money to make the repairs they needed to make. We filed suit. The claim settled for eighty-five times the original offer.
Our clients were stopped at a red light when another car hit them from behind. They needed neck surgery after the crash. The defense tried to blame our clients for the accident and argued the crash didn’t cause their injuries. We litigated the case, and it settled for $700,000.
Our client suffered head, neck, and back injuries when a driver making an illegal left turn hit them. The defense argued there were gaps in treatment and that arthritis, not the crash, was causing the pain. We pushed back on both arguments and recovered $675,000.
Our client was hurt in two separate collisions. She sued the drivers responsible and her own uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance company, which refused to offer even $100,000 to settle. The case went to a jury in Tampa. After a week-long trial, the jury returned a verdict of $652,989.
Our client needed neck surgery after a crash caused by a driver who carried only a small amount of insurance. The driver’s insurance company refused to settle for its policy limit. We argued it had acted in bad faith and owed more than the limit. After going to trial, the case settled for $500,000.
The insurance company paid part of what the homeowners’ Hurricane Ian claim was worth and disputed the rest. The insurance company said the full cost of repairs wasn’t covered. We filed a lawsuit. We conducted discovery, filed and argued motions, prepared our witnesses, and deposed theirs. As the case got close to trial, the insurance company settled.
Our client was riding in the back of a rideshare vehicle when it was hit from behind on I-275. The driver who caused the crash had no insurance. After extensive litigation, Cliff Wells negotiated a $475,000 settlement under the underinsured motorist coverage, accounting for her medical expenses and everything she had been through.
Our client’s home was burned in an accidental fire. The insurance company delayed paying, and when it finally paid, it wasn’t enough to replace the home. Warren Duffy went after every coverage available: additional living expenses, building coverage, lost rental income, and more. After an appraisal and then a lawsuit, we recovered $460,000.
Our client was crossing the street in a crosswalk when a truck hit her. She broke her arm and needed surgery. Cliff Wells sued the driver and took the case to trial, recovering a total of $425,000.
Our client was riding in a pickup truck with her family when it was hit from behind. The insurance company argued the damage to the truck wasn’t enough to cause her injuries, so her treatment must have been for something pre-existing. Cliff Wells kept pressing the claim, and it resolved for $409,000 to help pay for her recovery and the treatment she still needs.
A commercial truck made an improper left turn and hit our client’s car. Our client was injured. The trucking company denied that it was responsible for the accident, and its insurance company made a low settlement offer. Rather than accepting an offer that did not reflect what our client had been through, attorneys Ariana Saadipour and Clifford Wells filed a lawsuit. Once the defendant corporation was forced to respond to discovery, including answering our written questions and turning over its records, the insurance company settled the case for $400,000.
After a water loss damaged a Palm Harbor home, the insurance company sent a restoration contractor to perform repairs. Instead of returning the property to how it was before the damage, the work created additional problems. Flooring was installed too thick for the door into the garage to open properly, appliances no longer fit in their kitchen spaces, floors were scratched, and finishes did not match.
The insurer argued that it had only recommended the contractor and was not responsible for the defective work. Attorneys Warren Duffy and Jason Herman argued that the insurance company had “opted to repair” through its actions (meaning the insurance company chose the repair contractor, so the insurance company should be responsible for the bad work). Warren and Jason took depositions, retained experts, and prepared the Pinellas County case for trial. As the case approached trial, the matter resolved for $360,000, allowing the homeowner to fully restore the home.
Our client was told it was safe to go up on a roof to hang lights. The roof was slippery, and he fell. Cliff Wells pursued the claim and reached a $301,000 settlement for him.
Citizens denied our client’s claim, saying it didn’t have to pay because the damage was caused by decaying organic soil. We filed suit and took the case to trial. After a week-long jury trial, the jury found for our client.
Hurricane winds damaged our client’s apartment complex, causing roof damage and water damage inside. The insurance company paid $100,000, which wasn’t enough to cover repairs. Jason Herman filed suit and recovered an additional $228,000, bringing the total paid to $328,000. Our client was able to fully repair the storm damage.
A family’s home near Lakeland was damaged by a hurricane, with water coming in through the roof. The insurance company sent its own contractor to dry out the house, but the contractor didn’t finish the job. The adjuster wrote an estimate for interior repairs, then the insurance company had him delete some of them. In the end, the family was paid $1,900. Warren Duffy took the case, and the family recovered an additional $220,000.
This matter arose from a hurricane loss to a waterfront house. After the initial insurance payments, there was a dispute about scope and pricing, including windows, doors, painting, and interior repairs. We retained an engineer and estimator to support our client’s position, which ultimately resulted in a settlement.
Our client was injured in a car crash. Her own insurance company argued she was not injured at all. Cliff Wells tried the case. The jury awarded $201,272.63, then reduced it by 30% after finding our client partly at fault.
After losing her husband, our client made a claim on his life insurance policy. The insurance company tried not to pay. Jason Herman showed the insurance company it had no grounds to deny the claim, and it paid the full policy limits plus interest.
Our client was walking through a St. Petersburg parking lot at night. An uneven patch of pavement sat between two parked cars, hidden in their shadows. She couldn’t see where she was stepping, fell, and broke her leg. We recovered $192,500 for her.
Our client’s business flooded when a pump failed during a hurricane, and it couldn’t generate income until repairs were done. The insurance company denied the claim based on the policy’s water damage exclusions. We sued the insurance company and recovered $190,000.
A fire caused significant damage to our client’s house. The insurance company delayed paying, then paid far less than the cost of repairs. We sued, and the insurance company paid an additional $185,412.
A fire damaged our client’s restaurant, destroying equipment and leaving smoke and heat damage. Despite evidence of much worse damage, the insurance company paid only $10,000. Warren Duffy took the case and recovered an additional $170,000.
Our client paid premiums on a life insurance policy for years. When she made a claim, the insurance companies told her they didn’t have to pay. Warren Duffy laid out the facts and the law, and the insurance companies resolved the claim for $157,000.
Our clients made a claim for wind damage to the tile roof of their St. Petersburg home. The insurance company denied it, blaming wear and tear and faulty workmanship. We filed a lawsuit, and the case settled for $150,000. Our clients were able to repair their roof.
A driver suddenly pulled in front of our client while he was riding his motorcycle. He had no way to avoid the car and crashed into it. Cliff Wells sued our client’s uninsured motorist insurance company for his injuries and resolved the lawsuit for $140,000.
Nationwide denied our client’s claim for damage to his tile roof and water damage inside his house, relying on its own engineers. We answered with engineers and experts of our own. After filing suit, we collected $135,000, and our client was able to repair his home.
Soon after buying their home, our clients had water back up from their septic system into the house, damaging floors and walls. The insurance company denied the claim, then tried to limit the recovery to $5,000 under a sewer backup clause. We argued the issue in court and won. Shortly before trial, the claim resolved for $130,000.
The insurance company took the position that sinkhole activity wasn’t damaging our clients’ home. We sued the insurance company and resolved the case for $120,000.
A broken pipe undermined our client’s home. The house settled, large cracks formed, and the roof began to lean. The insurance company denied the claim. We filed a lawsuit, hired experts, and reached a $115,000 settlement.
A business did not maintain its staircase, and our client tripped and fell down the stairs. We sued the business for her injuries and resolved the case for $110,000.
Our clients’ Daytona Beach home was damaged by Hurricane Matthew. Their insurance company paid about $24,000 and refused to pay more. They had been in litigation with a different lawyer for more than a year when they hired Herman & Wells. Within a few months, we resolved the case for an additional $100,000.
Our client was injured when another driver ran a red light. The at-fault driver’s insurance company refused to pay its policy limit, so we filed suit. After going to trial in St. Petersburg, we recovered $95,000, more than nine times the policy limit.
After our clients’ boat sank, they made an insurance claim. The insurance company dragged its feet and tried not to pay. We recovered $95,000 for our clients.
Our client was injured in a car crash. The at-fault driver’s insurance company fought the claim all the way through trial. We won at trial, and the jury’s verdict for our client was $85,576.
Termite damage caused part of a wall in our clients’ home to fall down and the roof to lean. The insurance company denied the claim. We filed suit, hired experts, and settled the case for $81,000.
Our clients made a claim for damage to their roof and for water that came into their house. We met the insurance adjuster on the roof, pointed out the damage, and settled the claim for $81,000.
The life insurance company refused to pay our client, claiming she wasn’t entitled to any benefits. Warren Duffy filed a lawsuit and recovered $70,000.
A broken pipe flooded our clients’ home. Their insurance company paid about $11,000. The homeowners hired a public adjuster, but the insurance company still refused to pay a reasonable amount. The public adjuster brought the case to us, and we filed a lawsuit. The case settled for an additional $69,500, bringing the total paid to $80,500.
Our client was injured when a driver ran a stop sign and caused a crash involving three cars. We recovered $60,000 from the insurance companies for both other drivers and from our client’s own uninsured motorist coverage.
A broken pipe caused water damage to a custom bathroom. Before we were involved, the insurance company paid $36,000, which wasn’t enough to make the repairs. We sued the insurance company and settled for an additional $60,000.
Our client was hurt when she was rear-ended in a three-car pileup. We filed suit and resolved the case for $55,000.
Our client was hurt when another driver rear-ended her. We filed a lawsuit and resolved the case through a $50,000 settlement.
Termite damage caused part of our client’s roof to fall off. The insurance company refused to pay the claim. Warren Duffy sued the insurance company and settled the case for $52,500.
A broken dishwasher line damaged our clients’ kitchen cabinets and floors. Federated National paid about $20,000, and our clients believed it wasn’t enough. After we filed suit, the insurance company settled for an additional $36,000, more than doubling what it had paid.
Our client’s roof leaked, and her ceiling caved in. The insurance company denied the claim, saying the damage was from wear and tear. We filed a lawsuit and reached a $32,500 settlement.
During a hurricane, debris hit our client’s tile roof and damaged it. The insurance company refused to pay anything. Warren Duffy sued and recovered $30,000.
Our client’s home flooded when his hot water heater leaked. Before he hired us, the insurance company wouldn’t pay the claim and had stopped returning his calls. Warren Duffy quickly got the insurance company to pay $30,000.
Our clients made a claim for hail damage to their roof. The insurance company’s own adjuster saw the damage, but the company denied the claim anyway. Our clients hired a public adjuster, and the insurance company still refused to reconsider. The public adjuster connected the clients with us, and Warren Duffy filed suit. The case settled for an amount that let our clients fully replace their roof.
An air conditioner leaked, causing water damage and mold growth on our client’s personal property. The insurance company refused to pay anything. After we filed a lawsuit, the claim settled for $25,000.
Our client’s home was burglarized, and the insurance company didn’t want to pay for everything that was stolen. We filed a lawsuit, and the insurance company paid $20,000, more than twice what it originally wanted to pay.
The insurance company denied this water damage claim under the policy’s seepage exclusion. We filed suit and litigated the case, and the insurance company paid $19,000.
An electrical fire started inside one of our client’s walls, and a power surge damaged his appliances. His insurance company refused to pay. We sued the insurance company and recovered $17,250.
The insurance company paid our client about $1,000 for wind damage to her roof and house. Warren Duffy obtained an additional payment of $16,500.
A pipe flooded our client’s kitchen. The insurance company paid her about $3,000 and said nothing more was owed. After we got involved, we recovered an additional $11,200.
After a water loss, our clients’ insurance company paid only the $10,000 mold limit and nothing else. Then the insurance company went out of business. We recovered an additional $10,798 from a guaranty association.
Our client spent more than 20 years as an emergency room doctor and loved the work. Lupus changed that. She developed problems with her hands, fatigue, and pain throughout her body. She had two private disability policies through Guardian and hired Bill Demas to help her apply. From the start, Guardian made it clear it did not want to pay. After months of pushing back, Bill got Guardian to agree to pay benefits on both policies.
Our client was a young father of two working as a medical equipment sales manager when a car accident that wasn’t his fault left him with a traumatic brain injury. Prudential fought him from the beginning. Bill Demas guided him through the short-term disability claim and the move to long-term disability, and Prudential approved both. About a year later, Prudential terminated his benefits and refused to acknowledge the brain injury.
Bill sent our client for detailed neuropsychological testing, which disputed Prudential’s experts, and worked with his treating doctors and neurologist. Prudential overturned the termination. It has tried to review its way out of the claim several times since. Each time, Bill’s evidence has stopped it.
Our client had received long-term disability benefits for years through his employer’s plan, managed by Sedgwick. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. Sedgwick decided he was no longer disabled anyway and cut off his benefits. He started the appeal on his own and found the process hard to navigate.
He called Bill Demas before Sedgwick made its final decision. Bill got more time to submit evidence, worked with our client’s doctors, and filed an appeal with the medical and vocational proof it needed. Sedgwick reversed its decision. About a year later it tried to terminate the benefits again. Bill fought it again, and the benefits continued.
A bank manager was approved for disability by Lincoln Financial and Social Security after a kidney transplant. Most people return to work about a year after this kind of transplant. Our client contracted Epstein-Barr virus through the transplant process. It brought brain fog, chronic fatigue, pain, numbness, a worsened heart condition, and a weakened immune system. Lincoln Financial decided our client could go back to work anyway and terminated the benefits.
Bill Demas worked with the treating doctors to document restrictions, obtained a Functional Capacity Evaluation, and brought in a vocational expert. The expert concluded our client could not work in any occupation. Bill filed an appeal with almost 1,700 pages of evidence. Lincoln Financial reinstated the benefits.
Our client had neck fusion surgery more than a decade ago and went back to work. Years later, after another car accident, she developed neck pain with tingling and numbness in both arms, back problems, and signs of an autoimmune disease. She applied for long-term disability through Hartford. Hartford sent her to a doctor of its choosing for one short exam, then denied the claim, saying she could do her past work.
Bill Demas gathered the medical evidence to answer that opinion. He had an expert run a two-day Functional Capacity Evaluation, then had a vocational expert review the results and the file. The expert found she could not work in any gainful occupation. Faced with that evidence, Hartford agreed to pay.
Our client was an outside salesperson for a major tire manufacturer until physical and mental health conditions forced her to stop working. New York Life denied her short-term disability claim and wouldn’t let her apply for long-term disability. Bill Demas appealed the short-term denial and made New York Life provide the long-term application. He gathered the evidence, worked with her doctors, and had her seen by an expert.
New York Life approved the long-term claim but still refused the short-term one. That made no sense. To qualify for long-term benefits, she had to be disabled through the entire short-term period. Bill pressed the point, and New York Life paid both.
Our client, an IT security specialist, developed short bowel syndrome after cancer was removed from his bowel. MetLife approved his long-term disability claim and paid for a year and a half. Then MetLife’s doctors, who never examined him, decided he could go back to work. His condition hadn’t changed. His own doctor said he needed the bathroom 8 to 10 times a day, at least 20 minutes each time.
Bill Demas appealed. MetLife denied it again and claimed a second appeal was required because the first one included new evidence. The policy called for one appeal, and ERISA does not require a second. Bill filed a lawsuit against MetLife. MetLife then accepted the claim and agreed to pay.