Senior Personal Injury Attorney - Trial Lawyer

Job Description

Job Description

Join Warner & Fitzmartin, a boutique firm dedicated to advocacy and client-centered service. As a Senior Personal Injury Attorney, you’ll have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of injured victims and policyholders. You'll handle cases ranging from car accidents to wrongful death, drawing on your trial experience to deliver justice. Our team is known for its aggressive yet compassionate approach, and you'll be at the forefront of this mission, helping recover millions for deserving clients.

We value your expertise and commitment to excellence. You'll work in a supportive environment that prioritizes employee development and career advancement. With access to our resources, you'll provide top-tier representation and enjoy competitive compensation for your efforts. At Warner & Fitzmartin, we believe in a collaborative culture where your skills are honed and valued. If you're ready to join a team that stands by its clients and each other, let’s take the next step together.

SPECIAL BONUS : If your background is insurance defense, you are still welcome here—and you might just LOVE it. In your cover letter, tell us what changed for you and why you now want to advocate for injured people. Tell us what you learned on the defense side that will make you a sharper, more strategic, and more effective plaintiff’s lawyer.

Compensation:

$110,000 - $200,000 yearly commensurate with experience including performance-based bonus compensation

Responsibilities:

YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE IF YOU CAN:

• Lead and move complex personal injury cases with senior-level judgment, urgency, and accountability from intake and pre-suit evaluation through litigation, mediation, settlement, or trial.
• Evaluate liability, damages, causation, insurance coverage, liens, medical proof, evidentiary gaps, and case value early enough to establish a clear plan of action.
• Develop and execute strategic litigation plans that align with client goals, maximize recovery, preserve leverage, maintain trial readiness, and uphold the firm’s standards for excellence.
• Drive each case toward its appropriate next milestone—including demand, suit filing, mediation, settlement, trial, and fee collection—with defined strategy, deadlines, ownership, and follow-through.
• Build leverage through disciplined legal analysis, discovery, depositions, motion practice, expert development, damages presentation, and trial-ready preparation.
• Use first-chair personal injury jury-trial experience to shape case strategy, discovery, expert development, settlement posture, and trial readiness from the outset—not merely when a trial date approaches.
• Conduct rigorous legal research and translate that analysis into practical strategy that anticipates challenges, protects the client’s position, and moves the case forward.
• Prepare and negotiate high-quality settlement demands and case resolutions that reflect strong valuation, persuasive advocacy, and practical command of the file.
• Manage a litigation pipeline without allowing cases to stall, drift, or become dependent on partner rescue.
• Identify legal, evidentiary, financial, or operational risks early, elevate them with proposed solutions, and help the team prevent avoidable last-minute emergencies.
• Communicate with clients clearly, compassionately, and proactively, providing the guidance and candid updates they need to make informed decisions—even when the news is difficult or expectations must be reset.
• Direct and collaborate with paralegals, case managers, and support staff with clarity, respect, and accountability so that every file remains organized, current, and moving.
• Mentor junior attorneys and litigation staff by modeling sound legal judgment, thorough preparation, effective communication, teamwork, and high professional standards.
• Collaborate closely with the Managing Partners while exercising sufficient ownership and autonomy to reduce unnecessary partner re-entry into matters that should be progressing under senior-attorney leadership.
• Contribute to the firm’s litigation systems, case-review structure, templates, workflows, delegation practices, and operating discipline as the practice continues to grow.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage a plaintiff’s personal injury caseload from intake, pre-suit evaluation, and demand strategy through litigation, mediation, settlement, or trial, ensuring that each stage aligns with client goals and firm standards.
• Develop, document, and execute case-specific litigation strategies designed to advance client objectives, maximize recovery, preserve leverage, and maintain trial readiness.
• Analyze liability, damages, causation, insurance coverage, medical treatment, liens, subrogation, and evidentiary issues at the outset and throughout the life of each case.
• Conduct thorough legal research and analysis to support litigation strategy, resolve complex legal questions, and anticipate potential procedural or substantive challenges.
• Draft, review, and file pleadings, discovery, motions, memoranda, settlement materials, correspondence, and other litigation documents with accuracy, clarity, and strategic purpose.
• Represent clients effectively and professionally in court hearings, case-management conferences, depositions, mediations, settlement negotiations, trials, and other case-related proceedings.
• Take and defend depositions of parties, fact witnesses, treating providers, expert witnesses, and corporate representatives as appropriate.
• Prepare clients and witnesses thoroughly for depositions, mediations, hearings, and trial-related proceedings.
• Oversee the development of settlement demands, mediation statements, damages presentations, and negotiation strategies that accurately reflect the evidence, case value, and client’s objectives.
• Negotiate case resolutions with insurance adjusters, defense counsel, and other parties while protecting client interests and maintaining the firm’s standards for preparation, advocacy, and professional conduct.
• Lead and support trial preparation and trials, including witness preparation, exhibit development, motion practice, evidentiary strategy, case themes, jury instructions, opening and closing arguments, and overall courtroom strategy.
• Direct and collaborate with paralegals, case managers, and legal support staff to ensure that tasks, deadlines, filings, documents, notes, medical records, liens, and file status remain current and actionable.
• Participate in regular case-review meetings and provide concise, accurate updates regarding case posture, risks, strategy, next steps, and anticipated resolution path.
• Mentor associate attorneys and litigation staff by providing practical guidance on case evaluation, legal analysis, client communication, litigation preparation, negotiation, delegation, and professional judgment.
• Foster a collaborative working environment that strengthens team performance, professional development, and shared accountability for case outcomes.
• Maintain proactive, high-touch client communication and ensure that clients understand their case status, material risks, available options, likely timing, and reasonable expectations throughout the process.
• Use the firm’s case-management and document systems consistently to maintain organized files, reliable deadlines, current tasks and notes, documented litigation plans, and complete case records.
• Help strengthen the firm’s litigation workflows, templates, case-review process, delegation practices, and quality-control systems as the practice continues to grow.

Qualifications: Preferred

• Significant plaintiff-side personal injury experience involving motor-vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, or other serious bodily injury matters.

• Prior insurance defense experience, combined with a genuine desire to apply that knowledge in advocating for injured people and policyholders.

• Experience helping a growing law firm strengthen litigation workflows, case-review systems, file-organization standards, templates, delegation structures, or attorney and staff accountability.

• Experience mentoring junior attorneys, paralegals, case managers, or litigation support professionals and helping them develop stronger legal judgment and case-management practices.

Required

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; active membership in and good standing with The Florida Bar.

• Minimum of seven years of litigation experience, including meaningful experience in plaintiff’s personal injury, insurance defense, bodily injury litigation, or a closely related civil litigation practice.

• Personal experience trying one or more personal injury cases before a jury as first chair, with direct responsibility for trial strategy, witness examination, evidentiary presentation, opening and closing arguments, and jury-facing advocacy.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage personal injury or civil litigation matters from initial evaluation through discovery, mediation, resolution, trial preparation, and trial.

• Strong skills in case valuation, liability and damages analysis, negotiation, legal writing, oral advocacy, and litigation strategy.

• Substantial experience taking and defending depositions, handling court hearings, preparing clients and witnesses, working with experts, and moving cases effectively through discovery and mediation.

• Ability to identify what is preventing a case from moving, determine what the matter requires next, and take appropriate action without waiting for daily direction.

• Ability to direct legal staff, delegate clearly, supervise case progress, maintain organized litigation files, and ensure that deadlines and commitments are consistently met.

• Sound professional judgment, emotional maturity, and the ability to communicate clearly and credibly with clients, opposing counsel, insurance adjusters, medical providers, expert witnesses, judges, and internal team members.

• A compassionate, client-centered approach and a demonstrated commitment to responsive, honest, and understandable client communication.

• Ability to work effectively in a primarily remote legal environment, with strong responsiveness, documentation, task-management, and calendar discipline.

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and modern legal technology, including PDF-editing software, case-management systems, document-automation tools, electronic-signature platforms, structured calendaring, workflow templates, and litigation task tracking.

• Ability to attend court appearances, depositions, mediations, trials, and other in-person case events as required, including travel on reasonably short notice.

About Company

Warner & Fitzmartin, PLLC is a boutique personal injury and insurance claims firm founded by trial attorneys Aaron Warner and Elissa Fitzmartin. Based in Lake Worth Beach, the firm represents injured victims and policyholders throughout Florida in matters ranging from car, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents to slip and falls, negligent security, workers' compensation, dog bites, and wrongful death.

Drawing on extensive civil litigation and trial experience, the partners have recovered millions of dollars for deserving clients and are known for combining aggressive advocacy with highly personal, client-centered service. The firm maintains a 5.0 rating with more than 180 reviews and offers free consultations and 24/7 availability, reflecting a deep commitment to responsiveness, precision, and client care at every stage of clients’ cases.