Attorney Profile
Robert E. Williams
Areas of Practice
Contact Info
Overview
Rob is a member of the Casualty Department. He has experience litigating a wide range of general liability matters representing insureds and self insureds, individuals and national corporations in cases involving motor vehicle liability, premises liability, first party and third party property insurance, product liability, and personal injury.
Prior to joining the firm, Rob worked as Staff Counsel for AIG, defending AIG, its subsidiaries and its insured customers related to general liability litigation which included bodily injury, trucking, property damage, uninsured/underinsured coverage, and subrogation disputes. He has assisted in various insurance defense matters, including mass tort (asbestos) litigation. Rob also has prior experience in workers' compensation matters, defending several of these matters through bench trials to final order by the judges of compensation throughout the state of Florida, and in some instances through appeal.
Before attending law school, Rob worked for several years in the mortgage banking industry. He is admitted to practice in the state of Florida.
Results
After discovery and evidentiary depositions involving multiple defendants, obtained nuisance value settlement on behalf of defendant elevator company arising out of plaintiff's second floor fall down an elevator shaft with serious injuries.
Successfully argued defendant's summary judgment motion and opposition to plaintiff's motion to abate on dispositive issue of plaintiff's failure to appear for examination under oath, resulting in dismissal with prejudice of plaintiff's first party property case.
Obtained favorable settlement for less than medical costs of plaintiff's neck and shoulder surgeries in a motor vehicle accident case where plaintiff alleged the defendant's vehicle rear-ended plaintiff's vehicle. Through deposition testimony and expert discovery, the defense was developed that the incident was a side-swipe which could not have occurred in the manner described by the plaintiff, and through medical records discovery, the plaintiff's neck and shoulder surgeries were not causally related to the accident.
Obtained dismissal, with zero payment, of premises liability case through use of aggressive motion and discovery practice, to include defense of failure to timely substitute personal respresentative on behalf of later deceased plaintiff.
Obtained nuisance value settlement for trip and fall case by securing deposition testimony of plaintiff that was inconsistent with police officer's statement as to the location of the alleged dangerous condition and the manner of the fall.
Obtained workers' compensation final order in bench trial resulting in denial of entire claim based on finding there was no objective evidence of injury.
Obtained workers' compensation final order in bench trial resulting in denial of claimant's claim for temporary indemnity benefits based on finding of no competent substantial evidence of occupational cause of injury with resulting disability within reasonable degree of medical certainty.
Thought Leadership
Adjuster Law & Policy, State of Florida, Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Licensing
Adjuster Ethics, State of Florida, Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Licensing
“A Recent and Thorough Discussion of Negligence and Premises Liability in Florida by the Second District of Florida,” Defense Digest, Vol. 28, No. 12, December 2022