David Weiss
Born in Elgin, Illinois 1942
Education:
University of Illinois, B.A. 1964
Northwestern University, J.D. 1967
Fields of Practice:
Mr. Weiss currently supervises all operations stemming from PWO’s Boca Raton offices and is a member of the Management Committee. A proven trial lawyer in multiple jurisdictions, Mr. Weiss had secured record verdicts on behalf of his Plaintiffs, and implausible judgments in favor of his Defendants. His diverse career has included every type of civil litigation from admiralty and bad faith to sexual harassment and transportation.
Admissions:
Admitted to Illinois State Bar, 1977
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Illinois, 1977
Admitted to Florida State Bar, 1982
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Florida, 1982
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Indiana, 1985
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Alabama, 1985
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Georgia, 1985
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of New York, 2000
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Maryland, 2002
Admitted to the Michigan State Bar, 2005
Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Michigan, 2005
Representative Cases:
Brown v. Kelly Mr. Weiss Defended Kelly and the minor child who took her vehicle without her permission. The Defendant minor lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid a dog on a dirt roadway, thereby striking a child pedestrian and killing him. The matter was defended primarily on damages, as the deceased Plaintiff’s parents had previously exhibited little interest in the deceased child’s wellbeing. The jury found in favor of the Plaintiff in the amount of $15,000 – the smallest wrongful death verdict recorded in Florida. The jury further assessed 15% of the liability against the dog.
Miller v. Omni Insurance Group Mr. Weiss Defended Omni Insurance Company in a bad faith case stemming from a $750,000 verdict against one of Omni’s insureds. After extensive motion work and the pursuit of a counter-claim for fraud and collusion against Plaintiff counsel, the matter was settled for $20,000 – the amount of the original policy limits in the underlying case.
Northern v. Lamm Mr. Weiss defended Mr. Lamm in a declaratory judgment stemming from an admiralty matter. Plaintiff Northern Trust claimed that Defendant Lamm materially breached his insurance contract by sailing into Cuban waters, and by allegedly engaging in other illegal acts. The court held that there was no breach of the navigation limit and that the illegal acts provision of the policy was ambiguous and therefore not enforceable. Mr. Weiss also pursued Lamm’s counter-claim and received a $340,000 verdict (the value of the vessel plus costs, interest and attorney fees).
O’Campo v. State Farm Mr. Weiss represented Plaintiff O’Campo in his bad faith claim against State Farm. Although State Farm tendered its $50,000 policy limits, the tender included Broward Hospital on the draft, a non-negotiable lienholder whose inclusion resulted in no net recovery for the claimant. State Farm ultimately settled the bad faith claim for three times the policy limits.
Arango v. Mazda Mr. Weiss represented Plaintiff Arango, the victim of sexual harassment at Mazda U.S.A.’s southern Florida plant. Mr. Weiss successfully argued that Mazda had created a culture of mistreating women by failing to set a policy which strictly forbid it. The jury awarded Plaintiff $4,000,000 – the largest sexual harassment verdict in Florida history. Prior to trial, Mazda’s highest settlement offer was $10,000.
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