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Medical Malpractice

Top-Ranked Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.28 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked medical malpractice lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida are Craig Randall Zobel “Craig” (LexRank 72.50), Trent Joseph Swift (66.80) and Melissa Nicole Kruegel “Nicole” (65.60).

This ranking lists 8 medical malpractice lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 1 to 31 years in practice. 1 of the 8 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
8
Fully verified
8 of 8

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Craig Randall Zobel “Craig”

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Civil Rights · Environmental
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 72.50: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Practice-area relevance (12.5/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 16.8)
  2. No change

    Trent Joseph Swift

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 66.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (16.8/30). 5.70 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.8)
    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 14.4)

    5.70 points behind #1 (Craig Randall Zobel “Craig”): Experience −13.2.

  3. No change

    Melissa Nicole Kruegel “Nicole”

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 65.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (15.6/30). 1.20 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.8)
    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 14.4)

    1.20 points behind #2 (Trent Joseph Swift): Experience −1.2.

  4. No change

    Michael Charles Peckham

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 16 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 64.20: strongest in Experience (19.2/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 1.40 points behind #3, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    1.40 points behind #3 (Melissa Nicole Kruegel “Nicole”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  5. No change

    James Anthony Meszaros

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 61.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (13.2/30). 2.40 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 14.4)

    2.40 points behind #4 (Michael Charles Peckham): Experience −6, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  6. No change

    Christian Charles Romaguera

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 7 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 51.73: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (8.4/30) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 10.07 points behind #5, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 8.4/30 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.8)

    10.07 points behind #5 (James Anthony Meszaros): Practice-area relevance −6.7, Experience −4.8.

  7. No change

    Lauren Alexis Lytal

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 51.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (1.2/30). 0.53 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 14.4)

    0.53 points behind #6 (Christian Charles Romaguera): Experience −7.2.

  8. No change

    Shane Adam Chernoff

    Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    Verified
    • 9 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 50.38: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (10.8/30) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 0.82 points behind #7, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 10.8/30 (ranking avg 14.4)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.8)

    0.82 points behind #7 (Lauren Alexis Lytal): Practice-area relevance −6.7, Professional credentials −3.8.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 8 profile pages82 facts for 8 lawyers

Medical Malpractice market in Palm Beach Gardens

LexRanked tracks 8 lawyers in medical malpractice law in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 8 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
8
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
8 of 8
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
12 years8 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens

What sets these Palm Beach Gardens lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 8 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 1 to 31 (median 12)
Languages besides English French (1), Italian (1), Portuguese (1), Spanish (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Palm Beach Gardens office address and medical malpractice as a practice area on record. It compares 8 medical malpractice lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in medical malpractice, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A Florida medical malpractice claim must be filed within 2 years of discovering the injury and never later than 4 years, after a presuit investigation with a medical expert opinion and a 90-day notice period.

Rule What it means
Filing deadline 2 years from the incident or from when it was or should have been discovered, and no later than 4 years from the incident; claims for a minor may be brought until the child's eighth birthday (Fla. Stat. § 95.11)
Expert opinion The claimant must investigate first and send a verified written medical expert opinion with the notice of intent (§ 766.203)
Notice of intent Before filing suit, the claimant must notify each prospective defendant of the intent to sue (§ 766.106)
90-day presuit period No lawsuit may be filed for 90 days after the notice; the defendant must then reject the claim, offer to settle or offer arbitration (§ 766.106)
Lawyer fees With a contingency fee, the patient keeps at least 70% of the first $250,000 and 90% of any damages above that, after costs (Fla. Const. art. I, § 26)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Palm Beach County is in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Florida?

Within 2 years from the incident or from when it was or should have been discovered, and no later than 4 years from the incident, under section 95.11. A claim for a minor may be brought until the child's eighth birthday.

What must happen before a medical malpractice lawsuit is filed?

The claimant investigates, obtains a verified written opinion from a medical expert and notifies each prospective defendant (sections 766.203 and 766.106). No suit may be filed for 90 days after the notice.

How much can a lawyer take from a medical malpractice award in Florida?

With a contingency fee, the patient keeps at least 70% of the first $250,000 and 90% of damages above $250,000, after reasonable costs, under article I, section 26 of the Florida Constitution.

What happens during the 90-day presuit period?

The doctor or hospital and its insurer review the claim and must respond by rejecting it, offering to settle or offering to arbitrate damages (section 766.106).

Which court handles cases in Palm Beach Gardens?

State court cases in Palm Beach County are heard in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking medical malpractice lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens?

Yes. 1 of the 8 ranked lawyers lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

8 of the 8 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Craig Randall Zobel “Craig”, Trent Joseph Swift, Melissa Nicole Kruegel “Nicole”, Michael Charles Peckham and James Anthony Meszaros and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Craig Randall Zobel “Craig” scores 72.50 and Trent Joseph Swift 66.80, a gap of 5.70 points, mostly in experience. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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