Personal Injury
Top-Ranked Personal Injury Lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Summary
As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked personal injury lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida are Lance Christopher Ivey “Lance” (LexRank 84.00), Scott Bryant Smith (84.00) and Mark William Clark (84.00).
This ranking lists 12 personal injury lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 12 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 24 to 54 years in practice. 2 of the 12 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.
- Lawyers ranked
- 12
- Fully verified
- 12 of 12
The ranking
Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank
- Rank1-No changeLL
Lance Christopher Ivey “Lance”
Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 30 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #1?
Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank2-No changeSS
Scott Bryant Smith
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 27 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #2?
Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank3-No changeMC
Mark William Clark
Clark, Fountain, et al. · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 43 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #3?
Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank4-No changeSD
Sean Christopher Domnick
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 36 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #4?
Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank5-No changeDD
Donald R Fountain Jr. “Don”
Clark, Fountain, et al. · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 38 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #5?
Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank6-No changeMH
Matthew Edward Haynes
Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 33 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #6?
Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank7-No changeNV
Nancy Lee La Vista
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 36 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #7?
Ranks #7 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank8-No changeDP
David Christopher Prather
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 35 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #8?
Ranks #8 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank9-No changeMS
Michael Henry Stauder
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 54 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
84.00LexRankView profileWhy #9?
Ranks #9 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
- Rank10-No changeDF
Dennis Todd Fronrath
Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 24 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
82.80LexRankView profileWhy #10?
Ranks #10 with 82.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.20 points behind #9, mostly experience.
Strongest
- Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
- Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
1.20 points behind #9 (Michael Henry Stauder): Experience −1.2.
- Rank11-No changeLI
Lake Henry Lytal III
Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 28 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
82.60LexRankView profileWhy #11?
Ranks #11 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.20 points behind #10, mostly data quality.
Strongest
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
- Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
0.20 points behind #10 (Dennis Todd Fronrath): Data quality −1.4.
Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.
- Rank12-No changeMO
Michael Joseph Overbeck
Independent practice · Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Verified- 34 years experience
- Personal Injury
- ✓ Bar status verified
82.60LexRankView profileWhy #12?
Ranks #12 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).
Strongest
- Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.9)
- Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
Held back by
- Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.
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 · 12 profile pages132 facts for 12 lawyers
Personal Injury market in Palm Beach Gardens
LexRanked tracks 12 lawyers and 2 law firms in personal injury law in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. 12 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.
- Lawyers
- 12
- Law firms
- 2
- Verified professional data
- 12 of 12
- Average rating
- Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
- Median review count
- Withheldtoo few sourced counts
- Median experience
- 34.5 years12 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
All 12 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.
| Fact about the 12 ranked lawyers | Figure |
|---|---|
| Board Certified in Civil Trial Law | 12 of 12 |
| Years in practice | 24 to 54 (median 34.5) |
| Languages besides English | Spanish (2), Portuguese (1) |
| License status with The Florida Bar | Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer |
| Most common law school | Stetson University College of Law (3 lawyers) |
Who is included in this ranking?
Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Palm Beach Gardens office address and personal injury as a practice area on record. It compares 12 personal injury lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.
Florida rules to know
Most injury claims must be filed within two years, a person more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, and car crash injuries start with your own PIP insurance.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Filing deadline | 2 years for negligence claims that arose on or after March 24, 2023 (Fla. Stat. § 95.11) |
| Shared fault | More than 50% at fault: no recovery; 50% or less: damages reduced by your share (Fla. Stat. § 768.81) |
| Car crashes | Your own PIP pays first, up to $10,000, if you get care within 14 days (Fla. Stat. § 627.736) |
| Lawyer fees | Contingency fees are capped, for example 33⅓% of the first $1 million if the case resolves before the defendant answers (Rule 4-1.5) |
| Which court | Claims above $50,000 go to the circuit court; smaller claims go to the county court |
| 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.
- Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
- Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
- Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
- If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.
Further reading
- Florida personal injury rules
- How much a personal injury lawyer costs
- How long a personal injury case takes
- Florida medical malpractice: pre-suit rules and deadlines
- Questions to ask a lawyer before hiring
- How to check a Florida lawyer before you hire them
Sources for the rules above
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida?
Two years from the date of the injury for most negligence claims that arose on or after March 24, 2023. Claims that arose before that date have four years. Medical malpractice and wrongful death claims also have two-year deadlines, with their own rules on when the clock starts.
Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault?
Yes, if you were 50% or less at fault; your damages are reduced by your share. If you are found more than 50% at fault, Florida law bars recovery, except in medical negligence cases.
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in Florida?
Most work on a contingency fee: a percentage of the recovery and nothing if there is none. Florida caps these fees, for example at 33⅓% of the first $1 million if the case resolves before the defendant answers the lawsuit, and 40% after that. You can cancel the agreement within 3 business days of signing.
Who pays my medical bills after a car accident in Florida?
Your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance pays first, whoever caused the crash: 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost income, up to $10,000 combined, if you get care within 14 days. You can claim against the at-fault driver only for serious, permanent injuries.
What does Board Certified in Civil Trial Law mean?
It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 12 of the 12 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.
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 personal injury lawyers in Palm Beach Gardens?
Yes. 2 of the 12 ranked lawyers list 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?
12 of the 12 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Lance Christopher Ivey “Lance”, Scott Bryant Smith, Mark William Clark, Sean Christopher Domnick and Donald R Fountain Jr. “Don” and others.
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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