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Product Liability

Top-Ranked Product Liability Lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked product liability lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida are Mark Louis Ornstein (LexRank 80.00), Mark Herbert Schlein (80.00) and Jeff Falkner Dodson (78.60).

This ranking lists 9 product liability lawyers in Tallahassee, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 10 to 43 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Mark Louis Ornstein

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
  2. No change

    Mark Herbert Schlein

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
  3. No change

    Jeff Falkner Dodson

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 1.40 points behind #2, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    1.40 points behind #2 (Mark Herbert Schlein): Data quality −1.4.

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

  4. No change

    William Thomas Cotterall “William”

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 77.40: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 1.20 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 23.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    1.20 points behind #3 (Jeff Falkner Dodson): Experience −1.2.

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

  5. No change

    Andrei Antohi

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 76.40: strongest in Experience (26.4/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.00 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 26.4/30 (ranking avg 23.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)

    1.00 points behind #4 (William Thomas Cotterall “William”): Experience −2.4.

  6. No change

    Brian Edward Chojnowski

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 18 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 71.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (21.6/30). 4.80 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 21.6/30 (ranking avg 23.2)

    4.80 points behind #5 (Andrei Antohi): Experience −4.8.

  7. No change

    Jared R Brownfield “Jared”

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 66.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (16.8/30). 4.80 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 23.2)

    4.80 points behind #6 (Brian Edward Chojnowski): Experience −4.8.

  8. No change

    Tabitha Gail Jackson

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 63.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (13.2/30). 3.60 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 23.2)

    3.60 points behind #7 (Jared R Brownfield “Jared”): Experience −3.6.

  9. No change

    Jeffrey Alan Berglund

    Independent practice · Tallahassee, FL

    Verified
    • 10 years experience
    • Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 62.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (12/30). 1.20 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 12/30 (ranking avg 23.2)

    1.20 points behind #8 (Tabitha Gail Jackson): Experience −1.2.

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 · 9 profile pages90 facts for 9 lawyers

Product Liability market in Tallahassee

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in product liability law in Tallahassee, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
22 years9 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 Tallahassee

What sets these Tallahassee 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 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 10 to 43 (median 22)
Languages besides English Romanian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Tallahassee office address and product liability as a practice area on record. It compares 9 product liability lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in product liability, 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 product liability claim must be filed within 4 years of when the defect was or should have been discovered, and most products cannot be sued over harm that happens more than 12 years after the first sale.

Rule What it means
Filing deadline 4 years for injury founded on the design, manufacture, distribution or sale of a product (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3))
When the clock starts The period runs from when the facts behind the claim were or should have been discovered (§ 95.031(2)(b))
12-year limit No claim for harm from a product with an expected useful life of 10 years or less if the harm occurs more than 12 years after delivery to the first buyer, with exceptions the statute lists (§ 95.031(2)(b))
Shared fault Product liability claims count as negligence actions: a claimant more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, otherwise damages are reduced by their share (§ 768.81)
Government rules defense A product that met the government standards for the risk at issue is presumed not defective, a presumption the claimant can rebut (§ 768.1256)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Leon County is in Florida's Second 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 product liability claim in Florida?

Generally 4 years under section 95.11(3), counted from when the facts behind the claim were or should have been discovered (section 95.031(2)(b)).

Is there a deadline based on how old the product is?

Yes. For a product with an expected useful life of 10 years or less, no claim may be brought for harm that happens more than 12 years after delivery to the first buyer, subject to the exceptions in section 95.031(2)(b).

What if I was partly at fault for my injury?

Under section 768.81, which covers product liability claims, damages are reduced by your share of fault, and a claimant found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing.

Does meeting government safety standards protect a manufacturer?

It creates a presumption that the product was not defective if it met the government standards that apply to the risk that caused the harm, but the claimant can rebut it (section 768.1256).

Which court handles cases in Tallahassee?

State court cases in Leon County are heard in Florida's Second Judicial Circuit.

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?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Mark Louis Ornstein, Mark Herbert Schlein, Jeff Falkner Dodson, William Thomas Cotterall “William” and Andrei Antohi 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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