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Medical Malpractice

Top-Ranked Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.26 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked medical malpractice lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida are Ford John Fegert “Ford” (LexRank 76.50), Brian James Connelly (75.00) and Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks” (73.60).

This ranking lists 6 medical malpractice lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 5 to 55 years in practice. 1 of the 6 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
6
Fully verified
6 of 6

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Ford John Fegert “Ford”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Insurance · Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 76.50: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Experience (30/30); held back by Practice-area relevance (12.5/20).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 14.7)
  2. No change

    Brian James Connelly

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice · Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.50 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    1.50 points behind #1 (Ford John Fegert “Ford”): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (15/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #2, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26)
    • Practice-area relevance 15/20 (ranking avg 14.7)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)

    1.40 points behind #2 (Brian James Connelly): Data quality −1.4.

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

  4. No change

    John G Rooney “John”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 55 years experience
    • Civil Rights · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 72.50: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (12.5/20). 1.10 points behind #3, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 14.7)

    1.10 points behind #3 (Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks”): Practice-area relevance −2.5.

  5. No change

    Michael Scott Reeser

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 0.57 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 14.7)

    0.57 points behind #4 (John G Rooney “John”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  6. No change

    Lyndal Carter Kondziola “Lyndal Carter”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 54.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (6/30). 17.33 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 14.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.7)
    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 26)

    17.33 points behind #5 (Michael Scott Reeser): Experience −24.

    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 · 6 profile pages60 facts for 6 lawyers

Medical Malpractice market in Vero Beach

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in medical malpractice law in Vero Beach, Florida. 6 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
6
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
6 of 6
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
37 years6 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 Vero Beach

What sets these Vero Beach 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 6 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 5 to 55 (median 37)
Languages besides English Danish (1), French (1), German (1), Spanish (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 Vero Beach office address and medical malpractice as a practice area on record. It compares 6 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 Indian River County is in Florida's Nineteenth 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 Vero Beach?

State court cases in Indian River County are heard in Florida's Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking medical malpractice lawyers in Vero Beach?

Yes. 1 of the 6 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?

6 of the 6 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Ford John Fegert “Ford”, Brian James Connelly, Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks”, John G Rooney “John” and Michael Scott Reeser and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Ford John Fegert “Ford” scores 76.50 and Brian James Connelly 75.00, a gap of 1.50 points, mostly in reputation. 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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