Bernard F. Walsh, Esq.

An AV Rated Civil Trial attorney with more than 30 years of experience, Bernard F. Walsh first began his career protecting the rights of the public as an attorney for the State of Florida.  For the next three years, as a trial attorney for the State of Florida, Mr. Walsh handled numerous high profile trials concerning serious felony crimes.

Since 1982 Bernie has exclusively practiced personal injury law and helped accident victims in and beyond Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida.

Mr. Walsh has won the largest playground recovery (2008-$1,900,000.00), motorcycle recoveries (2006-$6,000,000.00), motor vehicle v commercial truck (2016-$4,700,000), auto accident recovery (2018-$1,050,000.00), and a daycare center recovery (2010-$1,000,000.00) in the State of Florida.  Several additional recoveries include a bicycle v truck ($1,000,000.00), auto v van ($1,000,000.00), MVA – single car ($500,000.00), motorcycle v truck ($950,000.00), auto v semi ($475,000.00) and Private Property/fall down ($750,000.00).

Bernard Walsh is on the Board of Governors for the Florida Justice Association (PAC), as well as on the Board of the Florida Justice Association (Florida Trial Lawyers), the Board of the National Trial Lawyers, the Board of the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA), and on the Board of Manasota Trial Lawyers Board.  Mr. Walsh has been named in  Florida Legal Elite, has a “Superb Rating” by AVVO – widely recognized by the legal community for superb professional conduct and experience, and an “AV Preeminent Rating” by Martindale-Hubbell – the pinnacle of professional excellence earned through a strenuous Peer Review Rating process, highest ranking this organization bestows on an attorney.

Mr. Walsh is firmly committed to community service.  His volunteer efforts to help all levels of law enforcement have benefited both private citizens and law enforcement personnel.  He gives back, supporting many churches, organizations and the arts of Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

Education

Juris Doctorate (Law Degree), 1978 – Cumberland Law School

   
• Selected as a Research Clerk - Intern for a Federal Judge and the U.S. Attorney’s Office
   
• Awarded the National Book Awards for Constitutional Law and Professional Responsibility

 

Bachelor Degree (Undergraduate), 1975 – University of South Florida

 

Professional Distinctions

   
• Top Rated Attorney – ‘10’ – Avvo – Superb Rated Attorney (Highest Rating)
   
• ‘AV’ Preeminent® Rated – Martindale-Hubbell (Highest Rating)
   
• Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys Member
   
• American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys® (Top 10 Best Attorney)
   
• The American Jurist Institute (Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys of Florida)
   
• The American Society of Legal Advocates (Top 100 Litigation Lawyer)
   
• Association of American Trial Lawyers (Top 100)
   
• Association of Plaintiff Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA) – National Board Member
   
• Best Attorney’s of America (Lifetime Charter Member)
   
• Expert Network Distinguished Lawyer
   
• Florida Legal Elite (Top 1%)
   
• The Irish Legal 100
   
• Lawyers of Distinction (Top 10%)
   
• Melvin M. Belli Society Member
   
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
   
• National Academy of Jurisprudence
   
• The National Association of Distinguished Counsel (Top 1%)
   
• The National Association of Personal Injury Attorney’s (NAPIL) Member
   
• The National Trial Lawyers – Board Member (Top 100 Trial Lawyers)
   
• Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers Association
   
• Brain Injury Trial Lawyers Association
  
     
  • Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Section
     
  • Mass Tort Trial Lawyers Section
     
  • Insurance Bad Faith Trial Lawyers Section
  
  
   
• Peritum (Expert) American Attorneys
   
• Premier Lawyers of America (Top 1%)
   
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association Member

 

   
• Advisor for Legal Zoom

 

   
• Manasota Trial Lawyers Board (Founder; & President/Board)
   
• Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association Member
   
• Florida Justice Association, Board of Governors, Eagle/Board Member
   
• American Association of Justice Member
   
• The Florida Bar/Trial Section Member
   
• Manatee County Bar Association Member
   
• Sarasota County Bar Association Member
   
• US District Court for Middle District of Florida Member

 

 

   
• Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council/Board
   
• Florida Sheriff’s Association (Lifetime Member)
   
• Manatee County Sheriff’s Advisory Board
   
• Sarasota County Sheriff’s Advisory Board
   
• National Sheriff’s Association
   
• 100 Club Manatee County and Florida 100 Club – for Law Enforcement Officers – helps injured LEO and their families when hurt in line of duty.

 

   
• Lectures

 

   
• Association of Plaintiff Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA)
   
• Florida Justice Association
   
• Manasota Trial Lawyers Board
   
• National Trial Lawyers
   
• North Carolina Trial Lawyers for Justice
   
• Melvin M. Belli Society
   
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association
   
• Stetson University – College of Law
   
• Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School

 

   
• Published (Over 20 Articles in National Trial Lawyers Publications)

 

   
• The Lawyer’s LogBook – Endorsed by APITLAmerica
   
• JUSTLAW – Southern Trial Lawyers Association
   
• The Trial Lawyer – The National Trial Lawyers Magazine

 

   
• The Lawyer’s LogBook – Endorsed by APITLAmerica
   
• Working a Trucking Case – the A to Z Basics – Winter 2012 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• The A to Z Basics of Proving Closed Head Injury – April - May 2013 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Florida’s Switch From Frye to Daubert: Not A Substantial Change in the Admissibility Determination of Expert Witness Testimony – Aug-Sept 2013 (with Sara W. Calabrese, Candidate for Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law)
   
• Navigating ERISA – Vol. 3, No. 4 Oct. – Nov. 2013 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Using Cell Phone Records to Track a Truck’s Route and Time Line – Vol. 4, No. 3 Aug. – Sept. 2014 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Respondeat Superior - When are Motor Carriers Responsible – Vol.7, No 2 – Summer 2018 (with Zachary Ross)
   
• JUSTLAW - Southern Trial Lawyers Association Magazine
   
• Working a Trucking Case – the A to Z Basics – First Quarter 2012 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• The A to Z Basics of Proving Closed Head Injury – Second Quarter 2013 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Navigating ERISA – Third Quarter 2013 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Florida’s Switch From Frye to Daubert: Not A Substantial Change in the Admissibility Determination of Expert Witness Testimony (with Sara W. Calabrese, Candidate for Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law)
   
• Using Cell Phone Records to Track a Truck’s Route and Timeline – Second Quarter 2014 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• The Hiring of a Lifetime Care Plan Expert – First Quarter 2015 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)

 

   
• The Trial Lawyer - The National Trial Lawyers Magazine
   
• Zip-Line & Pre-Injury Releases - Volume V, Number II, Summer 2017 (w/Christina Walsh)
   
• Working a Trucking Case – the A to Z Basics – Fall 2013 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Florida’s Switch From Frye to Daubert: Not A Substantial Change in the Admissibility Determination of Expert Witness Testimony – Fall 2013 (with Sara W. Calabrese, Candidate for Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law)
   
• The A to Z Basics of Proving Closed Head Injury – Volume IV, Number 1, Spring 2014 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Navigating ERISA – Volume IV, number IV, Winter 2014 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Using Cell Phone Records to Track a Truck’s Route and Timeline – Volume V, Number I, Spring 2015 (with Elisabeth DeWitt)
   
• Respondeat Superior - When are Motor Carriers Responsible – Summer 2018 (with Zachary Ross)
   
• The A to Z of Bus Accidents – Vol. VI, Number IV, Winter 2018 (with Daniel Murphy & Christina Walsh, JD)