When I approach a case, the way I see it, I have only one shot to do right by our clients. It’s the fear of failure that fuels me. I don’t ever want to give a client bad news. That’s awful. So I start digging and keep digging to find the evidence I need to prove our client’s case. I plan, come up with a strategy, and give everything I have to execute the strategy. It’s always about getting a fair and just resolution.”
Jared I. Ross brings over 15 years of litigation experience to our personal injury litigation team. He will be the managing attorney of our up-and-coming office in Miami, Florida. As a seasoned litigator and trial lawyer, he will be instrumental in overseeing our personal injury litigation in the tri-county area of South Florida: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
Family History of Litigation Experience
Mr. Ross comes from a family of attorneys. For a short time, he considered breaking from the trend and pursuing investigative journalism. But it didn’t last that long.
Early in his career, Mr. Ross worked with his father briefly practicing real estate law. However, he found handling real estate law boring. Next, he transitioned to personal injury for a while, working for his uncle and brother.
Their advice was to, “Go back to the drawing board. Do defense work. Learn their tricks and approaches. Then, take everything you’ve learned to do personal injury for plaintiffs.” It sounded like a good plan.
Mr. Ross worked for a nationwide insurance defense law firm for several years, then made his way back into handling personal injury cases for plaintiffs. He’s worked for several plaintiffs’ firms since then, including the nation’s largest plaintiff’s personal injury firm. He has found his ultimate professional niche, and more importantly, professional home, with Weitz & Luxenberg.
Mr. Ross focuses exclusively on what he calls “single event cases” such as automobile and trucking collisions, premises liability incidents (slips, trips, and falls), negligent security, and maritime cruise accidents. These cases can be complex and often involve catastrophic injuries. When injuries are exceptionally severe, these cases may become wrongful death cases.
Going on the Offense Against Defense
“Defense work is reactionary. Their work is constantly reactive. They’re trying to put fires out. On the other hand, the plaintiff’s side is very much about starting fires,” Mr. Ross explains.
“That’s where my drive kicks in. When someone has been wronged by someone else. I want to be the one to take them on. This is particularly true when the defense is some massive insurance company that is coming up with all kinds of ludicrous reasons for not paying out.”
Taking Those Who Are at Fault to Task
Mr. Ross continues, “In the work I do, there’s usually an at-fault person or business at the center of everything, and an insurance company that they (try) to hide behind on the other side. Maybe it’s a car accident or a slip and fall, for example. We don’t usually expect the owners of the store or the driver of the vehicle, who caused my client’s injuries, to pay for the damages. That is where their insurance comes in. However, not before working the case up, and shining the spotlight, and exposing the negligence of those individual automobile drivers, or the nationally recognized grocery or big box store.”
Mr. Ross adds, “In our lawsuits, we go after the person who maintained their vehicle in a careless or negligent manner, causing it to crash into our client. Or the store owner/operator who didn’t maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. They’re the defendant; they are the one who did something negligently. But, really, it’s the insurance company that has to pay out. And that’s who is calling the shots when it comes to how your case is going to be resolved.”
He summarizes, “I know the kinds of tricks they use to try and justify paying either a very small, unreasonable amount to settle a claim — or in some instances, nothing at all. I’m prepared to stand up to them. If they’ve hurt my client, I will use every legal strategy I can to set things right.”
Compassion and Caring Are Important
“I really care about my clients. When I first meet with a client, I want to hear what happened to you, but also how the accident has affected your life. You need to know I am there for you. That your overall well-being matters,” Mr. Ross declares.
“I want to hear about your injuries, but, even more important, what the impacts are on your daily life. It’s your story I’m going to tell. Because appropriate compensation needs to take into consideration all the ways a person has been injured. Not just for now but also into the future.”
Always Aiming for a Just Resolution
“A just resolution is made up of four parts. There’s relief, satisfaction, excitement, and joy. Relief has to be one of the things you feel right away. For my clients. And me. I never want to lose,” he states.
Next, Mr. Ross says, “The satisfaction is immediate. I know all the ways an insurance company is going to try and justify avoiding paying on a claim for as long as possible. Sometimes a case can go on for a year or two, and possibly longer. Knowing I’ve proven what I knew to be true from the outset, and was able to get my client compensation in the process, is an incredibly satisfying feeling.”
And his real focus is on holding the at-fault party accountable. “Most, if not all, of my clients — after having been in a serious accident — now have to deal with the challenges that come with life-altering injuries. The compensation they receive for their damages — such as pain and suffering — might dramatically, and drastically, improve their life in a good way. Maybe it’s the first time something’s broke in their direction since their accident. That brings them real joy, and is exciting for me.”
On the Personal Side
Mr. Ross is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He earned his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University Shepherd Broad Law School in Davie, Florida, and his B.A. from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
Outside of the office, Mr. Ross loves spending most of his time with his wife and young daughter. He also loves to cook and travel.
