Miguel Gonzalez is a Tampa personal injury attorney helping clients with car accident and premises liability cases. Born in Cuba and raised in Lee County, Miguel brings a relentless work ethic to Farah & Farah’s Tampa office. He began his legal career as a law clerk and intake specialist before working his way up to case manager. As an attorney, that comprehensive experience handling every aspect of a personal injury case provides him with a deep understanding of the entire legal process.
Not Just a Lawyer, an Advocate
To me, being client-first means keeping clients informed with radical transparency. I understand that for most people, a car accident isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a major disruption of their livelihood. In addition to being hurt, they have to worry about their vehicle. It’s how they get to work, how they pick up their kids from school, how they get to appointments, and now it’s gone. Keeping clients informed is a huge part of being someone your clients can trust. I treat every case with the same urgency my clients feel when they are trying to get back to work and back to health.
From Case Manager to Counsel: How I Worked My Way Up
While some attorneys only learn legal theories in a classroom, I learned them by being in the trenches and working in law firms even before I started law school.
I started off as a legal intern while I was still in undergrad at the University of Florida. Then, before law school, I worked as an intake specialist, and during law school kept working as a law clerk at a solo practitioner. While juggling classes, I was working 20+ hours a week and gaining experience in everything from workers’ comp to elder law to criminal defense. I was drafting pleadings, responding to discovery, legal research, and more–all skills that would be invaluable in my present role as a Tampa accident attorney.
After law school, I started off as a case manager here at Farah & Farah. That meant I was the person in charge of making sure every element of the case was working smoothly. After passing the Florida Bar and getting sworn in as an attorney, I even took over a few of the cases I had already been managing. I’ll never forget one client told me, “I need to talk to the attorney on my case,” and I got to tell him, “I am your attorney.” He was so pleased that the person who knew his case files inside and out was now taking over getting it across the finish line.
I’m thankful I got to work my way up the legal ladder because the lessons learned set me up for the greatest chance of success for my clients. I gained complete confidence that I can and will do everything in my power to push back against insurance companies that are trying to devalue my clients’ cases.
Real Talk and Reliable Results: Making Communication a Priority
I believe that the strongest attorney-client relationships are built on communication. I make it a point to be the steady hand for his clients during a chaotic time. Whether I am assisting a Spanish-speaking client or handling a complex slip-and-fall case, I always want to be known for my accessibility to my clients. I view the law as a way to make things right, and I get to be a true counselor to my clients.
Something I’ve learned working in so many areas of the law is to stay grounded and not let the other side sway you. With accident cases, you have to understand it’s the adjuster’s job to act in the best interest of the insurance company and save them as much money as possible. My job is to get the best results for my client, helping make them whole again. Something I’ll never forget is one of the law professors telling us, “Your clients determine the objectives, we determine the means.” If my client really wants to settle and be done, that’s their decision, and we’ll figure out the best way to get it done. If they’d rather litigate in court, we’ll do that. How each case is put together is an art form and takes a massive degree of trust between my clients and me.
A Local Champion Fighting for Tampa Victims
When I’m not in the office or getting my files organized early in the morning, I love just being out and about in the vibrant Southwest Florida community. I’m a huge basketball fan and especially the NBA, where I’ll be cheering on my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls, every chance I get. I also like to stay fit and active and go to the gym regularly. I played basketball through high school, and I still find pick-up games as often as I can. Whether it’s enjoying a great steak at a local restaurant, walking the St. Pete Pier, or grilling at home with my girlfriend, Isabelle, I’m so proud to call the Tampa area home and even prouder to defend the rights of its residents.
