Michael E. Reed

Mike Reed 018r Web

Michael Reed
Office: Tampa  
Direct: (813) 222-7208
mreed@wickersmith.com

Practice Areas:
  • Professional Liability
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Medical Law

    • Admitted to Practice:
    • 1992, Florida and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
    • 2003, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
    • 2007, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
    Education:
    • Oklahoma City University (J.D., 1992)
    • Amber University (M.B.A., 1985)
    • Central State University (B.S., 1979)
    Born:  

    Ponca City, Oklahoma

    Michael Reed

    Biography

    Michael E. Reed joined Wicker Smith in 1992 and is managing partner of the Tampa office. He is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

    Over the course of his 30-year career, Mr. Reed has conducted numerous civil trials in state and federal court, primarily handling matters involving complex litigation, products liability, bad faith, commercial casualty and medical malpractice. He represents such clients as Zurich, AIG, Scottsdale Insurance, Community Health Systems, Cincinnati Insurance Company, FPIC and Lexington Insurance Company, to name a few. Prior to the start of his legal career, Mr. Reed worked as an insurance adjuster for 10 years with the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company.

    Mr. Reed graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Central State University in 1979 and later went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration from Amber University in Dallas, Texas, and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Oklahoma City University. He is admitted to practice in the state of Florida and the U.S. District Court in the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. Mr. Reed is an active member of The Florida Bar, Hillsborough County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association.


    Professional & Civic Affiliations
    • The Florida Bar
    • Hillsborough County Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Florida Defense Lawyers Association
    • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Oklahoma City University Law Review, 1990-1992

    Michael Reed - Partner

    Mike Reed 018r Web

    Michael Reed

    Partner

    Email: mreed@wickersmith.com

    Direct: (813) 222-7208

    Fax: (813)222-3938

    Office: Tampa  

    Download Bio

    Download vCard

    Profile

    Michael E. Reed joined Wicker Smith in 1992 and is managing partner of the Tampa office. He is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

    Over the course of his 30-year career, Mr. Reed has conducted numerous civil trials in state and federal court, primarily handling matters involving complex litigation, products liability, bad faith, commercial casualty and medical malpractice. He represents such clients as Zurich, AIG, Scottsdale Insurance, Community Health Systems, Cincinnati Insurance Company, FPIC and Lexington Insurance Company, to name a few. Prior to the start of his legal career, Mr. Reed worked as an insurance adjuster for 10 years with the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company.

    Mr. Reed graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Central State University in 1979 and later went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration from Amber University in Dallas, Texas, and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Oklahoma City University. He is admitted to practice in the state of Florida and the U.S. District Court in the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. Mr. Reed is an active member of The Florida Bar, Hillsborough County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association.

    Download
    vCard
    Download
    Credentials

    Education

    • Oklahoma City University (J.D., 1992)
    • Amber University (M.B.A., 1985)
    • Central State University (B.S., 1979)

    Representative Matters

    Letters of Protection Case Results in Defense Verdict

    Plaintiff claimed injuries to her cervical spine, lumbar spine, and shoulder following a low impact rear-end accident. Defense exposed a prior accident with near-identical complaints and a subsequent accident with near-identical complaints along with serious credibility issues and LOP billing practices. The jury found there was no causation and returned a total defense verdict.

    Defense Verdict: Orange County, Florida (Trucking)

    Tampa Partners, Mike Reed and Chris Cazin, and Tampa Associates, Sara J. Thompson and Jocelyn Nance, Esq., obtained a defense verdict in a trucking negligence case in Orange County, Florida. This case arose from a trucking accident that occurred on July 28, 2015. Our defendant driver was stopped in front of a car dealership in Orlando, driving a tractor trailer loaded with vehicles for delivery. Plaintiff was the passenger in a car stopped directly behind our vehicle. While backing up in an attempt to maneuver into the dealership, one of the vehicles on the tractor trailer impacted the Plaintiff’s vehicle. Our driver was issued a citation for improper backing. Despite evidence that showed the only damage to both vehicles were minor scrapes, Plaintiff claimed that the tractor-trailer pushed his vehicle back 30 feet and caused major damage to his vehicle. Plaintiff further claimed widespread disk herniations in his neck and lower back, necessitating two surgeries, and over $275k in past medical bills and $800k in future medical expenses and treatment. Throughout seven years of litigation, multiple good faith attempts to settle the case were rejected. Plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury for $4 million in closing arguments, but the jury found no negligence on the part of our driver that caused injury and returned a complete defense verdict in under two hours.

    Favorable Verdict: Pinellas County, Florida (Auto Negligence)

    Tampa Partners, Mike Reed and Donna K. Hanes, obtained a very favorable verdict for their client in an auto negligence case in Pinellas County, Florida. This was a case that was transferred to our office just two months before trial. This case arose from an admitted fault auto accident wherein our defendant driver struck the Plaintiff’s vehicle broadside. Plaintiff sought immediate emergency treatment for injuries to her cervical spine, chest, and lower extremities; two months after the accident, she reported lower back pain for the first time. Nearly three years after the accident, she suffered a significant herniation at L5-S1 that required surgery. Mike and Donna argued that the herniation and subsequent surgery was not related to the accident due to how much time had elapsed. They asked the jury to only consider injuries and treatment that occurred within the first 90 days after the accident, and award accordingly. At closing, Plaintiff’s counsel asked for more than $3 million. The jury entered a verdict of $23,472.00.

    Practices


    Education

    • Oklahoma City University (J.D., 1992)
    • Amber University (M.B.A., 1985)
    • Central State University (B.S., 1979)

    Credentials

    Admitted to Bar

    • 1992, Florida and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
    • 2003, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
    • 2007, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida

    Professional Affiliations

    • The Florida Bar
    • Hillsborough County Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Florida Defense Lawyers Association
    • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Oklahoma City University Law Review, 1990-1992
    Joseph P. MenelloJoe Menello standardRay WattsRaymond E. Watts, Jr.
    The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.