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Founded by Philip M. Gerson in 1970, the Miami personal injury firm Gerson & Schwartz has spent more than five decades doing one thing: exclusively representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims — over 100 years of collective attorney experience, none of it on the insurance-company side of the docket.
At a Glance
| FIRM | Gerson & Schwartz Accident & Injury Lawyers (Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.) |
| FOUNDER | Philip M. Gerson (1970) |
| OFFICE | 1980 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145 — minutes from the Brickell financial district |
| PRACTICE | Plaintiff-exclusive personal injury: motor vehicle accidents, cruise ship accidents and injuries, maritime injuries, medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, negligent security, crime victim claims, product liability, and premises liability |
| CERTIFICATION | Awesome Attorneys did not confirm individual Florida Bar board certifications for the firm’s attorneys from independent sources for this profile, and applies no “specialist” language on that basis |
| RECOGNITION | Senior partner holds Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating; Best Law Firms 2026 rankings in Admiralty and Maritime Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs; recurring “Top Lawyers” listings in South Florida Business Review and Super Lawyers, per the firm |
Origin and Background
Philip M. Gerson founded the firm in 1970, and its continuity since then is itself the story: the same Miami plaintiff practice, across more than five decades, through generational changes in Florida tort law. The firm’s attorneys report over 100 years of collective experience representing exclusively plaintiffs in catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims — an explicit, structural plaintiff-only commitment consistent with this directory’s inclusion standard for personal injury. A second generation, including Nicholas Gerson, now practices in the firm alongside partner Edward Schwartz.
A Miami Personal Injury Firm’s Practice Concentration
The firm’s docket spans the full South Florida injury landscape: auto and motor vehicle collisions, cruise ship and maritime injury — a Miami-forum staple, since major cruise lines require suit in their designated home venue — medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, and a notable concentration in negligent security and other claims on behalf of crime victims against negligent property owners and security providers. The firm offers free consultations, makes house calls when necessary, and provides transportation to its offices for consultations at no charge, per its published service commitments. See this Miami Personal Injury directory for how this five-decade plaintiff-exclusive practice compares to other firms serving Miami-Dade County.
Notable Work / Track Record
The firm reports a lengthy record of recoveries across auto accidents, cruise ship and maritime injuries, medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, negligent security, crime victim claims, and product liability cases over its five decades. The firm also publishes a selection of itemized verdicts and settlements on its website. Past results, where reported, do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
The firm’s published reviews include an unusually credible category: endorsements from other lawyers who hired it. A Massachusetts attorney, Brandon Parrelli, wrote that after researching Florida firms for a client’s cruise line case, his advice was to “take the guessing out of it” and call this firm. Another reviewer publicly credited the firm with seeing him through his care and claim after a fall aboard a major cruise ship. Client Romina Frascarelli wrote, “Phil is the best attorney!” and praised the firm’s helpful and understanding staff. These are attributed, platform-published reviews reported as written.
Beyond the Courtroom
The firm describes a long record of meaningful service to the community alongside its client work, and its founder’s five-decade continuous practice in the same city constitutes an institutional presence in Miami’s plaintiff bar that few active firms match. Beyond his legal practice, Philip M. Gerson has advocated for cruise passenger safety and victims’ rights. On July 23, 2014, he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation as a board member of the International Cruise Victims Association, in support of the Cruise Passenger Protection Act (S. 1340), addressing cruise ship safety, crime on board, and consumer protections for passengers. Per the firm, his involvement with the National Crime Victim Bar Association and the National Center for Victims of Crime further reflects his commitment to protecting victims and promoting accountability.
Recognition for This Miami Personal Injury Firm
The firm’s senior partner holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating — a peer-review rating of legal ability and ethics, the directory’s highest — and the firm reports consistent recognition in “Top Lawyers” listings including the South Florida Business Review and Super Lawyers, which are research-driven and peer-influenced selections. Philip M. Gerson has also received recognition from The Best Lawyers in America, and the firm is ranked in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms: Tier 1 in Miami for both Admiralty and Maritime Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and nationally in Admiralty and Maritime Law. Awesome Attorneys did not confirm individual Florida Bar board certifications for the firm’s attorneys and, per this directory’s standard, applies no “specialist” language absent that confirmation.
Florida Legal Backdrop
Florida’s 2023 tort reform law, HB 837, cut the general negligence statute of limitations from four years to two (Fla. Stat. § 95.11) and adopted modified comparative negligence (§ 768.81), barring recovery for plaintiffs found more than 50 percent at fault in most negligence actions. Florida’s no-fault system also requires drivers to carry $10,000 in personal injury protection, with treatment generally required within 14 days of a crash to preserve PIP benefits (§ 627.736). Cruise claims run on shorter contractual deadlines — typically six months’ notice and one year to file suit. None of this is legal advice; consult a licensed attorney promptly after any injury.
Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Gerson & Schwartz’s clearest differentiator is verified longevity in a single lane: a 1970-founded, plaintiff-exclusive Miami personal injury firm whose peer endorsements — including a referring out-of-state lawyer’s on-the-record recommendation — carry more evidential weight than the anonymous review volume most firms tout. The firm publishes a selection of itemized verdicts and settlements on its website, while Awesome Attorneys did not confirm Florida Bar board certifications for its individual attorneys. For an injured person in Miami — particularly a cruise passenger, maritime injury claimant, or crime victim — who values institutional experience over advertising scale, that combination is a strong basis for a shortlist.
Methodology and Sourcing
This profile was researched from Gerson & Schwartz’s own website (injuryattorneyfla.com, including its firm overview, practice, and Brickell-area pages), which documents the firm’s 1970 founding, plaintiff-exclusive model, service commitments, ratings, and published client and attorney reviews. Updated October 2026 with factual corrections supplied on the firm’s behalf; the 2014 Senate testimony was confirmed against the Senate Commerce Committee hearing record and the 2026 rankings against Best Law Firms.
Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice
Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.
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