David M. Carter
Partner, Attorney

ATTORNEY CREDENTIALS

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David Carter was born in Vero Beach, Florida, and has been a partner at Gould Cooksey Fennell since 1996. Mr. Carter founded and chairs the firm’s Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Group and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Carter graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Senior Symposium Editor for Law Review.

Upon graduation, Mr. Carter accepted a position with the Tampa law firm of Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye & O’Neill, gaining early experience in cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death.

Since returning to Vero Beach and joining Gould Cooksey Fennell, Mr. Carter has been recognized for his work in litigating cases involving catastrophic injuries and death on behalf of the firm’s clients. Recent jury verdicts and settlements in personal injury and medical malpractice cases rank among the highest awards in personal injury cases in the county’s history.

Mr. Carter is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial Law. He maintains an “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the largest and most comprehensive ratings document of lawyers in the world.

Since 2012, Mr. Carter has been included in the U.S. News and World Reports Best Lawyer rankings. In 2015 and 2021, that publication named him Personal Injury Litigation Plaintiff’s Lawyer of the Year for the Orlando area which encompasses 46 cities and 9 counties including Indian River, Osceola, Orange, and Brevard. He is the only Treasure Coast attorney to achieve this distinction.

From 2006 through the present, he has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics Magazine. In 2016 and 2020, he was named as one of the Florida Trend “Legal Elite” in Civil Trial, a title only given to the top 1.4% of Florida lawyers. He was also invited as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He maintains an Avvo rating of 10/10 and has been a member of the National Association of Trial Lawyers “ Top 100” since 2016. After appointment by Florida’s Governor, Mr. Carter has twice served on the 19th Judicial Circuit’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

Mr. Carter has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the Florida Justice Association and served on the organization’s Board of Directors for nearly a decade. He continues to speak at FJA’s continuing legal education seminars on justice topics.

As a fourth generation Floridian, Mr. Carter is a member of one of Vero’s pioneer families. His great-grandfather, a land surveyor who moved to the area in the early 1900’s, is credited with staking out the original town of Vero Beach.

* In this video, David M. Carter discusses whether you should handle a claim yourself or hire an attorney.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

David has been practicing law for over 30 years.
Yes, David is taking on new cases and would be happy to discuss your unique situation.
Gould Cooksey Fennell offices are located at 979 Beachland Blvd, Vero Beach, Florida 32963. David represents clients throughout Indian River, St. Lucie, Brevard and Martin Counties, including the cities of Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Sebastian, Fellsmere, Palm Bay, and Melbourne.

Fill out the “Request A Call With A Legal Professional” at the bottom of this page, or click here. Our Team will reach out to speak to you about your case.

ATTORNEY CREDENTIALS

  • AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell, 2003-Present
  • Board Certified Specialist in Civil Trial by The Florida Bar, 2011-Present
  • Super Lawyer, 2006-Present
  • Best Lawyers in America, Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, 2012-Present
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury Litigation, 2015
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury, 2021
  • American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2015-Present
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2016-Present
  • 19th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee, 2001-2002 and 2009-2011
  • Florida Justice Association Elected Board member for more than a decade (2000-2013)
  • Distinguished Fellow Lecturer at Seminars and Al Cone Trial Advocacy Institute
  • The Florida Bar
  • Indian River County Bar Association
  • Florida Justice Association, Senior Fellow
  • University of Florida, B.S. in Telecommunications with Honors, 1987
  • University of Florida, College of Law, J.D. with Honors, 1991
  • Diving
  • Fishing
  • Snow Skiing

Notable Settlements and Verdicts

Plaintiff was operating a small motorcycle/scooter when a 91 year old man turned left in front of him hitting him essentially head on. As a result of the collision, the Plaintiff sustained catastrophic injuries to his lower body, including snapped femurs and fractures to the spine and pelvis. After a two week trial the Indian River County jury returned an award totaling $9.381 million.

Medical negligence claim arising out of a breach in the standard of care by a physician and hospital in which an incorrect, corrosive chemical was used during a gynecological procedure, resulting in acid burns and severe permanent injuries to the Plaintiff.

A Brevard County Jury awarded Plaintiff $6.4M against Defendant State Farm, following an accident that resulted in numerous catastrophic orthopedic injuries, including a below knee amputation of the Plaintiff’s left leg.

Practice Areas

Blogs By David M. Carter

  • AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell, 2003-Present
  • Board Certified Specialist in Civil Trial by The Florida Bar, 2011-Present
  • Super Lawyer, 2006-Present
  • Best Lawyers in America, Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, 2012-Present
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury Litigation, 2015
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury, 2021
  • American Board of Trial Advocacy, 2015-Present
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2016-Present
  • 19th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee, 2001-2002 and 2009-2011
  • Florida Justice Association Elected Board member for more than a decade (2000-2013) Distinguished Fellow Lecturer at Seminars and Al Cone Trial Advocacy Institute
  • The Florida Bar
  • Indian River County Bar Association
  • Florida Justice Association, Senior Fellow
  • University of Florida, B.S. in Telecommunications with Honors, 1987
  • University of Florida, College of Law, J.D. with Honors, 1991
  • Diving
  • Fishing
  • Snow Skiing
  • Best Lawyers: The Injury and Malpractice Issue 2021 “Unmasking Medical Mistakes”
  • Best Lawyers: The Injury and Malpractice Issue 2022 “Think Inside the Box”

REAL CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

WHY CHOOSE US

OVER 65 YRS OF LEGAL EXPERTISE

$150M+

Recent Personal Injury Verdicts & Settlements

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* Our attorneys and staff value your privacy and will not share your personal information with any third-party entities.