Kerry J. Anderson

Of Counsel
813-272-1400
kanderson@sponslerbennett.com

Mr. Anderson began trying jury trials in 1989 while still attending law school. He has single-handedly tried more than 40 jury trials and over 200 non-jury trials to verdict. While at Stetson University College of Law, Mr. Anderson was awarded the Judge Victor O. Wehle Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. He was selected as a member of Stetson’s trial team and was one of two students chosen to represent Stetson University College of Law at the Southeastern U.S. Regional Mock Trial Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. By the time of his graduation from law school, Mr. Anderson had already tried three criminal jury trials to verdict with the State Attorney’s Office and successfully argued the appeal and authored the opinion cited as Barnett Recovery Corporation v Amburgy, 31 Fla. Supp. 2d 42 (Fla. Manatee Cty. Ct. 1988). His civil defense areas of expertise include commercial and personal-lines auto, commercial and residential premises liability, products liability and professional liability. He has defended numerous claims involving death, closed head trauma, multiple surgical procedures for orthopedic, neurological, and internal injuries, reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, and exposure to infectious diseases. Before joining the firm, Mr. Anderson managed the Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida house counsel law offices for Allstate Insurance Company, and the Tampa law office for Hartford Insurance Company. While managing up to 21 employees, Mr. Anderson defended claims of unlimited exposure from inception through jury trial. He served as a mentor to trial attorneys with less experience and a seminar lecturer for Allstate and Hartford’s claim offices and Allstate’s attorney conferences. He received the Bronze Medal Award for Outstanding Leadership from Allstate. His lectures included the defense of DUI and other aggravated liability auto claims, avoiding bad faith set-ups by Plaintiff counsel, changes in Florida’s PIP statute, joint and several liability, and settling multiple party claims with excess exposure. He is a member of the Florida Bar and licensed to practice in all State courts and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Practice Focus:

Commercial trucking: Defense of negligence claims involving 18-wheel tractor trailers, dump trucks, mobile home transport vehicles, box trucks, and cargo vans.
Auto: Defense of negligence claims involving commercial transportation vehicles, taxi cabs, and private automobiles
Premises liability: Defense of personal injury claims occurring at movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants, apartment complexes, churches, homeowners’ associations, parking lots, and private residences
Products liability: Defense of claims involving transmissions, safety chains, steel hatches, tire rims, and commercially-prepared food
Professional liability: Defense of negligence claims against real estate brokers, real estate companies, and licensed home inspectors.
Bad Faith Defense: Defense of claims-handling practices during personal injury litigation

Representive Engagements:

Conducted over 40 jury trials.
Conducted over 200 non-jury trials.
Global settlement involving 14-vehicle collision on Florida’s Interstate Highway resulting from fog and smoky conditions.
Numerous global settlements involving multiple vehicles, catastrophic injuries and severely limited insurance coverage.
Seminar lecturer at numerous insurance companies regarding bad-faith set-ups, defense of claims involving punitive damages, defense of claims involving DUI allegations, and how to conduct multiple-party global settlements.