Frank F. Fernandez, III
Top rated Medical Malpractice attorney in Tampa, Florida
Fernandez Firm Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Practice areas: Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Products Liability; view more
Licensed in Florida since: 1994
Education: Stetson University College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2017 - 2026 Call today:
656-240-9884
Fernandez Firm Medical Malpractice Attorneys
2503 W Swann AveSuite 100
Tampa, FL 33609 Visit website
Details 
Frank F. Fernandez III is the managing attorney of Fernandez Firm Medical Malpractice Attorneys, based in Tampa, Florida. With decades of legal experience in personal injury and complex litigation, he represents individuals and families who have suffered serious injuries or financial losses due to negligence, medical errors and corporate wrongdoing.
Mr. Fernandez concentrates his legal practice on medical malpractice cases while handling a comprehensive array of serious personal injury claims. His practice areas include car, truck and motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, nursing home abuse, slip-and-fall incidents, dog bites, product liability and negligent security.
Additionally, Mr. Fernandez advocates for victims of catastrophic harm, such as traumatic brain injuries, severe burn injuries and amputations, as well as clients involved in complex insurance claims and disputes. Throughout his practice, he provides strategic legal counsel tailored to each client's unique circumstances, aggressively pursuing favorable outcomes through negotiated settlements and courtroom advocacy.
Beyond his direct work with clients, Mr. Fernandez actively participates in professional legal and civic communities. He maintains membership in several legal organizations, including The Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association and the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association.
Mr. Fernandez’s professional affiliations also include the Florida Justice Association,, the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. In addition, he engages with local business leaders as a member of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Fernandez completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida before earning his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. He was admitted to practice law in Florida in 1994 and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Today, he continues to serve clients throughout Florida.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff, Insurance CoverageFocus areas
Animal Bites, Brain Injury, Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 50% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
- 20% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
- 10% Insurance Coverage
First Admitted: 1994, Florida
Professional Webpage: https://www.fernandezfirm.com/attorney-frank-fernandez/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Florida State, 1994
- Florida Justice Association, Young Lawyers Section, President, 2001 – 2002; Vice-President, 2000 – 2001; Secretary, 1999 – 2000; Board of Directors, 1996 – 2002; Member, 1994 – 2002
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- The Florida Bar, Member
- Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, Member
- Orange County Bar Association, Member
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Member
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
- American Association for Justice, Board of Governors, New Lawyers Division, 2001 – 2002
- Florida Justice Association, Nursing Home Committee, Member, 2001 – 2003
- Florida Justice Association, Board of Directors, 2001 – 2004; 2008 – 2009
- Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
- American Trial Lawyers Association
- Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association, Founding Member
- Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 1999 – 2001
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $4,869,300 Verdict - The Fernandez Firm Medical Malpractice Attorneys, working in conjunction with Coker Law, announced a major courtroom victory after a Sarasota Circuit Court denied an insurance company's Motion for New Trial and entered a Final Judgment totaling $4,869,300.67 for a client injured in a rear-end motor vehicle collision. The case involved a client who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury as a result of the car crash. Prior to trial, the injured client offered to settle the case within the injured client’s $250,000 insurance policy limits. However, the insurance company refused to accept the offer to settle and the case proceeded to trial. As a result, the final judgment now exceeds $4.8 million and continues to grow through attorney's fees and statutory interest until payment is made by the insurer., 2026
- $1,432,358 Settlement - Breach of fiduciary involving a vulnerable and disabled adult resulting in the complete loss of a tort recovery in Tampa, Florida., 2026
- $1,000,000 Settlement - Pediatric brain injury and loss of vision due to failure by hospital staff to properly monitor the child in the ICU in Jacksonville, Florida, 2026
- $1,100,000 Settlement - Stage IV sacral pressure injury in a non-mobile 76-year-old hospital patient in Tampa, Florida., 2026
- $700,000 Settlement - Stage IV pressure injury in a non-mobile 73-year-old hospital patient in Tampa, Florida., 2026
- $675,000 Settlement - Misdiagnosis/Delayed Diagnosis of cervical cancer in St. Petersburg, Florida, 2026
- $625,000 Settlement - Brachial plexis birth injury due to improperly performed shoulder dystocia maneuvers, 2026
- $6,350,000 Settlement - Pediatric brain injury suffered due to a St. Petersburg hospital's negligent failure to recognize signs of an evolving stroke in a 13-year-old child., 2026
- $450,000 Settlement - In the Spring of 2023, our client, age 69, developed shortness of breath and was admitted to a Pasco County Hospital. Following his admission, he was bedridden, sedated, semi-conscious and placed on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 10-days. During that time, the client was left on a deflated, air mattress that was not functioning properly. When he finally regained consciousness, he discovered that he was sitting directly on the hospital bed’s steel frame and had developed multiple bedsores on his buttocks. Several weeks later, he was discharged home with home health services and four unstageable pressure injuries, which subsequently deteriorated into Stage 4 pressure injuries which became infected, causing further injury and damage., 2026
Pro bono / Community Service
- Woodrow Wilson (Middle School) Foundation: PTA Member/Volunteer, 2009 – present; Benefactor, 2009 – present
- Tampa Museum of Art: Pavilion Sponsor
- Tampa Gator Club: Sponsor/Volunteer – Kickball Tournament for Children of the Spring
- Tampa Bay Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Benefactor
- Sigma Chi Fraternity: Alumni Benefactor
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church: Parishioner
- Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Member
- Muscular Dystrophy Association: Volunteer Summer Camp Counselor, 1984
- March of Dimes Association: Volunteer/Sponsor
- Make a Wish Foundation: Benefactor
- Lutz Little League Leaguerettes: Team Sponsor
- John B. Gorrie (Elementary School) Foundation: Board Member, 2008 – 2011; Foundation Board, Information Technology Committee Chair, 2010 – 2011; Volunteer/Benefactor, 2004 – 2012; Great American Teach in Volunteer, 2008 – 2011
- Jesuit High School: Alumni Benefactor
- Glazer Children’s Museum: Sponsor
- Florida Democratic Party: Volunteer/Sponsor
- Democratic Lawyers Association: Election Law Attorney Volunteer/Poll Watcher, 2007-2008
- Cystic Fibrosis Association: Benefactor
- Central Florida Meals on Wheels: Volunteer, 1994 – 1997
- Central Florida Habitat for Humanity: Volunteer, 1999 – 2000
- Bay Area Legal Services: Sustaining Member/Benefactor
- Annual Gil Memorial Classic: Sponsor
- Orange County Bar Association, Guardian Ad Litem, Volunteer, 1994-2001; Great Oaks Village “Day in the Park” Committee, 1996-1998
Educational Background
- University of Florida, BSBA, Major: Finance, 1989
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Nursing Home Liability, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, February 1995.
- Premises Liability, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, July 1995.
- Insurance Bad Faith Seminar – AFTL Voting Members Only, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, September 1997.
- Direct and Cross Examination of Experts, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, October 1997.
- Insurance Bad Faith Seminar – AFTL Voting Members Only, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, September 1998.
- Long Term Care Advocacy Skills for the Elder Law Practitioner, presented by the Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Elder Law Section, January 1999.
- Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2001.
- Medical Malpractice Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, March 2002.
- The Art and Science of Persuasion, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, November 2002.
- 2004 Jury Selection Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, April 2004.
- 2005 Collateral Sources Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, January 2005.
- 2005 Workhorse Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, February 2005.
- 2005 Medical Malpractice Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, April 2005.
- Advanced Trial Skills, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2005.
- 2006 Legislative and Case Law Update, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2006.
- Advanced Trial Skills, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2007.
- 2007 Legislative and Case Law Update, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 2007.
- Notable Cases and Statutes Influencing Your Practice, for FJA Voting Members only, presented by the Florida Justice Association, May 2008.
- 2009 Medical Malpractice Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, November 2009.
- FJA 2009 Insurance Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, November 2009.
- Ethics & Professionalism, presented by the Florida Justice Association, January 2010.
- 2011 Annual Convention, American Association for Justice, New York, New York, July 9 – 13, 2011.
- Proposals for Settlement and Compulsory Medical Examinations, presented by the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, Tampa, Florida, February 2012.
- 2012 Auto Insurance Seminar, Advanced Trial Skills, presented by the Florida Justice Association, Tampa, Florida, June 2012.
- 2012 Medical Malpractice Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, Orlando, Florida, December 2012.
- 2013 Winter Convention, American Association for Justice, Miami, Florida, February 2013.
- 2013 Legislative and Case Law Update, presented by the Florida Justice Association, St. Petersburg, Florida June 2007.
- Civil Litigation for Paralegals & Legal Assistants, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, November 2004, Speaker – Florida injury Attorney Frank Fernandez
- 2015 29th Annual Workhorse Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, February 2015.
- 2017 Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, June 2017.
- 2017 Annual Review: Legislative and Case Law Update, presented by the Florida Justice Association, St. Petersburg, Florida, June 2017.
- 2018 Social Media Discovery, Ethics, Evidence & Sanctions, presented by the Avalon Investigative Services, Tampa, Florida, February 2018.
- 2018 Masters of Justice – Technology Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, Tampa, Florida, December 2018.
- 2018 Masters of Justice – Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, presented by the Florida Justice Association, Tampa, Florida, December 2018.
- 2018 Masters of Justice – Medical Malpractice, presented by the Florida Justice Association, Tampa, Florida, December 2018.
- 2019 Annual Review: Legislative and Case Law Update, presented by the Florida Justice Association, West Palm Beach, Florida, June 2019.
- 2019 Advanced Trial Skills, presented by the Florida Justice Association, West Palm Beach, Florida, June 2019.
- The Ultimate Trial Notebook, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1997, Seminar Committee - Tampa injury lawyer Frank Fernandez.
- Developing the Difficult Case, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1998, Seminar Chairman – Florida injury Attorney Frank Fernandez.
- Litigating in the 21st Century: Who will Fight for the Victims? presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1999, Moderator/Seminar Chairman – Tampa injury lawyer Frank Fernandez.
- The Earl Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition/Seminar, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 2001, Moderator, Speaker and Co-Chairman - Florida injury Attorney Frank Fernandez.
- Direct Examination: The Basic Building Blocks, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, November 2002, The Art and Science of Persuasion Seminar, Moderator/Speaker- Florida Injury Attorney Frank Fernandez.
- Trial Preparation, presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, September 2004, Civil Litigation for Paralegals & Legal Assistants, Moderator/Speaker – Tampa injury Lawyer Frank Fernandez.
Honors
- Florida Trend Magazine, 2012 Legal Elite
- Phi Delta Phi Honorary Society
- Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, Bronze EAGLE Award, 2003
Office location for Frank F. Fernandez, III
2503 W Swann Ave
Suite 100
Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 656-240-9884
Selections
10 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2017 - 2026
