Donald J. Ward, III
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in West Palm Beach, Florida
Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability
Licensed in Florida since: 2011
Education: University of Notre Dame Law School
Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.
2139 Palm Beach Lakes BoulevardWest Palm Beach, FL 33409 Phone: 561-686-6300 Email: Donald J. Ward, III Visit website
Details
DONALD J. “D.J.” WARD III is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he earned his degree cum laude. At age 26, in his first jury trial, Mr. Ward obtained a verdict of $824,200, which was more than thirteen times what the defendant had offered to settle the case.
Mr. Ward’s practice focuses on wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases resulting from automobile accidents, medical negligence, products liability, and premises liability. Since joining Searcy Denney, he has recovered in excess of $125 million on behalf of his clients. At age 29, he was admitted into the membership of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Recently, in one month in 2023, Mr. Ward tried two cases, obtaining verdicts that were 18 times more and 15 times more, respectively, than the offers made by the defense prior to trial.
Mr. Ward is rated AV Preeminent, which is the highest peer rating standard given by Martindale-Hubbell, and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of medical malpractice, products liability, and personal injury. Since 2014, he has been included in the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40 for the State of Florida. In 2022, he served as President of the Palm Beach County Justice Association, a countywide organization of 500 lawyers and paralegals committed to protecting victims of negligence and injustice and fighting for fair access to courts for all.
Mr. Ward grew up in Virginia Beach and earned a bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. As an undergraduate, he studied abroad at the University of Oxford in England, where he researched and wrote about the health care systems of different countries. While a student at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Mr. Ward was vice president of the Student Bar Association, president of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, and a mediator with the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic. He also coordinated a course at Notre Dame that allowed law students to visit different cities and gain a better understanding of the pro bono possibilities available to them following graduation.
Mr. Ward is admitted to practice in the State of Florida, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida and the Western District of Virginia. He is an EAGLE member of the Florida Justice Association and a former board member of the FJA Young Lawyers Section. He is also a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Notre Dame Law School Order of St. Thomas More.
Mr. Ward lives in northern Palm Beach County with his wife, Abbey, and their children, Jack and Lilly.
First Admitted: 2011, Florida
Professional Webpage: http://www.searcylaw.com/attorneys/ward+iii/donald+j./
- Rising Star in State of Florida, Super Lawyers
- South Florida (2018, 2019), America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021
- Top 40 Under 40 (Florida), National Trial Lawyers
- Palm Beach County Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Palm Beach County Bar Association
- The National Trial Lawyers
- The Virginia BarAdmitted on 6/5/2018
- Palm Beach County Justice Association
- The District of Columbia Bar Admitted on 9/7/2012
- The Florida Bar Admitted on 9/26/2011
- Florida Supreme Court Historical Society (Sustainer Level Member)
- Florida Justice Association, Eagle Member
- The National Trial Lawyers
- Palm Beach County Justice Association Board of Directors, President-Elect (2021), Treasurer (2020), Secretary (2019), Executive Board (2019-Present)
- University of Virginia, BA, History and Religious Studies, 2008
- University of Notre Dame Law School, JD, cum laude, 2011
- Received rating of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, 2019
- Inducted into Million Dollar Advocates Forum & Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2015
- Estate of Joan Litz vs. Hien Van Nguyen, et. al.: Auto liability wrongful death - $1,285,000, 2021
- Estate of Matthew Searcy vs. United States of America: Auto accident wrongful death under the Federal Tort Claim Act - $7,000,000, 2020
- Confidential Elder Neglect - $700,000, 2018
- Kazen vs. Grisetti: Auto Liability- $750,000, 2018
- Confidential Medical Malpratice - $1,025,000, 2018
- Confidential Auto Liability involving dump truck - $775,000, 2018
- Confidential Ophthalmalogical Malpractice - $950,000, 2016
- Holmberg vs. E-Scapes Lawn Care, Inc., and Geico: Auto liability - $950,000, 2015
- Confidential Automobile Liability - $2,300,000, 2015
- Confidential Medical Malpractice vs. Physician Group - $1,050,000, 2019
- Yawn vs. AIG Property Casualty Company: Motorcycle crash - $1,270,000, 2015
- Confidential Medical Malpractice - $1,750,000, 2015
- Confidential Medical Malpractice vs. Hospital - $24,268,497, 2016
- Confidential Medical Malpractice - $6,000,000, 2019
- Confidential Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death - $7,250,000, 2018
- Confidential Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death - $8,900,000, 2018
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2013 - 2024