Michael J. Vitoria - Palm Harbor, FL
Attorney at Morgan & Morgan
Insurance Disputes Lawyers in Palm Harbor, FL
35686 US Highway 19 N. Palm Harbor, FL 34683
Palm Harbor Insurance Disputes Lawyer
Updated: 03/16/2026
Areas of Practice
- Insurance Disputes
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Wrongful Death
Attorney Information
Overview
"Michael Vitoria is the managing partner of Morgan and Morgan's Clearwater/Palm Harbor office.
Michael Vitoria is a trial attorney that practices in the area of Personal Injury Law and Civil Litigation. With over 22 years in practice, Michael has extensive experience in personal injury and wrongful death litigation, including transportation law, premises liability, medical malpractice, products liability, insurance litigation, and insurance bad faith litigation. He also has significant experience in commercial and consumer protection law, and general civil litigation. He has tried wrongful death, medical malpractice, numerous personal injury, and commercial litigation cases, as well as consumer protection trials and arbitrations. To date, he has tried over 50 civil jury trials in his career.
He is a peer reviewed ""AV"" rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest possible rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, a yearly distinction he has held consistently over the past 15 years. In 2013, he was named to Florida Trend Magazine's "Legal Elite", which recognizes the top attorneys in the state as chosen by their peers.
He brings extensive insight to Morgan & Morgan's plaintiff's practice having, in the past, served as a defense attorney representing corporations and insurance companies in personal injury litigation. In 2008 he was awarded the James A. Dixon Young Lawyer Award by the Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA). He also served as the Chair of the FDLA Products Liability Committee from 2005 to 2008. He has also represented both claimants in workers' compensation disputes, and employer/carriers.
Michael has received both his Juris Doctor and M.B.A. degrees from Stetson University. During law school, Michael completed internships with the Honorable James M. Barton, II, Honorable Marva Crenshaw and Bay Area Legal Services in Hillsborough County. Also during law school, Michael served as a law clerk for a Tampa law firm specializing in silicone breast implant litigation.
Outside the practice of law, Michael is a proud husband, and father of three children. He is an avid baseball and football fan of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Buccaneers, having played and lettered in both sports at Jesuit High School. Mr. Vitoria was a member of the Nativity Catholic Church of Brandon, where he was also a Eucharistic Minister. He volunteers yearly at Nativity's annual Novemberfest. He was born and raised in Tampa, Florida where he graduated from Jesuit High School in 1989."
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Awarded the 2008 James A. Dixon Young Lawyer Award by the Florida Defense Lawyers Association
- "AV" Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite”
Education
-
Legal Education
-
Stetson University College of Law,
Gulfport/St. Petersburg,
Florida, 1997
J.D.
Honors: Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity (Cardozo Inn)
-
Stetson University College of Law,
Gulfport/St. Petersburg,
Florida, 1997
-
Non Legal Education
-
University of South Florida, 1993
B.S.
Major: Finance -
Stetson University Graduate School of Business Administration, 1997
M.B.A. - Jesuit High School, Tampa, Florida
-
University of South Florida, 1993
Past Positions
- Smith, Feddeler, Smith & Miles, P.A.,Lakeland, FL, 1998 - 1999
- Law Offices of Michael J. Terrana, P.A., Tampa, FL, 1999 - 2000
- Gray Robinson, P.A., Tampa, FL, 2000 - Present
Classes and Seminars
-
Defending Causation Cases with Orthopedic Damages", Progressive Insurance Company Specialty Claims Conference, May 15, 2003
-
"Products/General Liability Case Law Update," Seventh Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference, June 6, 2003
-
"Advanced Legal Drafting for Florida Paralegals", Institute for Paralegal Education, a division of NBI, Inc., September 23, 2003
-
"Florida's Law of First Party Bad Faith," Insurance Law in Florida Seminar, Lorman Education Services, September 30, 2003 - September 20, 2003
-
"Evaluating, Litigating and Defending the 'Questionable' Herniated Disc Case", West Florida Claims Seminar: Property and Casualty Update, May 4, 2004
-
"Current Trends in Florida Auto Law", National Business Institute, June 23, 2004
- "Litigating the 'Questionable' Herniated Disc Case", West Coast Claims Association Meeting, September 16, 2004
Pro Bono Activities
- Nativity Catholic Church of Brandon
- Nativity’s annual November fest
Representative Cases
-
Elaine Fleming v. Geico Insurance Company
- Year: 2018
Other Affiliations
- The Florida Bar, Admitted in 1998
- Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA) (Member)
- American Bar Association (ABA) (Member)
- American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division - 2005 Delegate, 2005
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) (Member)
- Association of Property & Casualty Claims Professionals (Member)
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association (Member)
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association, 2005 - 2008 (Past Chair Products Liability Committee)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI) (Member)
- Marketing Insurance Claims Association (MICA) (Member)
- Tampa Bay Inn of Court (TBIOC)
- United States District Court Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
- Florida Justice Association (FJA)
Fraternities and Sororities
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon
- Phi Delta Phi
Photo
Disclaimer
Your Profile? Update Now
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.