BRIAN R. DENNEY is a Shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he currently serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He has earned Florida Bar Board Certification in Civil Trial Law, the highest level of recognition for the competency and experience of a civil trial lawyer. Mr. Denney routinely works with individuals and families throughout Florida whose lives have been devastated due to the negligence of others. He takes pride in developing positive relationships with his clients in order to help them navigate through the legal process and better serve as their advocate at trial.

Mr. Denney has extensive experience litigating personal injury, wrongful death, automobile negligence, medical malpractice and products liability cases and has tried cases to verdict in each category. Recent results include a verdict in excess of $21 million against two tobacco companies in Escambia County; a $10 million dollar verdict in a wrongful death case involving a pedestrian struck by an RV, which is believed to be the largest wrongful death verdict in Volusia County’s history; a verdict in excess of $1 million in Palm Beach County in a high-profile automobile negligence case on behalf of a college basketball player; a verdict of $720,000 in Palm Beach County in a challenging automobile negligence case involving aggravation of a pre-existing condition; a $3.5 million verdict in a wrongful death action on behalf of a 92-year-old surviving spouse in the first tobacco case tried in Highlands County; and a verdict in excess of $3 million on behalf of a victim of automobile negligence in Palm Beach County. Mr. Denney has also achieved settlement recoveries totaling hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of his clients for catastrophic injuries and wrongful death cases, some of which include airbag shrapnel injuries and theme park wrongful death cases.

In recognition of his skill and expertise, Mr. Denney has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2016 and Florida Super Lawyers since 2013. He has also been named as a Top Lawyer by South Florida Legal Guide, Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, a Top 10 Attorney by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys and in the Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Florida Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association, and the Palm Beach County Justice Association. Mr. Denney has also lectured on trial advocacy to lawyers and law students.

A native of West Palm Beach, Mr. Denney earned his undergraduate degree from Stetson University prior to receiving his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from Stetson University College of Law, where he was the recipient of the Victor O. Wehle Trial Advocacy Award. He began his legal career in the general trial division of a well-known statewide law firm at its primary office in Tampa, Florida, where he gained experience in civil litigation and successfully tried cases to verdict.

Mr. Denney resides in West Palm Beach with his wife, their four beautiful daughters, and their dog, whom his daughters named Brother.

To learn more about Brian Denney, see:

Publications & Presentations

Florida Justice Association Masters of Justice Seminar – Autonomous Vehicles, Who is in the Driver’s Seat? September, 2016
Workers Injury Law and Advocacy Group 2013 Annual Convention – Trial Tactics, October, 2013
Florida Justice Association Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute– Direct Examination of an Expert Witness, August, 2013
Florida Justice Association Workhorse Seminar – How to avoid “Gotcha” Moments and other Pitfalls at Trial, February, 2011.
Palm Beach County Justice Association SCOPE Seminar – Strategies on Cross-Examining the Opposing Professional Examiners, December, 2010.

Awards

Best Lawyers in America – 2015 to present
Super Lawyers 2013-2016
Nation’s Top One Percent – National Association of Distinguished Counsel
National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40”, 2012-2013
Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” 2012
South Florida Legal Guide “Top Up & Comer” 2009 and 2010

Prior Cases

Attorney representing victims of personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, property damage and defective products
$38,250,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical malpractice case
Trial counsel in $21,496,943.00 verdict in Escambia County tobacco case
$16,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Monroe County wrongful death premises liability case
$16,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Pinellas County medical malpractice case
$10,000,000.00 verdict in wrongful death of a 29 year old pedestrian vs. RV case in Volusia County with pre-trial offer of $1,500,000.00
$8,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical malpractice case
$7,500,000.00 confidential settlement in Orange County theme park liability case
$7,549,000.00 confidential settlement in Dade County medical malpractice case
$6,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County negligent security case involving brain injury
$6,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Dade County products liability case
$6,100,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical negligence case involving brain damage as a result of brain surgery
$5,900,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County liquor liability (dram shop) case
$5,500,000.00 Confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical malpractice case.
$5,000,000.00 Confidential settlement in Palm Beach County premises liability case.
$5,000,000.00 confidential settlement against multi-national product manufacturer for defective airbag injury
$4,000,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical malpractice case
Presented claims bill argument before Florida Legislature Special Masters in Tallahassee resulting in passage of $3,900,000.00 claims bill
Trial counsel in $3,509,471.88 verdict in Highlands County tobacco case
$3,500,000.00 confidential settlement in Palm Beach County medical malpractice case
Trial counsel in $3,220,000.00 verdict in Palm Beach County automobile negligence case with pre-trial offer of $50,000.00
Trial counsel in $3,155,682.00 verdict in Palm Beach County
$3,000,000.00 confidential medical malpractice settlement on behalf of brain damaged baby girl in Hillsborough County
$2,414,000.00 confidential settlement in Sarasota County maritime liability case
Trial counsel in $2,100,000.00 medical malpractice case in Dade County (settled during trial)
$1,750,000.00 confidential settlement in Broward County wrongful death case
$1,500,000.00 verdict in Palm Beach County automobile negligence uninsured motorist case.
$1,250,000.00 confidential settlement in Collier County automobile negligence case involving knee injuries
Trial counsel in $1,094,034.33 verdict in Palm Beach County
$1,000,000.00 settlement in uninsured motorist automobile negligence case in Palm Beach County after zero offers before trial date