Fiol, David L.

Joe Perez earned a B.A. degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 1977. He received his law degree in 1981 from the College of William & Mary's Marshall-Wythe School of Law and has been in the practice of law for twenty-seven years.

Joseph J. Perez is listed in the prestigious "Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers." Now in its 92nd edition, the Bar Register is the definitive guide to America's leading lawyers and law firms. Only the most distinguished law practices appear in the Bar Register - those that have achieved the prestigious "AV" rating, the top ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. This rating is the result of a structured peer review and is based upon the confidential opinions of practicing attorneys and members of the judiciary. Just 5% of all law firms in the country qualify and are included, making yours one of the most distinguished and respected in the country.

Joe has always concentrated on litigation and knows both sides of a civil lawsuit. Joe only represents plaintiffs now, but the first eight years of his career were spent defending doctors and hospitals in malpractice suits, representing insurance companies, and defending Amtrak in FELA claims. Since then, he has devoted his law practice exclusively to representing injured people in personal injury, railroad, insurance, product liability, and professional negligence cases. He has had numerous trial verdicts in excess of $1,000,000, and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a legal membership limited to attorneys who have obtained verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars.

Joe has tried cases in state and federal courts in New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Joe says, "The key to a successful case is thorough preparation, knowing your case inside and out, and anticipating the unexpected." He says the satisfaction he gets from the successful conclusion to a case comes from knowing that someone looking for a way out of a problem has been helped. "In this day and age, it is very, very difficult for the little guy to prevail against big business and the big companies, like corporations and insurance companies, who will do anything to protect their profits, even at the expense of the people they're supposed to look out for. So, if I, as a lawyer, can cut through all that and make someone's life a little bit better, that's quite a thrill." Joe likes playing sports and spending his free time with his family. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and two daughters.

Areas of Practice

Truck and Tractor Trailer Accidents
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Nursing Home Negligence
Negligence
Products Liability
Railroad And FELA Claims
Personal Injury
Wrongful Death
Legal Malpractice

Bar Admissions

Virginia, 1981
District of Columbia, 1982
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1985
U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 1985
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1996

Education

William and Mary School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia

J.D. - 1981

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

B.A. - 1977

Honors: With Distinction

Case Results

D.C. jury awards $3.5 Million to Amtrak Electrician for burn injuries
Awarded: $3.5 million

Brooklyn Jury Awards LIRR Trackman $3.75 Million
Awarded: $3,750,000

Jury Awards Man Run Over By Tractor Truck $1.6 Million (December 2004)
Awarded: $1.7 million

$1.5 Million Jury Verdict for Shattered Ankle in Balcony Collapse (March 2002)
Awarded: $1.5 million

Confidential Settlement (November 2003)
Awarded: Settled for $1.35 Million

Richmond Wrongful Death leads to $1.2 Million Settlement (2008)
Awarded: $1,200,000

U.S. Government Pays Structured Settlement
Awarded: $636,369

Operation on Wrong Disc Leads to Settlement (September 2000)
Awarded: $350,000

Insurance Company Forced to Pay for Inmate’s Injury
Awarded: Settled $200,000

Surgical Error Settlement in NC
Awarded: $155,000

Emergency Room Medical Malpractice Settles for $500,000 (2008)
Awarded: $500,000

Student Recovers for Serious Injuries from Fall From Tree
Awarded: Confidential

Shoplifter Assaulted by Guard Gets Confidential Settlement (2008)
Awarded: Confidential

Electrocution Results in Settlement for Policy Limits-- $1 Million (2007)
Awarded: $1,000,000.00

Parking Lot Fall Leads to $210,000 Settlement (2004)
Awarded: $210,000

Slip and Fall Injury Settles for Six Figures (2008)

Back Injury to N&W Carman Leads to $700,000 Verdict
Awarded: $700,000

$550,000 Settlement for CSX Conductor in Collision
Awarded: $550,000

Conrail Pays Conductor for Trip and Fall
Awarded: $472,000

$470,000 Verdict in Louisville for CSX Foreman's Back Injury
Awarded: $470,000

$355,000 Verdict to NS Conductor for Chronic Back Strain
Awarded: $355,000

$350,000 to Georgia CSX Employee After Back Surgery
Awarded: $350,000

Amtrak Worker Settles for $270K for Respiratory Injuries
Awarded: $270,000

Jury Awards $246,000 Against Conrail for Lifting Injury
Awarded: $246,000

$225,000 Settlement for Smoke Inhalation
Awarded: $225,000

Fractured Wrist to CSX Worker Leads to $200K Settlement
Awarded: $200,000

Amtrak Warehouse Clerk receives compensation for injury
Awarded: $190,000

$80,000 for Defective Chair Injury (January 2004)
Awarded: Settlement for $80,000

Broken Arm and Shattered Elbow Settlement (2008)
Confidential Settlement Amount

Classes/Seminars

Frequent Speaker - Continuing Legal Education Seminars, Ethics & Civil Litigation, Virginia State Bar

Honors and Awards

Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 1998 - Present
James Kent American Inn of Courts

Martindale-Hubbell, "Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers" Highest rating of AV by Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Association of Justice, Member
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Member
District of Columbia Bar Association Norfolk-Portsmouth, Member
Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association, Member
Virginia Medical Malpractice Panel, Member