For years, downtown Tampa knew when a Wagner, Vaughan & McLaughlin client had won a substantial verdict. We signaled the occasion with a train whistle, mounted atop our three-story office building. While the whistle was removed during a renovation, our enthusiasm for client victories remains strong.

When Bill Wagner and Roger Vaughan opened the firm in 1967, the modest storefront at 412 Pierce Street gave little hint of its rich heritage. Both partners had practiced with a law firm in Miami headed by the legendary Perry Nichols, the pioneer of personal injury law and the first attorney to win a $100,000 verdict in Florida. The legal legacy and brotherhood of the Perry Nichols firm has helped to produce virtually all of the state's most widely-known personal injury trial attorneys, including presidents of the American Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the Florida Bar, as well as federal and state judges and the first attorneys in the state to win a million dollar verdict.

About Michael McLaughlin:

By the time he started practicing law in 1999, Michael McLaughlin had already gained valuable insight into both the judicial system and the rights of individual citizens.

While earning his J.D. at Florida State University, he held a staff position with the Florida State Senate and researched legal issues for a Civil Division judge in the Thirteenth Circuit in Hillsborough County. During his last year of law school, he served as a legislative aide for the Florida Legislative Office of AARP.

After being admitted to the bar, Michael spent two years serving Hillsborough County as an Assistant State Attorney where he represented the State of Florida as a prosecutor. He served as the lead attorney in over 35 jury trials and more than 200 bench trials. In all, he was responsible for handling successful prosecutions against thousands of criminals.

As a result of his time with the State Attorney's office, he has more trial experience than most attorney achieve in a lifetime of practicing law. Increasingly, insurance companies are opting to take claims to trial rather than settle; Michael's trial experience is invaluable in such a situation.

At Wagner, Vaughan & McLaughlin, he represents clients in a full range of personal injury and wrongful death actions, including maritime, auto accident and product liability matters.

Tampa Florida Personal Injury Lawyer