Biography:
Compassionate, empathetic and a fervent advocate for victims of crime, Michael Haggard has dedicated his career to the pursuit of justice on behalf of his clients inside and outside of the courtroom. Haggard has secured unprecedented awards for his clients, and as an activist, he continuously lobbies for permanent solutions and change through local, statewide and federal legislation. Specializing in pool drowning, negligent security, wrongful death, unsafe premises and products liability, Haggard has established himself as a powerful force locally and nationally in the Legal Community as the Managing Partner of The Haggard Law Firm. After spending time as a Public Defender and working with a small personal injury firm, he joined The Haggard Law Firm and was named a partner in 2001.
He soon captured national headlines as the only plaintiff’s personal injury attorney to secure three separate $100 million dollar verdicts on behalf of individual clients. Haggard secured two consecutive $100 million verdicts on behalf of children involved in pool accidents. Several years later, a third $100 million verdict was awarded by a jury in a negligent security case, deemed the largest of its kind for that genre of case law.
Michael is widely recognized as a security expert and has been featured in media interviews nationwide.
Ultimately, Haggard hopes to give victims the tools and resources to help rebuild their lives. By convincing a judge or jury to hold those responsible accountable he gives victims and their families a sense of justice and comfort that another family won’t have to go through this same tragedy. Devoted to his clients, Haggard has received numerous awards for his time and dedication earning him recognition as one of the most highly regarded personal injury attorneys in the country. In 2017, he was awarded the Florida Justice Association’s highest honor, the Perry Nichols Award and was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers of America. He has also been honored to receive the Advocate of Justice Award from the National Crime Victims Bar Association, has been twice named a Most Effective Lawyer by the Daily Business Review, and is annually recognized as a Florida Trend Legal Elite Lawyer, a Florida Top 100 Super Lawyer and one of the Best Lawyers in America.
Professional achievements aside, Haggard is also fiercely dedicated to a myriad of worthy causes. He believes that attorneys have an obligation to give back to the community. Leading by example, he serves as an Adviser for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, is a Board Member of the National Center for Victims of Crime, and is the Past President of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Closest to his heart, however, Haggard sits on the National Board of the Polycystic Kidney Foundation. Passed genetically, this disease has affected many members of his family, as well as Haggard himself. He received a kidney transplant from his brother-in-law in 2016, and now dedicates his time and talents to raising awareness of living donor transplants.
Outside the office, Haggard is not only a philanthropist, but also a dedicated father. He and his wife, Bekki, love to watch their son play college football at Tulane University. His daughter currently attends school there as well.
