Nicholas Van Valen is a partner in the firm’s Orlando office. He is a trial lawyer who has practiced for 30 years and specializes in multiple areas including personal injury and premises liability. Nicholas has been lead counsel or second chair in over 75 civil and criminal jury trials, in state and federal court. He has extensive experience in the defense of wrongful death and personal injury suits and in defending home insurers in first party property breach of contract lawsuits. Nicholas is a dedicated attorney known for his tenacity and effectiveness in defending claims.
Nicholas earned his B.A. degrees at the University of Victoria in British Columbia and the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada and his J.D. degree from the Quinnipiac University School of Law.
PRACTICE AREAS
Personal Injury
Premises Liability
Education
J.D., Quinnipiac University School of Law
- Connecticut Probate Law Journal
B.A., University of Victoria, B.C. Canada
B.A., Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada, 1989
Admissions
- Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
- State Bar of Georgia (inactive)
Experience
- In a motor vehicle accident lawsuit, where liability was not contested, and the plaintiff’s claimed economic damages alone were $550,000.00, and the demand to the jury was for $3,000,000.00, was able to limit the verdict to only $329,000, subject to collateral source setoffs. (Shaw v. Estate of Nocerino, 2021-CA-000173, Levy County, FL.)
- In a first-party property, breach of contract lawsuit, was able to secure a directed verdict as to half of the claimed damages, and hold the verdict to $5,000.00 on the remaining damages. Thus, out of $50,000.00 in estimated damages, only $5,000.00 was awarded, subject to the policy’s deductible, and a motion for remittitur. (Looney v. Citizens, 2022CA01452 Polk County, FL.)
- As second chair, tried a wrongful death lawsuit involving a tractor trailer accident and two decedents, to a defense verdict. (Shareef v Werner Enterprises, No.8:07-cv-00623-S, U.S. District Court, M.D. Fla. Tampa.)