Robert B. Baker, B.C.S., Esq. is an experienced civil trial attorney with 35 years of experience. He is Board Certified by The Florida Bar as a Civil Trial Specialist since 2002, a designation held by less than 1% of Florida attorneys. He has also passed the State Bar Examinations and has been licensed to practice in Florida, New York*, Massachusetts*, and Rhode Island* (*inactive), as well as being admitted to the United States District Court of Rhode Island, the Southern District of Florida and the Middle District of Florida.
Following 30 years of general personal injury practice which included some record breaking verdicts in defective personal watercraft and drowning cases (two of which were covered live by Court T.V.), Mr. Baker decided to narrow his focus and specialize in only water related accidents on a national scale. He represents clients throughout the United States in boating accidents, cruise ship accidents, cruise ship sexual assaults, personal watercraft accidents, defective personal watercraft, swimming pool drownings, lake accidents, water park accidents and resort accidents.
Career Highlights
Upon graduation from Boston University School of Law in 1989, he began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York. As a prosecutor Mr. Baker tried many felony cases as well as grand jury cases.
He was next appointed as the Rhode Island State Liaison Council for Multi-District Breast Implant Litigation, handling mass tort cases on a national level.
Robbie has achieved significant victories that have shaped Florida law and secured justice for his clients. In 2001, he successfully argued Lamz v. Geico, 748 So.2d 319, before the Florida Supreme Court, winning an appeal that fundamentally changed the landscape of Florida uninsured/underinsured motor vehicle laws.
One of his most notable jury trial verdicts was against Yamaha Motor Corporation, where he secured a $39 million verdict in a WaveRunner collision case involving an “off-throttle” steering defect that claimed the life of one teenager and left another permanently scarred and disfigured. This verdict was instrumental in design changes to PWC’s to eliminate “off-throttle” steering accidents. The verdict was and still remains the largest verdict in the U.S. for a PWC defect.
Robbie has had many other notable jury trial verdicts and settlements against PWC manufacturers in Florida, Connecticut and Ohio. He has gone to trial a total of five times against Bombardier and Yamaha and has never lost.
He has also successfully litigated a case with a $7 million dollar settlement against Norwegian Cruise Line as a result of a boiler room explosion, as well as several multi million dollar results in hot tub drowning cases as well as holding a national hotel chain liable for a drowning incident involving a young child.
For over 3 decades he has been committed to an unwavering pursuit of justice, standing up to the largest corporations on behalf of individuals and families affected by catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. He is very proud of his national recognition and a track record of over $400 million dollars in verdicts and settlements, often in complex cases involving highly contested liability.
