David Carter
Partner | Gould Cooksey Fennell
David Carter is a personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death trial lawyer and partner at Gould Cooksey Fennell in Vero Beach, Florida. J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law (1991).
Meet David
David M. Carter is a partner at Gould Cooksey Fennell in Vero Beach, Florida, where he founded and chairs the firm’s Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Group and sits on its Executive Committee. He represents people with catastrophic injuries and families in wrongful death and medical malpractice cases across Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties.
Carter has been with the firm since 1996 and is board certified in civil trial law by The Florida Bar. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a distinguished fellow of the Florida Justice Association, where he served on the board of directors and continues to lecture at its seminars. He has twice been appointed by Florida’s governor to the 19th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.
He earned his law degree with honors from the University of Florida College of Law in 1991 and a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications with honors from the University of Florida in 1987. Best Lawyers named him Lawyer of the Year in personal injury litigation in 2015 and in personal injury in 2021, and he has been included in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 since 2016.
Experience and Expertise
Qualifications
Timeline
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, The Florida Bar (2011-Present)
- J.D. with Honors, University of Florida College of Law, 1991
- B.S., Telecommunications, with Honors, University of Florida, 1987
Practice Areas
- American Board of Trial Advocates (2015-Present)
- Florida Justice Association (Distinguished Fellow; Former Board of Directors)
- Indian River County Bar Association
- 19th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (Former Member)
- Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers (2016-Present)
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury Litigation (2015)
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Personal Injury (2021)
- The Best Lawyers in America, Plaintiffs' Personal Injury (2012-Present)
- Super Lawyers (2006-Present)
- Florida Trend Legal Elite, Civil Trial (2016, 2020)
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (2003-Present)
- Avvo Rating 10/10
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