Vero Beach, FL

Joseph H. Graves

A native Floridian, born in Leesburg, Florida, Joseph (“Joe”) H. Graves, is a veteran trial attorney, a proud Navy veteran and the founding attorney of the Graves Thomas Injury Law Group. Joe has distinguished his practice and his firm by practicing a brand of law that in many ways is a return to the profession’s earliest highly held tenets. Valuing substance over style, his is no nonsense, aggressive approach to injury law. His ethos is to listen first, counsel consistently and devote the necessary effort and resources to yield successful outcomes. Joe believes in doing the hard work of lawyering. Every member of the Graves Thomas Injury Law Group legal team shares Joe’s passion and work ethic. Joe is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Attorney and a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer specializing in trial litigation. Only one percent of all Florida Bar Members are board-certified civil trial attorneys. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating a lawyer can obtain. He is a member of both The Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. As a St. Petersburg car accident attorney, he has won million, multi-million, and billion-dollar cases. Joe has considerable experience defending and prosecuting civil cases. He represents injured plaintiffs in complex matters, including product liability, automobile accidents, and other injury accident matters. Joe is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. Joseph H. Graves is a member in good standing of the Florida Bar Association. As a St. Petersburg truck accident attorney he has volunteered countless hours to his community. He is a devoted husband and father to his wife, Carole George Graves, and their four daughters, Emily Ann, Sara Catherine, Sophia Maria, and Rachel Maria. On December 4th, 2016, Joe Graves’ only son, James (“Jimmy”) Franklin Graves, II, died in a tragic boating accident. Soon after his passing, Joseph Graves founded the Jimmy Graves Foundation, which has generously supported the youth of our community.

Matthew M. Thomas

Born and raised in Vero Beach, Florida, Attorney Matthew M. Thomas is a relentless litigator who has earned his reputation through his consistent results in and out of the courtroom. Matthew uses a strategy he calls the “3-ness” that implements preparedness, competitiveness, and creativeness as his winning formula. With this, Matthew consistently takes on and takes down, the modern-day goliaths of industry on behalf of his clients. Advocacy comes natural to Matthew, which he describes as one of his inherent qualities. It started with him confronting bullies on the playground and now, he is doing the same thing the courtroom. True to form, Matthew has always stood up for the little guy. In high school, Matthew was named varsity captain of the soccer team and received his school’s Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Award. Throughout college and in law school, Matthew intentionally worked in a diverse number of jobs and activities. For his studies, he was named to the Dean’s List and has earned various accolades for his writing. As a lawyer, Matthew wanted to use an empathetic approach to representing clients. When he did, it paid off, and Matthew began achieving great results for his clients early on. Matthew’s mentor and the founder of the law firm, Joseph H. Graves, recognized Matthew’s talents and that the two shared in their vision for the future. So much so, that Matthew was named the law firm’s first partner at the age of only 30. Since then, Matthew has continued to impress, having obtained numerous successful verdicts and recovering millions of dollars for his clients. This has been repeatedly recognized in Matthew’s distinction as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for a consecutive five (5) years in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Matthew is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney and a St. Petersburg personal injury attorney specializing in trial litigation. Only one percent of all Florida Bar Members are board certified civil trial attorneys. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, the highest rating a lawyer can obtain. The passion Matthew find’s in his practice of law is best realized with him accomplishing what another lawyer thought was impossible or simply too difficult. When he agrees to represent a client that was previously turned down, ignored or wronged by prior lawyers, Matthew accepts their case as a challenge and a puzzle left unsolved. By presuming that something critical must have been overlooked or underutilized, Matthew ensures that if something missing does exist, he’ll find it. Matthew’s resume of taking complex cases and yielding top level results year after year is truly impressive. Matthew’s recovery list includes significant cases arising out and involving, wrongful death, motorcycle crashes, traumatic brain injuries, trucking cases, insurance coverage disputes, bad faith, battery, premises liability, work place accidents, construction defects, negligent roadway design, electrocutions, livestock litigation, negligent security, product liability, negligent entrustment, vicarious liability, nursing home negligence, and corporate fraud, among others. In addition to practicing across the state of Florida, including in United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, Matthew has been admitted pro hac vice in various states across the country. Immediately after speaking with Matthew, you will that know he is passionate in his pursuit of justice for injury victims of all kinds. Life has a way of throwing us obstacles and the law is no different. As a St. Petersburg car accident lawyer, Matthew would be honored to help represent you in taking on those hurdles. When asked to provide a quote that he found relatable, Matthew cited Teddy Roosevelt, saying “\[t\]he unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly.” This is true in life and in Matthew’s practice of law. As an active member and volunteer in his community, Matthew is involved in the Indian River County Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Florida Justice Association.

Philip DeBerard, IV

Born and raised in Stuart, Florida, Philip DeBerard IV watched his father build the foundation of the firm that now serves the Treasure Coast and South Florida. Today, he brings his own strong credentials, results, and commitment to clients who have suffered serious injuries and need an advocate with experience, passion, and a proven track record. He is a dedicated advocate for injured people and their loved ones, focusing exclusively on representing individuals harmed through no fault of their own. He supports numerous nonprofit organizations. As a seasoned litigator, Philip DeBerard is top-rated and experienced and is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts and accredited for U.S. Veterans Affairs representation. He is also a licensed Independent Insurance Adjuster. Before personal injury law, he served as an Assistant Public Defender in Martin and St. Lucie Counties. He enjoys spending time with his wife and young kids, fishing and boating, and is a proud member of Gator Nation.

Clifford M. Miller

Clifford M. Miller is the owner of Miller Law Offices, specializing in civil litigation and appeals. He is board-certified in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar and Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediator. He is licensed in Florida and Vermont, with inactive licenses in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. His practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Insurance Law, Personal Injury, Products Liability Law, and Professional Malpractice Law.

David Golden

David Golden, firm principal at The Law Offices of David Golden, P.A., began his career as an Assistant Public Defender in Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit (Martin County, St. Lucie County, Okeechobee County, and Indian River County). He quickly became the head of the St. Lucie County juvenile crimes division, and was later brought to Stuart to head the entire Martin County office. As a criminal defense attorney he has successfully represented individuals arrested for every crime ranging from petit theft, DUI, and violations of probation, to more serious felony charges of sexual assault, drug trafficking, child pornography, and first degree murder. As a personal injury attorney, David Golden, became a highly respected accident lawyer representing citizens injured in various kinds of accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle and pedestrian accidents. He has handled trucking and bus cases and is remembered for receiving a million dollar verdict in one of the Treasure Coast’s more publicized personal injury school bus accident cases, Edwards v. Laidlaw. His reputation, coupled with the firm’s extensive preparation on each case, leads to superior results, often without the need for trial. It is no wonder he is the recipient of Martindale-Hubbell’s highest “AV” rating, and the Firm has received AVVO’s “Client Choice Award” for the last 5 consecutive years. Mr. Golden graduated the University of Georgia (that’s right, a Bulldog) in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Capital Law School, in Columbus, Ohio in 1986, and has been a full time resident here on the Treasure Coast ever since. He enjoys the “salt-life,” off-roading, travel, and is extremely active volunteering in community activities.

David M. Carter

David Carter was born in Vero Beach, Florida, and has been a partner at Gould Cooksey Fennell since 1996. Mr. Carter founded and chairs the firm’s Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Group and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Carter is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial Law. Over the last 30 years, he has tried numerous catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. He maintains an “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the largest and most comprehensive ratings document of lawyers in the world, and has twice been recognized as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year.”

Jason L. Odom

Jason L. Odom is a valued member of our firm’s Litigation Department, where he displays a high level of excellence in his practice, focusing on Personal Injury, Medical Negligence, and Probate and Trust Litigation. He is a board-certified specialist in Civil Trial, which is an evaluation by The Florida Bar that identifies you as a lawyer with special knowledge, skills and proficiency, as well as professionalism and ethics. He is also “AV” rated under Martindale- Hubbell’s peer review rating system, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, included in Best Lawyers in America, and since 2017 has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics Magazine. Mr. Odom was born and raised in Vero Beach, and received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science the University of Central Florida in 1997. In 2000, Mr. Odom earned his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law, where he was a member of the award-winning Moot Court Board. Mr. Odom started his legal career with the Tampa firm of Thompson, Sizemore & Gonzalez, P.A., where he practiced civil litigation, including Employment Law Litigation, on behalf of large public and private sector employers. As a Vero Beach native, Mr. Odom takes an active role in supporting local charities, including Vero Beach Little League and the Vero Beach High School Girl’s Tennis Booster Club. Mr. Odom is also an honored former member of our nation’s armed services, serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and achieving the rank of sergeant.