Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore has been "speaking up for the injured" - with commanding volume and authority - since opening its first office in Tampa in 1967.
Client Endorsements Why choose us?Few experiences are more frustrating than suffering an injury caused by someone else. At Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore, we represent only the injured – never insurance companies or their clients. Our firm, founded in 1967, is one of Tampa’s oldest and most respected plaintiff trial firms. Our partners are leaders who have achieved professional honors reserved for a small and select number of trial attorneys.
We represent plaintiffs who have been harmed by the negligent or reckless acts of health-care professionals, attorneys, or other individuals causing personal injury or wrongful death. Our attorneys are leaders in the fields of Florida personal injury, legal malpractice in Florida, Florida medical malpractice, maritime/admiralty law, and Florida whistleblower litigation.
“From the moment I first spoke with Alan I felt like someone had my back. That alone made me feel so much better immediately. From there he stuck by me, answered my questions, gave me excellent advice and got my case resolved. He is amazing!!! He is the first one I will turn to if I have any legal issues and the first one I will recommend. I can’t thank you enough”
“Mr. McLaughlin took the time to reply to my questions and concerns relating to a recent incident. I also like that he and the other attorneys in his firm have much experience in specific areas of the law.”
“Michael’s name was provided to me from a close friend, so I realized immediately that this will be a great choice for my case. Everyone knows word of mouth from a close friend or family member for any type of service is solid. This was evident when I first met Michael 4 days after my accident when he arrived at my private residence. I reached out to him via phone call when I got home from the hospital and he wanted to come to my house the next day to get started – no time was wasted. He was very empathetic, down to earth, and honest with me and my wife concerning what to expect in the next 6 months with my case. He was spot on relating to expectations and what he could make possible in my favor to ease my stress as the months passed. He was devoted and hardworking along with his legal assistant Sharon keeping me aware of the progress of my case and relentless in reducing my medical bills and battling with the insurance companies. Michael also unexpectedly and drastically reduce his fees in order to provide us with additional funds we honestly never expected to obtain. He received an Excellent Rating because he earned it – Thanks Michael for what you accomplished for me and my family. High Recommended! Devoted – Hardworking – Relentless!”
“After receiving some horrific dental work, I turned to Jason Whittemore for assistance. He listened to my case, made suggestions and then took action! He was professional, attentive and knowledgeable. In addition, because he was able to settle the case without going to court, he didn’t charge me a penny! You can’t ask for better representation. Thank you Jason and team for all you have done for me.”
“I needed legal advice… I called this firm and Alan Wagner took my call immediately….[He] was outstanding, particularly due to the fact that I had never spoken to him prior to today. He even took the time to help me understand some current legal documents that were unclear… knowing that there was no financial gain for him. This type of character speaks volumes! [T]his man is exceptional! He is the definition of integrity, as there was no doubt that he embodies a genuine concern /care for humanity.
If ever I, or my family has to hire a lawyer, Alan Wagner is the first person that I will call. Thank you again Alan! You reignited my faith that there are still professional lawyers that do care about people.”
“Kevin McLaughlin is one of the most honest and hard-working people that my husband and I have had the pleasure to deal with. We would both highly recommend him and his whole firm to anyone seeking legal assistance.”
“I hired Michael McLaughlin after being involved in a vehicle accident with injury. Michael was very easy to talk with and did not use legal verbiage but explained it very clearly and supported his concerns with clear documentation for my review. The entire time Michael kept me informed of the process and procedures and how each step was important my input and understanding would instrumental to the outcome of my case. His professionalism did not intimate but actually made me comfortable and confident i had hired the right person to protect my interest in this case were not minimized.”
“Jason Whittemore represented me for a wrongful bankruptcy dispute that required IRS tax knowledge and a substantial amount of money I owed to the IRS among several other complications. After consulting with 1/2 dozen attorneys or so, I realized this was a very specialized case that most attorneys were not willing to take or just not knowledgeable enough. I then met with Mr. Whittemore. He took my case. Mr. Whittemore is a sharp, very responsive, attentive, professional. He always politely spoke the facts. He kept me informed at all times. The end result was that we won. He is the sole reason for winning this unusual case. I highly recommend Mr. Whittemore and if I need an attorney in the future he is first on my list.”
“Alan Wagner is a solid advocate of honest, hardworking individuals injured by others’ negligence….He was so clear in his communication and sincerity that I forgot I was talking with an expert of his caliber.….If suddenly injured by another’s disregard or negligence, you need the most ethical, skilled, sympathetic, transparent, and insightful legal advocate to not only stop your losses but to also ensure you are justly compensated for them. That advocate is Mr. Alan Wagner…simply stated, he is exceptional in every way.”
“Michael McLaughlin represented me after I was injured as a pedestrian in an auto accident….Michael came highly recommended to me by another member of the legal profession….Michael was always available to me whether by phone or email. If I had to leave a message, I always heard back from him very quickly. When I thanked him for his time, he always reminded me that he was working for me….[T]he settlement turned out to be better than the best case scenario I was given to begin with….We couldn’t recommend Michael McLaughlin more highly. He is extremely competent and able in his field.”
“Jason demonstrated professionalism, honesty, strong character and work ethics handling our personal injury case. We strongly recommend Jason!”
“This law firm has the most compassionate, kind and caring lawyers I have seen ever. Alan Wagner is an especially ethical and professional attorney. I believe all of the attorneys in this firm to be the same. I am so pleased to know of such ethical, knowledgeable attorneys in the Tampa Bay area.”
“I received a free consultation call from Mike McLaughlin regarding what I expected to be a legal malpractice case. Mike enlightened me on what constitutes such a case and explained why mine didn’t fit the criteria. He understood everything I laid out and expressed genuine compassion for my complex situation. He provided me with options that might help me and provided me with a much better understanding of the risks associated with each option. Mike probably doesn’t even realize how helpful he was and how valuable his consultation was to me. I highly recommend speaking to them if you feel you have a legal malpractice case.”
“I could go on and on about Alan Wagner. I contacted him via his website and 30 minutes later I was on the phone with him himself….He walked me through the entire process and, what had taken years with another attorney, took care of everything in about 90 days.”
“James was recommended by one of my friend. I am from Europe and all of my family members live outside of US. The car accident was not my fault, so it was hard to accept, it could happen. To deal with everything in my life was difficult being a single Mom with a special needs son. When I decided to hire an attorney, I knew in my heart James will be the best for me. I was hopeless and scared when we started our journey together. From the first minute and even now, I felt like he is not just my attorney who works for getting paid, he was my friend and family in the same time. He made out of my case the best. I will be always thankful and grateful for him and also for his staff. Do not hesitate if you need an attorney, He would be your best choice as well!!!!”
“Michael McLaughlin has been my attorney on my case for the last 3 years. He made a difficult situation much more pleasant to get through! He was available at all hours of the day and evening, had great follow up and kept me looped in on the status of my situation. Michael provided counsel as I had questions. He guided me and helped me understand all steps of the process. A case like mine can be emotional, Michael had a nice balance of legal knowledge, empathy, honesty and some humor where needed along the way. I can’t say enough great feedback about Michael. I will absolutely use him if I ever need an attorney again and would highly recommend him to others!”
“Alan Wagner took our case when numerous other lawyers would not. Though he knew that his return on investment would be low, he was willing to accept the case on principle. My wife and I didn’t even have time to stop celebrating the fact that someone was willing to take the case before he actually had it settled….[H]e got every dime returned to us, with the payment plan in place in a matter of days from accepting the case. I can’t say enough about his professionalism, demeanor, and knowledge.”
“Alan Wagner provided my sisters and I excellent advice that included a referral to an excellent Tampa estate attorney who was able to clean up a mess created by a Sarasota estate attorney we had hired and another our mother had hired thinking she was preparing her estate carefully. He was always very generous of his time as a sage advisor even though he had no financial gain from our case.”
“They Fought the Big Guys and Won. After years of litigation against one of the largest corporations in the world, Alan and his team will be delivering a huge check from the defendants. Thank You. It pays to have a Board Certified Trial Lawyer.”
“We had hired Jason to represent us after being rear ended December 2019, my husband ended up with a severe whiplash and several bulging and herniated disk throughout his spine, he needed surgery to repair the major injuries in his neck. I was already disabled, my previous injuries were aggravated because of the accident. We were not aware of any specialist in our area and asked Jason if he knew of a good doctor, we were very satisfied with the recommendation that Jason gave us, this doctor did surgery on my husband’s neck that did relieve the pain. Jason and his paralegal were amazing, they always kept us informed and kept in contact with us to see how we were doing, any questions or concerns we had were always answered promptly. Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore is a very professional, knowledgeable law firm and Jason Whittemore and his paralegal are the best in what they do, if the occasion ever occurred where we needed another attorney, Jason Whittemore would be the only one we would consider. Besides Jason and his paralegal being a great team in the legal world, they also became a great friend to both of us.”
“We retained Kevin Mclaughlin to assist us with our auto claim. Throughout the process, Kevin and his staff listened and empathized with us. We have no doubt that it was because of Kevin and his associate, Jim Guarnieri, that we received such a great settlement. Thank you for giving us our lives back. We retained Kevin Mclaughlin to assist us with our auto claim. Throughout the process, he and his staff worked diligently to resolve the claim while keeping us informed. We have no doubt that it was because of Kevin and his associate, Jim Guarnieri, that we received such a great results. Thank you!”
“Based on a phone consultation, I was impressed by Mr. McLaughlin. He’s bright, personable, a very good listener, and resourceful. Those traits seem to be vanishingly uncommon amongst lawyers I’ve spoken with, regardless of specialty… and at the risk of sounding cynical, of any professional, regardless of industry. If ever someone needed a recommendation for an attorney, I would strongly recommend speaking with Mr. McLaughlin first.”
“Mr. McLaughlin took the time to reply to my questions and concerns relating to a recent incident. I also like that he and the other attorneys in his firm have much experience in specific areas of the law.”
“Michael’s name was provided to me from a close friend, so I realized immediately that this will be a great choice for my case. Everyone knows word of mouth from a close friend or family member for any type of service is solid. This was evident when I first met Michael 4 days after my accident when he arrived at my private residence. I reached out to him via phone call when I got home from the hospital and he wanted to come to my house the next day to get started – no time was wasted. He was very empathetic, down to earth, and honest with me and my wife concerning what to expect in the next 6 months with my case. He was spot on relating to expectations and what he could make possible in my favor to ease my stress as the months passed. He was devoted and hardworking along with his legal assistant Sharon keeping me aware of the progress of my case and relentless in reducing my medical bills and battling with the insurance companies. Michael also unexpectedly and drastically reduce his fees in order to provide us with additional funds we honestly never expected to obtain. He received an Excellent Rating because he earned it – Thanks Michael for what you accomplished for me and my family. High Recommended!”
“Mr. Guarnieri provided me with the best excellent service. My situation was handled with great quality, excellent professional services from the beginning to the end, and with results. The entire staff presented superb excellence at its best.”
“Very thankful to have engaged Tampa attorney James Guarnieri. He was very detailed in evaluating my case, aspects of the police charge and explaining p e. outcomes. No hard sell, and the rate if he were to take the case laid out upfront. Mr. Guarnieri eventually got the charge dismissed altogether. I highly recommend his services.”
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With combined expertise and team approach, we are able to handle a broad range of claims involving legal malpractice in Florida and personal injury claims, including:
“From the moment I first spoke with Alan I felt like someone had my back. That alone made me feel so much better immediately. From there he stuck by me, answered my questions, gave me excellent advice and got my case resolved. He is amazing!!! He is the first one I will turn to if I have any legal issues and the first one I will recommend. I can’t thank you enough”
“Mr. McLaughlin took the time to reply to my questions and concerns relating to a recent incident. I also like that he and the other attorneys in his firm have much experience in specific areas of the law.”
“Michael’s name was provided to me from a close friend, so I realized immediately that this will be a great choice for my case. Everyone knows word of mouth from a close friend or family member for any type of service is solid. This was evident when I first met Michael 4 days after my accident when he arrived at my private residence. I reached out to him via phone call when I got home from the hospital and he wanted to come to my house the next day to get started – no time was wasted. He was very empathetic, down to earth, and honest with me and my wife concerning what to expect in the next 6 months with my case. He was spot on relating to expectations and what he could make possible in my favor to ease my stress as the months passed. He was devoted and hardworking along with his legal assistant Sharon keeping me aware of the progress of my case and relentless in reducing my medical bills and battling with the insurance companies. Michael also unexpectedly and drastically reduce his fees in order to provide us with additional funds we honestly never expected to obtain. He received an Excellent Rating because he earned it – Thanks Michael for what you accomplished for me and my family. High Recommended! Devoted – Hardworking – Relentless!”
“After receiving some horrific dental work, I turned to Jason Whittemore for assistance. He listened to my case, made suggestions and then took action! He was professional, attentive and knowledgeable. In addition, because he was able to settle the case without going to court, he didn’t charge me a penny! You can’t ask for better representation. Thank you Jason and team for all you have done for me.”
“I needed legal advice… I called this firm and Alan Wagner took my call immediately….[He] was outstanding, particularly due to the fact that I had never spoken to him prior to today. He even took the time to help me understand some current legal documents that were unclear… knowing that there was no financial gain for him. This type of character speaks volumes! [T]his man is exceptional! He is the definition of integrity, as there was no doubt that he embodies a genuine concern /care for humanity.
If ever I, or my family has to hire a lawyer, Alan Wagner is the first person that I will call. Thank you again Alan! You reignited my faith that there are still professional lawyers that do care about people.”
“Kevin McLaughlin is one of the most honest and hard-working people that my husband and I have had the pleasure to deal with. We would both highly recommend him and his whole firm to anyone seeking legal assistance.”
“I hired Michael McLaughlin after being involved in a vehicle accident with injury. Michael was very easy to talk with and did not use legal verbiage but explained it very clearly and supported his concerns with clear documentation for my review. The entire time Michael kept me informed of the process and procedures and how each step was important my input and understanding would instrumental to the outcome of my case. His professionalism did not intimate but actually made me comfortable and confident i had hired the right person to protect my interest in this case were not minimized.”
“Jason Whittemore represented me for a wrongful bankruptcy dispute that required IRS tax knowledge and a substantial amount of money I owed to the IRS among several other complications. After consulting with 1/2 dozen attorneys or so, I realized this was a very specialized case that most attorneys were not willing to take or just not knowledgeable enough. I then met with Mr. Whittemore. He took my case. Mr. Whittemore is a sharp, very responsive, attentive, professional. He always politely spoke the facts. He kept me informed at all times. The end result was that we won. He is the sole reason for winning this unusual case. I highly recommend Mr. Whittemore and if I need an attorney in the future he is first on my list.”
“Alan Wagner is a solid advocate of honest, hardworking individuals injured by others’ negligence….He was so clear in his communication and sincerity that I forgot I was talking with an expert of his caliber.….If suddenly injured by another’s disregard or negligence, you need the most ethical, skilled, sympathetic, transparent, and insightful legal advocate to not only stop your losses but to also ensure you are justly compensated for them. That advocate is Mr. Alan Wagner…simply stated, he is exceptional in every way.”
“Michael McLaughlin represented me after I was injured as a pedestrian in an auto accident….Michael came highly recommended to me by another member of the legal profession….Michael was always available to me whether by phone or email. If I had to leave a message, I always heard back from him very quickly. When I thanked him for his time, he always reminded me that he was working for me….[T]he settlement turned out to be better than the best case scenario I was given to begin with….We couldn’t recommend Michael McLaughlin more highly. He is extremely competent and able in his field.”
“Jason demonstrated professionalism, honesty, strong character and work ethics handling our personal injury case. We strongly recommend Jason!”
“This law firm has the most compassionate, kind and caring lawyers I have seen ever. Alan Wagner is an especially ethical and professional attorney. I believe all of the attorneys in this firm to be the same. I am so pleased to know of such ethical, knowledgeable attorneys in the Tampa Bay area.”
“I received a free consultation call from Mike McLaughlin regarding what I expected to be a legal malpractice case. Mike enlightened me on what constitutes such a case and explained why mine didn’t fit the criteria. He understood everything I laid out and expressed genuine compassion for my complex situation. He provided me with options that might help me and provided me with a much better understanding of the risks associated with each option. Mike probably doesn’t even realize how helpful he was and how valuable his consultation was to me. I highly recommend speaking to them if you feel you have a legal malpractice case.”
“I could go on and on about Alan Wagner. I contacted him via his website and 30 minutes later I was on the phone with him himself….He walked me through the entire process and, what had taken years with another attorney, took care of everything in about 90 days.”
“James was recommended by one of my friend. I am from Europe and all of my family members live outside of US. The car accident was not my fault, so it was hard to accept, it could happen. To deal with everything in my life was difficult being a single Mom with a special needs son. When I decided to hire an attorney, I knew in my heart James will be the best for me. I was hopeless and scared when we started our journey together. From the first minute and even now, I felt like he is not just my attorney who works for getting paid, he was my friend and family in the same time. He made out of my case the best. I will be always thankful and grateful for him and also for his staff. Do not hesitate if you need an attorney, He would be your best choice as well!!!!”
“Michael McLaughlin has been my attorney on my case for the last 3 years. He made a difficult situation much more pleasant to get through! He was available at all hours of the day and evening, had great follow up and kept me looped in on the status of my situation. Michael provided counsel as I had questions. He guided me and helped me understand all steps of the process. A case like mine can be emotional, Michael had a nice balance of legal knowledge, empathy, honesty and some humor where needed along the way. I can’t say enough great feedback about Michael. I will absolutely use him if I ever need an attorney again and would highly recommend him to others!”
“Alan Wagner took our case when numerous other lawyers would not. Though he knew that his return on investment would be low, he was willing to accept the case on principle. My wife and I didn’t even have time to stop celebrating the fact that someone was willing to take the case before he actually had it settled….[H]e got every dime returned to us, with the payment plan in place in a matter of days from accepting the case. I can’t say enough about his professionalism, demeanor, and knowledge.”
“Alan Wagner provided my sisters and I excellent advice that included a referral to an excellent Tampa estate attorney who was able to clean up a mess created by a Sarasota estate attorney we had hired and another our mother had hired thinking she was preparing her estate carefully. He was always very generous of his time as a sage advisor even though he had no financial gain from our case.”
“They Fought the Big Guys and Won. After years of litigation against one of the largest corporations in the world, Alan and his team will be delivering a huge check from the defendants. Thank You. It pays to have a Board Certified Trial Lawyer.”
“We had hired Jason to represent us after being rear ended December 2019, my husband ended up with a severe whiplash and several bulging and herniated disk throughout his spine, he needed surgery to repair the major injuries in his neck. I was already disabled, my previous injuries were aggravated because of the accident. We were not aware of any specialist in our area and asked Jason if he knew of a good doctor, we were very satisfied with the recommendation that Jason gave us, this doctor did surgery on my husband’s neck that did relieve the pain. Jason and his paralegal were amazing, they always kept us informed and kept in contact with us to see how we were doing, any questions or concerns we had were always answered promptly. Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore is a very professional, knowledgeable law firm and Jason Whittemore and his paralegal are the best in what they do, if the occasion ever occurred where we needed another attorney, Jason Whittemore would be the only one we would consider. Besides Jason and his paralegal being a great team in the legal world, they also became a great friend to both of us.”
“We retained Kevin Mclaughlin to assist us with our auto claim. Throughout the process, Kevin and his staff listened and empathized with us. We have no doubt that it was because of Kevin and his associate, Jim Guarnieri, that we received such a great settlement. Thank you for giving us our lives back. We retained Kevin Mclaughlin to assist us with our auto claim. Throughout the process, he and his staff worked diligently to resolve the claim while keeping us informed. We have no doubt that it was because of Kevin and his associate, Jim Guarnieri, that we received such a great results. Thank you!”
“Based on a phone consultation, I was impressed by Mr. McLaughlin. He’s bright, personable, a very good listener, and resourceful. Those traits seem to be vanishingly uncommon amongst lawyers I’ve spoken with, regardless of specialty… and at the risk of sounding cynical, of any professional, regardless of industry. If ever someone needed a recommendation for an attorney, I would strongly recommend speaking with Mr. McLaughlin first.”
“Mr. McLaughlin took the time to reply to my questions and concerns relating to a recent incident. I also like that he and the other attorneys in his firm have much experience in specific areas of the law.”
“Michael’s name was provided to me from a close friend, so I realized immediately that this will be a great choice for my case. Everyone knows word of mouth from a close friend or family member for any type of service is solid. This was evident when I first met Michael 4 days after my accident when he arrived at my private residence. I reached out to him via phone call when I got home from the hospital and he wanted to come to my house the next day to get started – no time was wasted. He was very empathetic, down to earth, and honest with me and my wife concerning what to expect in the next 6 months with my case. He was spot on relating to expectations and what he could make possible in my favor to ease my stress as the months passed. He was devoted and hardworking along with his legal assistant Sharon keeping me aware of the progress of my case and relentless in reducing my medical bills and battling with the insurance companies. Michael also unexpectedly and drastically reduce his fees in order to provide us with additional funds we honestly never expected to obtain. He received an Excellent Rating because he earned it – Thanks Michael for what you accomplished for me and my family. High Recommended!”
“Mr. Guarnieri provided me with the best excellent service. My situation was handled with great quality, excellent professional services from the beginning to the end, and with results. The entire staff presented superb excellence at its best.”
“Very thankful to have engaged Tampa attorney James Guarnieri. He was very detailed in evaluating my case, aspects of the police charge and explaining p e. outcomes. No hard sell, and the rate if he were to take the case laid out upfront. Mr. Guarnieri eventually got the charge dismissed altogether. I highly recommend his services.”
