Michael Ferral - Vernis & Bowling

Michael Ferral, Esq.
Department Managing Attorney
Vernis & Bowling of Central Florida, P.A. 1450 S Woodland Blvd, 4th Floor DeLand, FL 32720
Phone: (386) 734-2505
Email: MFerral@Florida-Law.com
Fax: (386) 734-3441
Website: www.national-law.com
V-Card Email
Also Serving: Miami, FL

Verdicts and Dispositions

Ricardo and Mayra Rodriguez v. Security First Ins. Co
John P. Daly (North Miami, FL) and Michael Ferral (Miami, FL) (Property) obtained a Defense Verdict on behalf of their client, Security First Insurance Company, in a first-party property breach of contract action brought by Plaintiffs against their homeowner’s insurance carrier. The jury trial was held in Miami-Dade, Florida.

In 2019, the Plaintiffs filed a claim with Security First, alleging that on or about September 10, 2017, the insured property sustained sudden and immediate water and wind damage as a result of Hurricane Irma. The Plaintiffs did not notice nor report the damage until November 2019. After concluding its claims investigation, Security First denied coverage based on the policy’s “peril created opening” exclusion. As a result, the Plaintiffs filed suit on February 3, 2020, and sought a declaration from the court that there was a covered loss under the policy, that Security First had an affirmative duty to adjust the loss, and an award attorney’s fees and court costs.

The Plaintiffs’ expert (Al Brizuela, P.E.) testified at trial that Hurricane Irma damaged the Plaintiffs’ roof and had ultimately led to the interior water damage. Despite knowing the age of the roof (almost 20 years old at the time the Plaintiffs first noticed the damage), the Plaintiffs’ expert repeatedly stated that roof damage could only be the result of Hurricane Irma. For the defense, Security First’s corporate representative testified that the claim was denied upon a thorough investigation of the property, including the opinions of its pre-suit engineer, Dustin DiPersia, P.E. He testified that there was no evidence of any peril created openings on the roof and that the roof showed significant signs of wear and tear due to age-related deterioration. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Security First finding that the Plaintiffs failed to meet their burden to show that their property sustained damage during the policy period.

The Plaintiffs’ last demand prior to trial was $140,000 inclusive of attorney’s fees and costs.
National Water Restoration a/a/o Marie St. Fort v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
John Daly and Michael Ferral (Miami, FL) (First-Party Property) obtained a Defense Verdict following a jury trial in Miami, FL in the case of National Water Restoration a/a/o Marie St. Fort v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The Plaintiff in the case, National Water Restoration, performed water dryout services for a homeowner insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in 2016. National Water Restoration charged Citizens $4,572.26 for its services. A dispute arose whether the services performed by National Water Restoration were reasonably priced and whether those services were necessary to protect the homeowner’s property from additional damage. After its investigation, Citizens determined that the reasonable cost for the necessary services was $1,418.88, which it paid to the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff then sued over the difference between its invoice and the amount Citizens paid. For the defense, Citizens’ industry expert, Raul Paredes, testified that Citizens had overvalued and overpaid on the claim. Ultimately, the jury found in favor of Citizens, finding that $1,418.88 was the reasonable cost for the services it performed. Our motion to seek the recovery of Citizens’ taxable costs is pending.

Areas Of Practice

Administrative Law
Automobile Liability (PIP/PD/BI/UM)
First and Third Party Property and Casualty Claims
General Civil Litigation
Government Law
PIP/Personal Injury Protection Litigation
SIU/Suspicious & Fraudulent Claims

Bar & Court Admission

Florida Bar

Education

Graduate:
Georgetown University Law Center, Juris Doctorate, 2017
Undergraduate:
Loyola Marymount, B.A. in Political Science

Michael A. Ferral is a Department Managing Attorney at Vernis & Bowling. Michael was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 2012 from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. He earned his Juris Doctor in 2017 from Georgetown University Law. While in law school, Michael worked as a law clerk for a Congressman sitting on the House Judicial Committee.

Michael practices and handles matters in administrative law, ﬁrst- party property claims, general civil litigation, and government law.

When not practicing law, Michael enjoys watching his favorite Los Angeles-based sports teams, as well as spending time with his wife and kids.

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