Attorney Lauren Calta has been protecting the rights of the injured since 1995 when she moved to Florida and began dedicating her legal practice to solely representing people who have been killed or injured through the negligence of others. She feels honored that for over 25 years, her clients, who are injured and probably at the most vulnerable times in their lives, put their full trust in her to help them obtain justice and get back on their feet. “I love what I do because it allows me to stand up and fight for people who cannot stand up for themselves” she says. “Insurance companies are like predators; they prey upon those that are down and out and will try to force people into minimal settlements if they are not represented by counsel. I don’t let that happen on my watch; not to my clients” she adds.
Ms. Calta takes every case personally and represents each client as if they were a part of her family. She takes pride in meeting with each and every client from the initial office conference, throughout settlement or verdict. “I never want my clients to feel as though they have been handed over to a legal assistant or case manager.” Raised in New York City, Ms. Calta knew from an early age that she wanted to be an attorney and make sure that people do not get taken advantage of. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from St. John’s University in 1988, and in 1991 graduated with her Juris Doctorate degree from Brooklyn Law School, where she earned the American Jurisprudence Award in Evidence. Straight out of law school, she became an Assistant District Attorney with Kings County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting misdemeanor and felony criminal cases, presenting cases before the Grand Jury for indictment, and arguing appellate issues before the New York Supreme Court. In 1995, wanting to move to warmer weather, Ms. Calta moved to Florida and transitioned her practice to personal injury law. In 2017, with over 22 years experience in personal injury law, Ms. Calta opened her own practice with her current partner, Angela Zervos.
Ms. Calta is licensed to practice in Florida, New York, and in Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida. She is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which limit memberships to attorneys who have obtained significant verdicts or settlements of $1 Million or more and $2 Million or more, respectively. She is also a member of Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, Florida Justice Association, the Clearwater Bar Association and Lawyers of Distinction. When not in court, Ms. Calta values her time spent with family and close friends. “Family is everything to me. It is the most precious thing in my life” she says.
Ms. Calta currently handles cases involving wrongful death, motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, post traumatic brain injuries, trucking accidents, slip/trip and falls, and medical malpractice cases. During her career, Ms. Calta has been actively involved in mass tort litigation against the tobacco industry, as well as against the pharmaceutical industry, representing women who developed cancer as a result of being prescribed and taking hormone replacement therapy. She is always available to her clients either by phone, meeting, or email. She believes in keeping her clients informed every step of the way through the legal process.
Lauren is available by appointment at any of our Tampa Bay office locations, including Clearwater, Spring Hill, Tarpon Springs, and St. Petersburg.