Theodore "Ted" E. Karatinos, Florida Personal Injury Trial Attorney
Theodore "Ted" E. Karatinos is the managing member of Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, a boutique trial practice with offices in Brooksville and Lutz, Florida. Ted focuses his practice on personal injury and insurance litigation, has earned favorable appellate decisions across the Florida and federal court systems, and has taught Federal Civil Pretrial Practice at Stetson University College of Law since 2002.
Founding the Firm and How Ted Practices
Ted founded the firm in 2006 in Spring Hill, Florida, then a sleepy town that has since grown into a bustling community north of Tampa Bay. Today, the firm represents seriously injured clients in matters involving car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, premises liability, and other complex personal injury and insurance claims.
Where many firms staff a case with one attorney and a paralegal, Ted takes a different approach.
"We utilize a team approach to each case, because everyone contributes different ideas based on their own unique perspectives. Looking at cases from every angle helps produce the highest and best result for each client."
Ted regularly brings in outside forensic experts to strengthen each case. The Holliday Karatinos logo features a chess piece, a deliberate reference to the tactical, strategic approach the firm brings to every matter.
Colleagues and clients describe Ted in three words: Focused. Detailed. Persistent. The values that guide his practice are Discipline, Compassion, and Perseverance.
When asked what he hopes his legacy will be, Ted's answer is characteristically direct:
"I don't believe in legacies. Instead, I want to offer efficient and compassionate legal services to my current clients for the purpose of receiving the best possible outcomes in their cases."
Teaching and Legal Scholarship
Ted has taught Federal Civil Pretrial Practice at Stetson University College of Law since 2002, training the next generation of trial lawyers for more than two decades.
"I don't just practice personal injury litigation. I also teach litigation at a local law school. Seeing the passion of my law students drives me to pay it forward."
That commitment to teaching extends inside the firm as well. Ted personally trains every paralegal on his team, which he says gives him the confidence to take on larger and more complex cases.
He has also authored articles in Barrister Magazine, The Young Lawyer, The Federal Lawyer, and The Florida Bar Journal.
Appellate Experience
A significant portion of Ted's practice involves appellate work. He has procured favorable reported decisions in:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- The Florida Supreme Court
- Florida's Second District Court of Appeal
- Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal
Awards and Recognition
He has also authored articles in Barrister Magazine, The Young Lawyer, The Federal Lawyer, and The Florida Bar Journal.
Notable Case Results
- $1M+ jury verdict against Walmart in Tampa for a client injured in a fall from a ladder.
- $769,000 jury verdict in Dade City for a young mother hit by a driver distracted by her cell phone. State Farm had offered only $50,000 to settle.
- $1.7 million settlement from the Town of Longboat Key (1998).
- Bonds v. Chronister: Florida's Second District Court of Appeal affirmed a million-dollar jury verdict in the firm's favor.
Appellate Experience
A significant portion of Ted's practice involves appellate work. He has procured favorable reported decisions in:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit – Frederick v. Kirby Tankships, Inc., 205 F.3d 1277 (11th Cir. 2000); Wideman v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 141 F.3d 1453 (11th Cir. 1998)
- The Florida Supreme Court – Rowell v. Holt, 850 So. 2d 474 (Fla. 2003); Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Comp. Ass'n v. Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, 948 So. 2d 705 (Fla. 2007)
- Florida's Second District Court of Appeal – City of Tampa v. Foottit, 396 So. 3d 812 (Fla. 2d DCA 2024); USAA Casualty Insurance Co. v. Shelton, 932 So. 2d 765 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)
- Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal – Onofrio v. Johnston & Sasser, P.A., 782 So. 2d 1019 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)
Awards and Recognition
- Lifetime Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Counsel of Record, NFL Concussion Settlement
- Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers (2022)
- Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney in Florida, Attorney and Practice Magazine (2018)
- Advocate designation, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (2023)
- Litigator Award for Premises Liability, Trial Lawyers Board of Regents (2014)
Outside the Courtroom
"I play bass guitar in a local rock band outside work. I enjoy seeing former clients at my band gigs, because many of my former clients become my friends."
Testimonial:
Ted Karatinos is an inspiration! When it comes to quality, he sets the bar.
