Ivan F. Cabrera is a founding member of LCTR and is their “numbers man” who talks dollars and real-world sense to clients. He applies his accounting and business background to assess what a medical malpractice claim is truly worth, not what the defendants say its worth.
He and his partners crafted the firm’s philosophy over years of working together on medical malpractice cases. That is, if a client has a case, they take that case on with the expectation that they will take it to trial and do their best to make sure that client is fully and fairly compensated for the injuries or damages sustained.
Ivan’s role within the firm is twofold. He uses his business background to look at the corporate structures of the defendants to assure that all responsible parties are brought to justice and he quantifies the economic losses sustained by a client and/or their family as a result of medical negligence.
In looking at corporate structures, Ivan analyzes the business records of the defendants to identify their corporate structure which is often created in a manner which is intended to maximize their profits and minimize their exposure to malpractice claims. A hawk when it comes to details, this personal injury & corporate law attorney often investigates related entities who may also be liable. To do so, he digs through corporate policies and procedures to figure out not only who was responsible for giving and directing medical care, but also who owns and operates the health practitioner’s business operations to identify additional entities who are responsible for causing the injuries or damages complained of. The results of his diligent work not only assure the client that all responsible entities are held accountable and that each responsible entity shares in compensating the client for the injuries and damages sustained, but also assures that a client’s recovery will not be limited to the oftentimes meager insurance coverage limits carried by health practitioners.
On the corporate liability side, Ivan’s investigations require extraordinary effort. Why? All of the information at issue is in the exclusive possession of the defendants. They are typically unwilling to be forthcoming as to the true corporate structures that often involve layers of entities and holding companies designed to limit their exposure and obscure who is really in charge.
Ivan is also responsible for working with experts to put together the damage models which will be used to quantify economic losses sustained by a client associated with a claim of injury or death. When quantifying a client’s damages, Ivan sits with clients and their families to hear their story, not just what happened to them but how their lives were affected and what their needs are. He investigates not only what care and treatment has been rendered to date, but more importantly, what care and treatment will most likely needed in the future — often for the remainder of their lives. He does this on his own and with the assistance of specialists who map out a client’s future care needs, and then quantify the cost of those future care needs so that those issues can be presented to a jury who will eventually decide what is fair and just compensation under the circumstances.
Information received from the clients and their families is crucial in this analysis as it builds the foundation for a damage model which is eventually presented to a jury for consideration. It also provides all parties involved with an understanding of what the economic losses in any particular matter are which can potentially lead to a negotiated resolution of a case. Otherwise, the damage model Ivan creates with experts forms the bases for the trial presentation of the economic damages sustained in any case which a jury then considers in its deliberations. From his many years of experience, Ivan knows how to build these models and, just as important, he knows the tactics which Defendants will employ in attempt to minimize the economic value of the claims.
As a primary contact for clients, Ivan takes the time to explain the realities of the case, its strengths and weaknesses to the firm’s clients. He believes in honest communication and works to keep his clients advised of any developments in their cases in real time so that when a decision needs to be made, the clients are in the best position to do so given that they have been fully advised as to the issues well in advance. This requires constant communication and interaction so that the clients are educated not only about the legal process that they are engaged in, but also the specific issues which he knows will come up down the road.
Ivan’s deep knowledge the law goes back to 1992, when he joined a prominent South Florida insurance defense firm after earning his degree from St. Thomas University School of Law. Learning how the defendants prepare their cases has helped him understand legal defense strategies and how to defeat them. During his career, he has litigated wrongful death, personal injury, and commercial cases throughout the United States, Central and South America; has appeared before courts and tribunals in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico and is licensed to practice law in Florida, the District of Columbia and New York. He is also fluent in Spanish and English.
