Dorothy V. DiFiore is a partner in the Tampa office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.  She has extensive experience in appellate and legal research and represents clients in both litigation and appeals.

Practice Focus:

o  Insurance Coverage & Appeals for all personal & commercial lines
o  Business & Insurance Defense Litigation & Appeals
o  PIP & Fraud Litigation & Appeals
o  Family Law Litigation & Appeals
o  Appellate Writs for Adverse Discovery and other Interlocutory Rulings

Throughout her more than 25 years of practice, Ms. DiFiore has defended a variety of corporate and institutional organizations, as well as individual clients.  Her defense experience is complemented by her contrasting experience in representing injured person in workers' compensation claims and all types of personal injury litigation. Prior to focusing her practice on appeals, she worked as a litigator on all aspects of civil litigation.   She has extensive experience in automobile defense litigation, insurance coverage and bad faith claims, nursing home defense, and premises liability.  Ms. DiFiore also serves as an attorney fee expert in PIP appeals.  In addition, she has worked in a variety of family law cases, including divorces, custody disputes, and dependency cases. 

Ms. DiFiore joined QPWB from a small insurance defense practice in Tampa, Florida, where she managed the firm's appellate and trial support department, and also provided counsel on insurance coverage, PIP, fraud, and trial work since 2007.  There, she managed appellate filings, complex motion filings, provided coverage opinions to insurance clients, litigated coverage claims, and represented clients in actions involving insurance coverage, PIP, BI, UM, extra-contractual defense, family law, and commercial litigation.

Ms. DiFiore received her Juris Doctor cum laude from Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida in 1992 and Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida in 1987 with a major in mass communications. While in law school, she was author of Note, Chisom v. Roemer: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, 21 Stetson Law Review 985 (Summer 1992); received the trial advocacy award and the recipient of the Book Award in Real Property II. 

Ms. DiFiore is licensed to practice law in Florida and California.  She is a member of The Florida Bar and State Bar of California and is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. 

Ms. DiFiore is committed to serving her legal community, and has been active on multiple bar committees both at the local and state level. She is active in several voluntary bar associations, and has chaired a grievance committee for the Florida Bar. 

Professional Affiliations

Florida Bar - 1992 to present

Appellate Court Rules Committee - 2009-2015

Small Claims Rules Committee - 2005-2008

Appellate Section - Florida Bar - 2000-present

Trial Lawyers' Section - Florida Bar - 1993-present 

Member: Judicial Nominating Commission - Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - 2014-present

California State Bar - 2002 to present

Member: Grievance Committee - Florida Bar - Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - 2004-2006; Chair of Committee in 2006 & 2013-2014

Recipient: Pro Bono Award Hillsborough County Bar Association - 2003 

Member: Hillsborough County Bar Association 1992-present

Appellate Section

Member: Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers - 1993-2008; 2012-present 

Board of Directors - 1997-2005

Florida Defense Lawyers Association

Claims and Litigation Management Alliance 

Medical Claims Defense Network

Published Opinions 

Liability/Coverage:

State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. v. Statsick, 231 So.3d 528 (Fla. 2^nd DCA 2017) (appellant)

Morrison v. Homewise Preferred Ins. Co., 209 So.3d 682 (Fla. 5^th DCA 2017) (appellee)

Perez v. Rodriguez, 204 So.3d 92 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2016) (amicus)

Miley v. Nash, 40 FLW D991 (Fla. 2d DCA Apr. 29, 2015) (appellant)

Travelers Commercial Ins. Co. v. Harrington, 154 So.3d 1106 (Fla. 2014 (amicus)

Fla. Ins. Guaranty Ass'n v. Sill, 154 So.3d 422 (Fla. 5^th DCA 2014) (appellant)

Shaver v. Carpenter, 157 So.3d 305 (Fla. 2^nd DCA 2014) (appellant)

Fla. Ins. Guar. Ass'n v. Hanse, 150 So.3d 1272 (Fla. 5^th DCA 2014) (appellant)

Swanson v. Robles, 128 So.3d 91 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013) (appellant)

Smith v GEICO Casualty Co., 127 So. 3d 808 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013) (appellee)

Skala v. Lyons Heritage Corp., 127 So. 3d 814 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013) (appellant)

GEICO Indem. Co. v. DeGrandchamp, 102 So. 3d 685 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012) (appellant)

Gena v. Florida Ins. Guaranty Ass'n, 85 So. 3d 1143 (Fla. 1DCA 2012) (appellee)

Government Employees Ins. Co. v. King, 68 So.3d 267 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011) (appellant)

Florida Insurance Guaranty Association v. Petty, 44 So. 3d 1191 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010) (appellant)

United States Fidelity & Guaranty Ass'n v. Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp., 550 F.3d 1031 (11th Cir. 2008) (appellee)

GEICO General Ins. Co. v. McDonald, 315 Fed.Appx. 181 (11th Cir. 2008) (appellant)

Moore v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 916 So.2d 871 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2006) (appellee)

USAA Cas. Ins. Co. v. Howell, 901 So.2d 876 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005) (appellant)

Galante v. USAA Cas. Inc. Co., 868 So.2d 1291 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) (appellee)

Mierzwa v. Fla. Windstorm Underwriting Ass'n, 877 So.2d 774 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) (appellee)

Longmore v. Saga Bay Property Owners' Ass'n, Inc., 868 So.2d 1268 (Fla. 3rd DCA 2004) (appellee)

Ruskin v. Ryan, 859 So.2d 1218 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003) (appellee)

Lynn v. Feldmeth, 849 So.2d 481 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2003) (appellant)

Moyer v. Reynolds, 780 So.2d 205 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (appellee)

Johnson v. Stanley White Ins., 684 So.2d 284 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1996) (appellee)

Personal Injury Protection:

GEICO v. United Health & Rehab Associates of Florida, Inc. a/a/o Metellus 18 FLW Supp. 1197a (Orange Co. Cir. Ct., July 9, 2013) (appellant)

Peachtree Cas. Ins. Co. v. Spine & Rehab Med., P.A., 16 FLW Supp. 622a (Fla. Hills Circ. Ct., May 1, 2009) (appellant)

Peachtree Cas. Ins. Co. v. Novotny, 16 FLW Supp. 135a (Orange Circ. Ct., Sept. 4, 2008) (appellant)

Peachtree Cas. Ins. Co. v. Rucker, 15 FLW Supp. 880b (Hills. Circ. Ct., June 4, 2008) (appellant)

Progressive Express Ins. Co. v. Pillar Diagnostics, Inc., 14 FLW Supp. 124a (Orange Circ. Ct., Aug. 2, 2006) (Petitioner)

State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Crawford, 9 FLW Supp. 499b (Pinellas Circ. Ct., June 7, 2002) (appellant)

Family Law:

Kamenski v. Kamenski, 15 So. 3d 842 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)

Wight v. Wight, 880 So. 2d 692 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2004) (appellant)

Worker's Compensation:

Smith v. Polk County Board of Comm'rs, 843 So.2d 321 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003) (appellant)

Vadala v. Polk County School Bd., 822 So.2d 582 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002) (appellant)

Motiva v. Allain, 803 So.2d 912 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002) (appellant)

Pasco County School Bd. v. Angle, 795 So.2d 178 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001) (appellee)