Overview
Sara Sandler Cromer is a Partner in the Firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. Mrs. Cromer has been with Walton Lantaff since graduating from law school in 2008. Mrs. Cromer practices in insurance coverage law and appellate law.
Practice Areas:
- Insurance Coverage
- Insurance Defense
- Appellate Law
Insurance Coverage Law
- Mrs. Cromer serves as coverage counsel for several national insurers providing insurance policy analysis; coverage opinions; and advice on the proper handling of coverage disputes.
- Her practice for clients in the area of insurance coverage law extends throughout the state of Florida.
- Mrs. Cromer is certified by the Florida Department of Financial Services as a continuing education instructor and presents seminars for the insurance industry in the areas of insurance coverage law and the proper handling of insurance claims.
Appellate Law
- Mrs. Cromer is a part of the Appellate Practice Group at Walton Lantaff.
- Mrs. Cromer has handled appellate cases in Florida state and federal appellate courts, including the First DCA, Second DCA, Third DCA, and Fourth DCA; and, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Court.
- Mrs. Cromer has numerous published decisions in the Florida and Federal appellate courts in the areas of tort and insurance law
Admitted to Practice:
- All Florida trial courts, 2008
- All Florida District Courts of Appeal, 2008
- Florida Supreme Court, 2008
- United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, 2009
- United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2011
- United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2009
Education:
- Mrs. Cromer graduated cum laude from the University of Florida receiving her B.A. in Criminology.
- Mrs. Cromer graduated cum laude from the Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University.
- While in law school, Mrs. Cromer served as the Lead Articles Editor of the Nova Law Review.
Professional or Trade Affiliations
- Mrs. Cromer is a member of DRI
Honors & Awards
- Broward County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Board of Directors, 2009-2018
- Named one of Florida’s Rising Stars by Super Lawyers magazine for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020
- Mrs. Cromer is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale Hubble
Representative Experience
- Mrs. Cromer has numerous published decisions in the Florida and Federal appellate courts in the areas of tort and insurance law, including:
- Morris v. Rayman (Fla. 4th DCA 2009) (Limiting application of law subjecting defendant to liability for Wrongful Death based on alleged failure to render aid)
- Santidrian v. Landmark Custom Ranches, Inc (11th Cir. 2010) (Finding that real estate agent was not strictly liable under Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act for principal’s failure to comply with Act’s reporting requirements when agent did not personally violate, supervise, or otherwise take part in any violations of the reporting requirements, and, acting solely as salesperson, did not act in a fraudulent or otherwise misleading manner)
- Matusick v. DiSalvo (Fla. 4th DCA 2011) (Upholding trial court’s dismissal of claims for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation in regard to lease of real estate when plaintiffs executed subsequent contract with knowledge of alleged fraud in initial agreement)
- Arnold v. Leavy (Fla. 4th DCA 2011) (Finding that it was not unconstitutional to prevent voluntary, non-party witness from testifying when witness refused to take an oath which required him to “swear” or “affirm”)
- Hutchings v. Liles (Fla. 1st DCA 2012) (Finding that allowing deposition of absent defendant driver to be published to the jury and read into the record was within trial court’s sound discretion)
- Arango v. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. (Fla. 3d DCA 2012) (Finding no coverage under homeowners policy for Wrongful Death claim based on business pursuits and employer’s liability exclusion)
- Claudio v. Regalado (Fla. 2d DCA 2013) (Allowing reduction of judgment against defendants via claim for contribution against joint tortfeasor following modification of joint and several tort liability under Sec. 768.81 Fla. Stat.)
- Theiss v. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. (Fla. 4th DCA 2013) (per curiam affirmance upholding trial court’s finding of no coverage under homeowners policy for an assault and battery claim based on physical abuse exclusion)
- Miglino v. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. (Fla. 4th DCA 2015) (in an issue of first impression in Florida, finding no coverage under homeowners policy for an intentional shooting claim based on physical abuse exclusion; applying a plain meaning analysis of insurance policy to hold that such an act clearly falls within policy’s exclusion)
News & Insights
August 8, 2023