Robert Edward Heyman

Born in Providence, RI, grew up in Barrington ,RI and thereafter attended Eckerd College in St Petersburg,Fl, where he majored in Political Science and Economics. He also played varsity baseball and pitched on the 1977 team that reached the finals of the Division II College World Series. He attended Stetson College of Law and graduated in 1982.

Upon graduation he accepted a position as an Assistant State Attorney in Pinellas County Florida, and continued in that position until 1997 when he entered private practice with the Clearwater, Florida firm Tew, Zinober,Barnes, Zimmet & Unice. He remained their until 2001 when he joined as a partner in the firm, Zimmet, Unice, Salzman & Heyman, PA. In 2008, Mr Heyman founded The Heyman Law Firm, PA in St. Petersburg where he focuses his practice in Personal Injury and Criminal Trial Law throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Mr. Heyman is "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been awarded a "Superb" 10/10 rating by the AVVO attorney rating service.

• Free Consultation
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Personal Injury cases handled on contingent fee basis; Criminal cases are usually a set fee basis

Florida

Since 1983

President

Heyman Law Firm, PA

2008 - Current

Private practice. Continues to limit practice to Plaintiff Personal Injury and Criminal Trial Law

Partner

Zimmet, Unice, Salzman & Heyman, PA

2001 - 2008

Private Practice. Focused in Plaintiff's Personal Injury and Criminal Trial Law

Associate

Tew, Zinober, Barnes, Zimmet & Unice, PA

1997 - 2001

Private practice. Focus on Insurance Defense and Criminal Trial Law

Assistant State Attorney

Pinellas County State Attorney

1982 - 1997

Served as a prosecutor in Pinellas County (Clearwater) Florida. Handled cases ranging from DUI to Drug Trafficking, Bank Robbery, Sex Offenses to Capital Murder. Personally tried over 100 cases

Stetson University College of Law

J.D.

1979 - 1982

Eckerd College

B.A. | Political Science; Economics

1975 - 1979

AV Rated Attorney

Martindale Hubbell

2006

Florida Justice Association ( Trial Lawyers)

member

2008 - Current

Pinellas County Trial Lawyers Association

member

2007 - Current

Pinellas County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

member

2006 - Current

St Petersburg Bar Association

member

2000 - Current

Florida State Bar  # 359580

Member

1983 - Current

Q. Can they come after my house, wages, savings and social security for the difference? How about husband's assets?

December 2, 2024

A: I assume your insurance provider has contacted you and provided you with an attorney to deal with the plaintiff's lawyer. If not, contact your insurance company immediately. While the injured party's bills may technically be $200,000.00, often that is the "sticker" price rather than the actual out of pocket bills amount, which often times is significantly lower. However, If the bicyclist has permanent injuries and will require future treatment, then the medical claim may be significantly higher.

Your insurance company must protect your interests as best it can and is contractually required to pay up to your $100K policy limits to do so. As far as coming after you for any excess amounts, your house, if it is "homestead" property is protected. Your savings ( bank accounts, 401K, etc) are not, however it is extremely burdensome to execute against those assets. Assuming the vehicle was jointly owned by you and your wife, your assets are also in play.

However, more often the plaintiff's attorney will demand that you execute an affidavit detailing your assets, determine they are either insufficient `or difficult to go after and then make a claim against his client's uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage( if there is such coverage).

I suggest that you consult with your financial adviser as well as an independent attorney for advice on which assets are protected and how to shield them for a potential excess judgment. ... Read More

Q. How should my friend proceed with his case?

November 11, 2024

A: It appears that your friend gave limited consent to the police to search the interior of his car which was ignored by the police during the actual search. I would be curious to know the description of the bag in which the drugs were located. Large enough to have contained a firearm? If not, then he has grounds to attack the search as having exceeded the scope of his consent. As a practical matter, it may be difficult to establish that he did limit the scope of the search, as the police officers might not quite remember the limitation placed on the search. Hopefully the police were wearing body-worn cameras which recorded the conversation

Q. Went for a walk and hit a super slimy slippery piece of sidewalk.wiped out hard and broke tibia and fibula in left leg.

November 6, 2024

A: Every negligence case has two parts: (1) Liability, and (2) Damages. It sounds like you have sustained significant damages, but the issue is whether the city created and/or was aware of a hazardous condition prior to your fall and did nothing to remove it. Florida law is very specific regarding what is proper notice to the potential defendant. In addition, defendants in these cases can also claim that the "defect" was an "open and obvious" one which you should have seen and avoided had you taken proper care.

You first described the sidewalk as wet from rain and then mention a "hook". More than likely a wet sidewalk will not be sufficient, as the law implies a duty on people to be more careful when walking on known wet surfaces. If the hook was something installed by the city and it was difficult to see ("latent") then you may have a case. I assume you have taken pictures of the area where you fell. I advise you to consult an attorney ASAP ... Read More