Attorney Drew Bruner has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 edition for his work in Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. This marks his second straight year on the list, following his first recognition in the 2026 edition. For a firm that has spent decades representing injured people across the Florida Panhandle, it’s a welcome nod from the people who know the work best: other lawyers.
How Lawyers Land on the Best Lawyers List
Best Lawyers has used the same peer-review process for more than 40 years. It works in a few clear steps:
- Nomination: Anyone can nominate a lawyer, and lawyers already recognized are automatically re-nominated for the next cycle.
- Peer review: Currently recognized attorneys give confidential feedback on the caliber of a candidate’s work.
- Analysis and eligibility: Best Lawyers reviews the feedback and confirms each candidate is in good standing with their bar association.
- Publication: Newly recognized lawyers appear in print and online at no cost to them.
The honor comes down to what other attorneys in the same city and practice area say about a candidate’s work. Drew Bruner earned that feedback in a field where the other side is almost always a well-funded insurance company.
The firm has a second attorney on the Best Lawyers roster as well. Joe Lancos has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch since the 2025 edition, also for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. Ones to Watch uses the same peer-review method but highlights attorneys earlier in their careers.
A Practice Built on Plaintiff Work Alone
Vince Bruner founded The Bruner Law Firm after serving in the Florida State Senate. From the beginning, the firm has taken only plaintiff-side personal injury cases. No insurance defense, no split loyalties.
That focus shows up in the results the firm has published, including:
- $3.15 million recovered for a jet ski accident victim in Bay County
- $2.45 million verdict for a trucking accident victim in Bay County
- $2 million verdict for a workplace industrial accident victim in Gulf County
- $1.5 million for a family in a wrongful death case in Walton County
Past results do not predict or promise a particular outcome in any other case. Every case turns on its own facts.
Four Offices Across the Panhandle
The firm works out of four locations, which keeps a lawyer close to home for most clients on this stretch of coast:
- Fort Walton Beach (main office)
- Panama City
- Niceville
- Santa Rosa Beach
Local roots matter more than people expect in injury cases. Knowing the county courts, the judges, and the way regional adjusters handle claims shapes how a case gets built from day one.
What This Means for Injured Clients
An award does not settle a claim, and no honor changes the facts of a case. But peer recognition does tell you something useful about who you’re hiring. Lawyers know which of their colleagues actually try cases and which ones fold early.
Alongside the Best Lawyers recognition, the firm holds an AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Platinum Client Champion award. The office answers calls around the clock, consultations are free, and the firm works on a contingency fee, so clients owe no attorney’s fee unless the case brings in a recovery.
Talk to The Bruner Law Firm
If a crash, a fall, or a workplace accident has upended your life, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Call The Bruner Law Firm at (850) 243-2222 or fill out the contact form on the firm’s website to schedule a free consultation at any of the four Panhandle offices.
