Blaze Schwartz graduated cum laude from Florida State University College of Law in 2017 and joined a civil defense firm representing insurance companies. He spent that period inside the machinery of claims evaluation, watching how carriers categorized injuries, assigned risk, and built strategies for minimizing liability.
What changed his direction was not a single moment but a cumulative weight. The insurer’s financial interest and the injured worker’s medical and financial reality were pointed in opposite directions, and the system was structured to favor the former. Blaze watched insurers go to significant lengths to reduce payouts for people who were genuinely hurt, unable to work, and dependent on the outcome of their claim to access medical care and replace lost income. At some point, that accumulation became a direction.
He joined Van Dingenen Law and began applying what he knew to the other side of the table. Where he once helped insurers identify weaknesses in claims, he now identifies and closes those weaknesses before the insurer has a chance to exploit them.
| Blaze, can you describe, without identifying specific clients or cases, the kind of things you were seeing as a defense attorney for insurers that eventually made it clear you wanted to be on the injured workers’ side?
“The insurance side was constantly looking at each case from a business perspective. They missed the fact that every injury affects a human being’s life. I wanted to be on a side that can actually help someone from a life perspective, rather than just a business perspective.“ What did you understand about claim evaluation on the defense side that you think most injured workers would be shocked to know? “The defense side looks at each individual as a number. That number is “how much will this individual cost our business?”
When you switched to representing injured workers, how long did it take before you encountered a denial strategy you had used or seen deployed before? How did you approach it? “A lot of insurance companies like to deny cases based on what they call “misrepresentation,” even when there is no misrepresentation by the injured workers. It didn’t take long for me to see this strategy and call their bluff.“ |
Today, Blaze is a partner at Van Dingenen Law in Winter Park, Florida, one of the state’s most acclaimed workers’ compensation firms. He represents injured workers across Florida using the same internal logic he once used against them. Every evaluation checklist he learned, every denial strategy he helped construct, every tactic he watched insurers deploy to minimize claims is now part of how he builds cases for the people on the other side of those decisions.
| “Blaze coming to me from the insurance defense side did not give me any pause. On the contrary, it was a positive factor. It is invaluable that he was able to gain insight into how the insurance side operates. It gives him an edge up, because he tends to know what they are thinking and how to counter their strategy.”
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Van Dingenen Law has recovered more than $100 million for injured Florida workers since its founding in 2003. Firm founder Don Van Dingenen holds two of the largest civil trial jury verdicts in Central Florida history, including a $76.6 million judgment for a paralyzed construction worker that ranked as the fourth-largest civil trial verdict in the United States for 2009.
Blaze became the first attorney to be named a partner since the firm’s founding. He was recognized in 2025 by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, a distinction awarded to fewer than three percent of Florida attorneys under 40.
| “Blaze is one of the fiercest advocates I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. He is a team player, and our clients respect and trust his judgment. I’m not getting any younger, and I know the firm will be in great hands once it’s time for me to step down.” |
The firm’s practice is narrow by design. Workers’ compensation is all they do. In a state as legally complex, employer-heavy, and economically diverse as Florida, that focus matters more than it might appear from the outside.
Why Florida Is One of the Hardest States in the Country for Injured Workers
Florida’s workers’ compensation system did not arrive at its current shape by accident. The 2003 reforms that reshaped the law were driven heavily by employer and insurance industry lobbying, and the result is a framework that places strict limits on benefits, compresses timelines for injured workers, and gives insurers significant procedural advantages throughout the claims process.
Florida caps temporary total disability benefits at 104 weeks, regardless of how long a recovery actually takes. It also requires injured workers to use employer-approved physicians, which means the doctor making decisions about your treatment and return-to-work status was selected by the same company whose insurance carrier is managing your claim.
Independent medical examinations, authorized to be requested by the insurer at any point, produce reports that often diverge significantly from the treating physician’s findings. Strict notice requirements mean that a worker who fails to report an injury within 30 days can lose the right to benefits entirely, even if the injury is real and severe.
| Blaze, tell us in plain terms what Florida’s workers’ compensation system looks like to someone who has just been injured on the job and has no legal background?
“In Florida, it is a rigged system. A lot of the power lies with the insurance company because of the way the legislation is written. You are entitled to immediate medical attention and lost wages if you can’t return to work.” What are a couple of things about Florida’s workers’ comp system that surprise injured workers most when they first come to you? “I would say that the insurance company gets to choose the doctor is the one that surprises most.”
What is the single most common way that Florida workers’ compensation claims fail, and what does it have to do with what happens in the first few days after an injury? “Once an injury is reported to the employer, the employer has a duty to report it to the insurance company. A lot of times, they fail to do so. The insurance company loves to deny these claims and say that they weren’t reported in a timely manner.”
Since you have been doing only workers’ comp in Florida, what is the case you have handled, at any scale, that you think about most often? “I represented an individual who wrecked both his shoulders working for the same company for 20-plus years as a diesel mechanic. It was clear that his injuries were from work, but his case was completely denied. It was a heavily contested case that we eventually won, gaining my client life-changing medical treatment and monetary benefits. The insurance company appealed, and the appeals court sided with us.” |
The Workers that Florida Doesn’t Advertise
Florida’s identity in the national imagination is built on tourism, on warm weather and theme parks, and the kind of hospitality economy that requires tens of thousands of workers to function invisibly so that visitors can experience it seamlessly. Walt Disney World employs somewhere in the range of 75,000 people. Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and the dozens of smaller attractions that orbit them add substantially to that number.
Behind the performer costumes, the immaculate grounds, and the carefully managed guest experience is a workforce doing physically demanding, repetitive, and sometimes hazardous work every day: construction workers building the next expansion; maintenance crews working overnight on rides that require continuous mechanical attention; ride operators who stand in fixed positions for entire shifts; food service workers lifting and carrying in high-volume kitchen environments; performers whose physical demands are measured in shows per day, every day, across a season.
When those workers are injured, they do not have the leverage that the theme park’s legal and HR infrastructure does. They have a workers’ compensation claim.
| Do you represent workers from Florida’s theme parks and tourism industry? What kinds of injuries come up most often?
“Yes, we collaborate with many Disney and Universal workers. A lot of these injuries are back and shoulder injuries from lifting heavy items. There are a lot of moving parts at these theme parks, and a lot of injuries that take place.“
Do you see a particular pattern in how large Florida employers like theme parks handle workers’ comp claims compared to smaller employers? “Some large employers, like Disney, handle all of their claims in-house. This is different than having an insurance company administer their claim. The money for settlements and benefits comes directly from these companies rather than from an insurance company because they are “self-insured.”
Theme park and hospitality workers often work in environments with strict internal reporting procedures. How does that affect a workers’ comp claim, and what should a worker in that environment do differently than someone in a more traditional workplace? “They should really handle it the same way. Document everything, especially the reporting of the injury. Make sure there is something in writing, a text message, email, letter, etc.“
Florida’s tourism industry has a large seasonal and part-time workforce. Does employment status, full-time versus part-time versus seasonal, affect a worker’s compensation claim in Florida? “Regardless of full-time or part-time, you are entitled to work comp benefits if you are injured. Your employer might try to convince you otherwise. Don’t let them.”
Florida workers’ compensation law covers employees regardless of immigration status. Do you often meet workers who are hesitant to file a claim because of fears unrelated to the injury itself, and how do you manage that conversation with them? “As you can imagine, undocumented immigrants have become more hesitant to report a work injury. In reality, they are entitled to workers’ comp benefits, just as anyone else would be. I make sure that these individuals are comfortable moving forward and make sure to give them an idea of the risks v. rewards of moving forward with a work comp claim.” Performers, ride operators, and entertainment workers have injury profiles that are different from those of construction or warehouse workers. Are there specific challenges that come up in those cases that other attorneys might not anticipate? “I once had the opportunity to represent a stunt performer from the Indiana Jones show at Hollywood Studios. The main difference was how many injuries he had suffered over the years. Some were repetitive, some were blunt force trauma.”
What is the most common mistake a theme park or hospitality worker makes after getting injured on the job, before they ever call an attorney? “Trying to tough it out and not seek medical treatment through workers’ compensation. Even if you are only a little in pain, it is worth it to seek medical treatment in case it gets worse.”
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What Twenty-Plus Years of Verdicts Looks Like From the Inside
Don Van Dingenen has described his method as preparing every case as if it will end up in front of a judge, regardless of how likely a settlement appears. That standard of preparation changes negotiation dynamics. Insurers who recognize a case is genuinely trial-ready weigh settlement offers differently than they do when they believe an attorney is unlikely to follow through.
Van Dingenen Law Case Results
| $76.6M | Paralyzed construction worker in Brevard County. Fourth-largest civil jury verdict in the U.S., 2009. |
| $26.9M | Paralyzed bank teller in Lake County. Largest civil trial verdict in the county’s history. |
| $7.5M | Paralyzed security guard. Judgment obtained after litigation. |
| $100M+ | Total recovered for injured Florida workers since 2003. |
Blaze carries the same orientation. He approaches cases, in his own words, with the belief that personalized care and the willingness to go to trial when necessary are what separate serious workers’ compensation representation from the volume-driven practices that treat injured workers as a throughput problem.
| What did working alongside Don Van Dingenen teach you about workers’ compensation litigation that you could not have learned anywhere else?
“Everything. Don is one of the most well-known workers’ comp attorneys and one of the only ones who exclusively represents injured workers. He has worked on thousands of cases and knows all of the doctors in the community. His knowledge of the local community makes a huge difference in getting our clients to the right places.”
Don has described his approach as preparing every case as if it will go before a judge. How has that philosophy shaped the way you build your own cases? “I model my strategy after the one that has made Don so successful. It’s the adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Van Dingenen Law has been exclusively workers’ compensation since 2003. What does that kind of singular focus actually mean in practice, compared to a firm that handles workers’ comp alongside other areas of law? “It means we understand the nuances. We know the judges, we know the defense attorneys, we know the doctors, we know all the experts, we just know the players. This helps us develop a much better strategy than attorneys who just dabble in workers’ comp. It’s also an entirely different area of law governed by statute than personal injury.”
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What Injured Workers in Florida Need to Know Before They Do Anything Else
Van Dingenen Law operates on a contingency basis, meaning clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers. The firm will also travel to clients who cannot come to the Winter Park office, a practical accommodation that matters when the person who needs representation is recovering from a serious injury. The 1-800-WORKERS line Don established after the 2002 Lake County verdict has provided direct access to the firm for more than two decades.
| If someone reading this was injured on the job in Florida yesterday and has not called anyone yet, what are the three things they absolutely need to do in the next 48 hours?
“Report it in writing to a supervisor or manager. Ask for medical treatment. Seek emergency care if medical treatment is not provided.“
At what point in a claim does someone actually need an attorney? Is there a window where having one makes a measurable difference versus situations where it might not matter as much? “An attorney is going to help you navigate the situation. It is always good to have one on your side. It guarantees that things will go smoothly. You should not wait until the insurance company messes up to hire an attorney. Your company is not allowed to retaliate for hiring a lawyer.“
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The Defender on the Worker’s Side
Beyond the legal briefs and boardroom strategies, Blaze Schwartz is driven by a deep-seated belief that fairness shouldn’t be a luxury dictated by a corporate balance sheet. He is an attorney who spent his formative professional years learning how to build walls for insurance giants, only to realize his true calling was helping regular people break through them.
However, this relentless drive and comfort with high-stakes conflict seem not to have originated in a law office. The instinct to compete, survive uphill battles, and maintain focus under pressure was forged long before law school, rooted in an intense family environment and a corporate-level athletic career.
| Your father was a Navy pilot, and your mother was a professional racquetball player. What did growing up in that household teach you about discipline and competition, and how much of that shows up in how you practice law?
“My dad’s military background provided me with an understanding of discipline and a singular focus on one thing at a time. I grew up playing competitive sports, including professional tennis. The level of concentration and commitment it takes to be successful in sports is much the same in the courtroom.” You captained the Division I tennis team at UCF and then spent time on the professional tour. What made you choose law over professional tennis, and how do they compare? “Well, to be honest, I wasn’t a good enough tennis player. It was always my dream to be a professional tennis player, but it was an uphill battle. The transition to the courtroom was more natural than you might think. Law school was a competitive environment in which I thrived, and the adversarial nature of being a workers’ comp attorney is much like a tennis match.” |
Blaze brings a unique toolkit to Florida’s workforce: the hyper-focused discipline of a corporate defense background combined with the athletic endurance of a former touring athlete. This combination shifts the power dynamic back toward the injured worker. In a statutory framework heavily weighted in favor of the employer, true leverage requires an advocate who knows exactly how the machine operates, stands ready to take the match to trial, and refuses to let a human life be treated as a business liability.
