.svg)
.svg)
PENSACOLA, FL. Michles & Booth, P.A., the personal injury law firm that has served Northwest Florida since 2001, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by focusing on the community it calls home. Founding partner Marcus Michles recently joined longtime collaborator Sonshine on BLAB TV's Sonshine's Corner to reflect on a quarter century of advocacy, growth, and local investment.
The televised conversation covered the firm's rise from a three-person startup to a team of 87, its long record of giving back to Pensacola-area families, and the practical legal knowledge Michles has spent 25 years sharing with residents across the region.
How Michles & Booth Grew from Three People to 87 Employees
Michles & Booth opened its doors in 2001 with just three people: Marcus Michles, co-founder Rainey Booth, and a single paralegal. Twenty-five years later, the firm employs 87 people and operates offices across Northwest Florida, including Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Niceville.
"We started with three people",m Michles said during the interview. "We now have 87 employees, and we are in that position because of the community that we live in."
That growth has stayed rooted in the counties the firm serves: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay. Michles credited the foundation of that growth to a decision he made on day one, treating the practice as both a business and an obligation to make Northwest Florida a better place to live.
Michles also shared a personal detail he said he does not often discuss publicly. He was the first person in his family to attend college, enlisting in the Army through an ROTC scholarship. His father was a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran. Those experiences, Michles said, gave him more than enough reason to invest back into the community that supported his career.
20 Years of Community Programs Across Pensacola
The Sonshine's Corner interview highlighted two decades of community programs that Michles & Booth has led alongside local partners. Annual and seasonal events have included:
- Back-to-school book bag drives for local families.
- Thanksgiving and Christmas programs with gifts and meals.
- Holiday caroling on the Pensacola trolley with firm employees and community members.
- Halloween celebrations at Five Flags Speedway for neighborhood youth.
- Athletic shoe purchases for children in underserved areas
Coats for Kids on Christmas Morning
One story from the interview stood out. During a holiday caroling event, the firm learned that some children in the program were set to receive winter coats as their only Christmas gift. Michles and his wife, Cindy, stepped in that same day to purchase the coats separately so the children could receive actual presents to unwrap on Christmas morning.
"These children are not getting coats as their Christmas gift", Michles recalled saying. "They will get coats. We are going to buy the coats. You buy them Christmas presents."
A 15-Year Partnership with Local Media
Sonshine recounted a working partnership with Michles that spanned 15 years of community programming. She recalled that children in the neighborhood knew Michles by name and would ask for him at events.
That relationship between the firm's community presence and its client work is not accidental, Michles said. The culture that sends employees out to sing carols and hand out book bags is the culture that shows up when a client walks through the office door.
What Every Florida Driver Should Know After a Crash
Michles used his time on Sonshine's Corner to share legal knowledge that directly affects Florida drivers. Five topics from the interview highlighted gaps between what most people believe and what the law actually says.
1. What "Full Coverage" Actually Means in Florida
Michles compared buying auto insurance to ordering from a restaurant menu. A policyholder pays for only the items they select, and "full coverage" in Florida means only that the driver meets the state's legal minimum requirements. It does not mean every type of protection is in place.
"Full coverage is the opposite of full coverage", Michles said. "Full coverage means you are fully compliant with the legal minimum."
The legal minimum in Florida does not include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which protects a policyholder when the at-fault driver carries no bodily injury insurance or not enough of it. Drivers involved in a Pensacola car accident or elsewhere in Northwest Florida face this coverage gap regularly.
2. Uninsured Motorist Coverage Can Prevent Financial Loss
Michles called UM coverage the single most effective step a driver can take to protect against financial exposure in a crash. Without it, a driver's recovery depends entirely on whether the at-fault party purchased enough insurance. Michles put it bluntly: a single car accident without UM can mean financial ruin.
UM is a voluntary coverage in Florida, and most drivers are unaware that it is missing from their policies. Michles offered to personally review any policyholder's insurance documents at no cost to help identify gaps. Anyone with questions about their coverage or the personal injury claims process can call the firm directly.
#cta_start
Free Policy Review — No Strings Attached
Marcus Michles offered to review your insurance policy at no cost during this interview. Call (850) 438-4848 to take him up on it.
#cta_end
3. A Traffic Crash Report Is Not Admissible in Court
Michles explained that the traffic crash report generated by law enforcement at the scene of an accident is not admissible evidence in a Florida courtroom unless the officer directly witnessed the collision.
Officers at the scene are there to secure the area and manage traffic, not to build a legal case for or against any party. Everything an officer writes down based on statements from drivers or bystanders is considered hearsay.
Consequently, crash victims must investigate the scene themselves. After prioritizing safety, Michles advised gathering witness names, vehicle photos, and license plates. This immediate documentation often becomes the strongest evidence during insurance disputes, especially after a hit-and-run in Florida in which the at-fault driver flees.
4. How Black Box Data from Your Car Can Prove Fault After a Crash
Modern vehicles contain an event data recorder (EDR), commonly known as a black box. The EDR captures actual speed at the time of impact, braking activity, and steering corrections in the seconds before a collision. The firm's team downloads this data at every crash scene, often before the opposing insurance carrier has even reached the vehicle.
If the at-fault party later disputes their speed or driving behavior, the black box data provides an objective record that can contradict their account. This evidence is especially valuable in truck accident cases, where commercial vehicles carry higher insurance limits and disputes over fault are more aggressive. Michles noted that most people do not realize this technology exists in their own vehicles.
5. The 14-Day PIP Deadline That Catches People Off Guard
Florida law requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, which covers medical expenses after a crash regardless of who was at fault. But there is a hard deadline.
"You forfeit all of your PIP benefits if you do not get treatment within the first 14 days after the accident", Michles said.
The PIP benefit covers up to $10,000 in medical expenses, and that amount is lost entirely if the deadline passes. Even symptoms that seem minor at first can become costly medical issues weeks later, and your treatment timeline affects how your claim is valued all the way through maximum medical improvement. The same 14-day rule applies to every crash involving a vehicle that carries PIP coverage.
What Sets Michles & Booth Apart from Other Firms
The interview also highlighted two resources the firm has maintained since its founding that most personal injury practices in the area do not offer: a licensed medical doctor on staff and full-time investigators with specialized technology.
A Medical Doctor on Staff for 25 Years
Michles & Booth has retained the same medical doctor for all 25 years of its operation. The physician reviews case records, evaluates the medical basis for claims, and works alongside the legal team to build cases grounded in clinical evidence.
A Full-Time, In-House Investigation Team
The firm employs two full-time investigators who respond to crash scenes, preserve evidence, and download EDR data using specialized equipment before opposing insurance carriers reach the vehicles.
Most law firms dropped in-house investigators over the years because the cost cut into profit margins. Michles saw it differently: if the question is whether to invest in better outcomes for the client or keep more money in the firm's pocket, the answer should be obvious.
He chose to invest in that infrastructure from the start and has maintained it for 25 years.
"David vs. Goliath": How the Firm Fights Back Against Major Insurance Companies
Michles described the core of personal injury practice as a lopsided contest.
"When I have a person that has been hurt in a car accident, and our claim is against State Farm, well, that is David versus Goliath", Michles said. "They have got all the resources in the world. They have got an army of lawyers. They have got their lobbyists that make the laws as favorable as they can to them."
He framed this dynamic not as a source of frustration but as the reason he comes to work each day. He called himself David today and said he would be David again tomorrow.
The Story Behind "Don't Be A Victim Twice™"
Michles shared the origin of the firm's tagline during the interview.
"These people have been the victims. They are the victims of the accident. No mistake about that", Michles said. "But now that you have been a victim, ‘don't be a victim twice’ means do not let the insurance company victimize you after you have already been victimized by the bad driver."
The tagline has become recognizable across Northwest Florida. Michles said community members who may not remember his name will still call out the tagline when they see him in public. Twenty-five years in, the slogan carries the same weight it did the day he coined it.
Call Michles & Booth. No Fee Unless We Recover.
For 25 years, the attorneys at Michles & Booth have stood on the same side of every case: the side of the person who was hurt. Two of the firm's attorneys hold the Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist designation, and every case is backed by in-house resources that most firms in the area do not maintain.
Every consultation is free. No fee is charged unless the firm recovers compensation for the client. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Watch the full Sonshine's Corner interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmwrbL-Z_VM
