Dale Albright

I am Dale Albright and I am proud to come from the mountains of West Virginia and Kentucky.  Unfortunately, it is one of the poorest areas in the United States.  Appalachians are pretty good at three things: working hard, being friendly, and helping others.  I’d like to think that I have those same qualities.

As far back as I can trace my roots, my family members have all been either farmers or coal miners.  I lived until I was ten years old in a coal mining camp (imagine public housing) in a house that was owned by the mining company.  After graduating from high school, I went to a college where you are required to work to pay for your tuition in order to graduate debt free.  There are only ten schools like it in the entire country.  I am the first member on one side of my family to obtain a college degree and the first on the other to obtain a degree outside of the teaching field.  After graduating from law school, I started practicing workers compensation law.   I could not have been luckier to find this area of practice.

Florida has the worst workers compensation law in the United States.  The insurance companies and large employers have been so successful with this law that other states have begun to follow the same model.  The insurance companies have taken advantage of this law to hurt injured workers to only increase their profits.  Unfortunately, I have seen this firsthand my entire life and this is why representing injured workers is so important to me.

My father and his family lost everything that they owned in what was called the Buffalo Creek Flood.  It occurred when the Buffalo Mining Company impoundment dam broke releasing over 130 million gallons of black waste water into the valley below.  A coal company’s unsafe business practices killed 125 people, left thousands homeless, and caused property damage of over 50 million dollars.  This event led to one of the first class action settlements of its kind in the United States.

Unsafe work places led to my father losing a finger in the coal mines and my grandfather contracting black lung.  Even as recent as ten years ago, I had a friend pass away in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster that was caused by dangerous mine conditions.  I, myself, have even had a workers compensation claim denied for no good reason.

I fight for injured workers every day and it is my passion.  I have been able to help over 3,000 people in their workers compensation claims in six different states.  A work place injury can happen to anyone.  I’ve represented undocumented farm workers, factory workers, and even an attorney due to unsafe work environments or insurance companies simply trying to save money.  I am honored and humbled with the opportunity to represent you in your workers compensation claim.

On a lighter note, I am married to a wonderful woman and have two great kids.    I was selected to be one of the charter members of our local American Inns of Court.  I am on the Orlando board of directors for the Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund.  I was lucky enough to win a National Leadership Award in 2014 from the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group.   I am a member of Florida Workers’ Advocates and am currently working towards obtaining my board certification in workers compensation law.  I love the outdoors and the Kentucky Wildcats.