LATIN TIMES MAGAZINE - 1st QTR 2018 1st Quarter 2018 | Page 25

“I’ve had a few people in my lifetime who
have set great examples, and I have tried to
learn from everyone that I meet because
everyone that you meet I believe, has
something we learn from.”
Dennis Hernandez
Born and raised in Tampa
Harvard Graduated
by:
Victor Padilla
Victor Padilla: So, Dennis, tell
us about yourself and your
family history here in Tampa
Dennis Hernandez: Well I was
born in Tampa General, 5th
Generation from Hillsborough
County, my mom’s side was
Florida Crackers Dennison
Mobley’s Coopers and my dad’s
side was Spanish and Cu ban.
I’ve lived here all my life.
Victor Padilla: So, what and
who inspired you into become
an attorney and get into law
Dennis Hernandez: Sure, well
first all I was the first person to
go to college in my family and
my grandfather was a waiter at
the Colombian restaurant. He
had a 5th grade education, he
was born in west Tampa and
grew up in the great depression
and all that and I saw how hard
his life was and he was the one
that really emphasized the im-
portance of education to me.
My grandparents wanted me to
be a Doctor, that’s kinda what
I started out in, but I didn’t
gravitate it as well to it, I real-
ly wanted to help people who
were unfortunate. Ive always,
from the time I was young,
probably 9 years old, Ive always
had the feeling that my destiny
in life was to help the Poor, so
I gravitated towards a profes-
sion where number one I could
take care of myself because if
you can’t take care of yourself
it’s hard to take care of some-
body else. So that’s what kind
of pushed me toward wanting
to make money and wanting
to help people and seeing that
Check out the Video Interview:
https://youtu.be/BLnWIG4aspw
people’s rights were violated just something that I believe so I de-
in my own personal experience cided last year that I was going
in my life, I felt that I could do to rent a float, you can rent them
good in the world by becoming from the float company here in
Tampa. I got Tico’s old float,
a lawyer.
they let me rent it, so we did it
Victor Padilla: So, let’s talk about last year and we took the kids,
your passion for the community made an announcement on TV,
Free to them, and it turned out
and for kids
Dennis Hernandez: Sure, well great. The kids just had a great
I’ve got 3 kids of my own, they time, even the non-verbal chil-
are 13, 12, and 10 a daughter dren who were a little reserved,
and two sons, my daughters got them on the boat, started
the oldest, my youngest son is going to the crowd, screaming,
10 years old, he has down syn- throwing beads, and they just
drome and he’s high functioning lit up, they were going bonkers,
so has a really great vocabulary, so it was fun it was a good ex-
which I’m very fortunate be- perience and the parents were
cause there are Downs children so grateful it let me know the
who are non-verbal, there are kids really enjoyed it. It was a
Downs children who also have unique opportunity for them a
Autism and other problems and lot of the parent told me they’ve
they can’t communicate at all. never done anything like that
I’ve been really fortunate that before coming from fairly poor
my son is hilarious, I mean of families and so they don’t have
all my kids, he’s the funniest. these kinds of opportunities. It
He has the vocabulary and he was so gratifying that I said Im
interacts with people well so a going to keep doing this so this
couple years ago I took my kids is the 2nd year doing it, so were
to the Gasparilla Parade, being creating, (my youngest son is
from Tampa, I love all Tampa named Dennis also) the Dennis
things, I love everything, the Hernandez Down Syndrome
Tampa Skyline, West Tampa, Foundation here in Tampa.
the buildings, the streets, the
bricks in the roads that we have, Victor Padilla: So, tell us exact-
I’m a Tampa kid you know? So ly what you do what your law
I noticed going to Gasparilla firm is about and what you do
that there were other children for the community through the
that were special needs, and you law firm?
know we always go to the kids Dennis Hernandez: Sure, well
parade and the gay parade, and I think we do a lot of good for
I noticed there were kids with the community through the law
special needs and they were firm through the business. In
spectators, so I thought you the law firm, all I do are motor
know I don’t see anybody doing vehicle collisions, the injuries
this so there’s a niche for it, it’s that occur from motor vehi-
cle collisions. I have 7 lawyers
T his I ssue of L atin T imes M agazine is sponsored by
that works for me, and we have
about 20 total staff. We have it
set up in a system in which we
produce maximum benefit for
every client that we get. I mean
my goal is that we get the best
outcome for every single person
that comes through the door,
nobodies a number here. We
pride ourselves on maximizing
all the medical treatment that’s
necessary for the person that
they need and recovering every
dime possible for that person. I
would about 70 percent of our
cases are in litigation meaning
that the insurance company
didn’t offer enough money, we
file suit. If they don’t file enough
money during the course of the
lawsuit we fight it as long as
necessary. I cover all costs the
client doesn’t pay a dime, they
don’t pay a penny of anything
until the very end, until we get
a recovery. I’ll pay whatever I
have to pay, out of my pocket to
get whoever I have to bring to
put on a full case to the jury to
get the maximum impact possi-
ble.
Dennis Hernandez
Day or night 24/7 lawyer 1-855-
Law DENNIS or [phone]
Catch the rest of this
exciting interview
online on our website:
www.LatinTimesMedia.com
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