I founded my law firm Ronald I. Croft, P.A. in 1997 (now Ronald Bone, P.A.), based on a very simple idea: exceeding clients’ expectations. Why would an attorney start with that vision as a base to build a practice?
I grew up on a cattle ranch in the Florida Heartland, working hard with my hands day in and out when I was not in school; baling hay in season, farming, herding cattle, building fences, and working on equipment. Growing up in a working environment taught me the value of an honest day’s labor, and to value the hard-working men and women who got up every day to make a living for themselves and their families. As a young man, my world view was pretty simple. Dishonesty was not tolerated, wiggle words did not exist on the ranch, and you knew to avoid people whose words did not match their actions. The idea of a “lawsuit” just didn’t feel right. Suing for insurance coverage? It just did not make sense that those companies that bought all those TV ads convincing us that they were good neighbors or had good hands would fail to be fair to people who were hurting financially and physically.
Fast forward to 1991, when I started working as a law clerk while in law school. I was lucky enough to get a job working in a law firm, and knew I would get some good working experience while I completed my studies. The firm I worked with didn’t do anything but plaintiff’s injury law – representing people who were injured due to the negligence of others. At first, I just looked at it as a job where I could hone my legal skills, and learn how to be an attorney. I quickly realized I was helping good, honest, hard-working people (the type of people I grew up around) navigate a system that was designed to take advantage of their lack of information and experience regarding how insurance companies handle claims. I learned that insurance companies have armies of well-trained lawyers, adjusters, and layers of management, whose full-time job is to save the company as much money as possible. It was, and is, an unfair playing field, that working people cannot compete fairly in without help.
I have dedicated my life to helping people compete fairly, in a system where insurance companies write the contracts and spend millions influencing legislators to draft laws in their favor. I have also chosen to refrain from billboard and TV advertising, believing that if you do an outstanding and honest job, you will be successful, and people will hear about you by word of mouth. There is no other option for my firm. I remain true to that vision, as it was ingrained in my youth.
