For many successful entrepreneurs whose stories are the source of admiration among millions, money is not the primary motivator. Rather, these business leaders are driven by a sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference in the world.
Scott Klotzman, the founder of Klotzman Property Damage Law, is a prime example of this sense of service standard among industry leaders building impact-driven business empires. Klotzman gave up a lucrative position as a defense attorney for insurance companies to pursue a career in helping people affected by natural disasters obtain their rightful compensation.
“I never really liked working for insurance companies, but I saw it as a way into the legal profession,” Klotzman said in a recent video interview. “However, the mindset that predominated in this sector was that the only thing that mattered was money.”
Over the years, Klotzman and his team at Klotzman Property Damage Law have represented countless property owners in Hollywood and other communities throughout South Florida. With his experience as an insurance defense lawyer for some of the larger insurance companies in Florida, Klotzman now assists policyholders in obtaining the compensation they deserve. Today, hundreds of property owners throughout the state trust Klotzman Property Damage Law to protect them from abusive practices by insurance companies.
In a recent exclusive video interview from his Florida residence, Klotzman reflected on his legal career and what inspired him to transition from defending insurance companies to protecting the interests of property owners.
Klotzman describes his decision to quit his job and open his own practice as a leap of faith. Despite his dissatisfaction with his role as an insurance defense attorney, Klotzman recognized that renouncing this job meant giving up a source of financial stability.
“The biggest challenge was uncertainty,” Klotzman said. “I had to quit my job as a defense attorney and basically take my six-figure income and throw it out the window to pursue what I saw as my big chance.”
Klotzman put all his life savings on the table to get his firm off the ground. At this stage in his entrepreneurial career, failure was not an option.
“Financially, I had to take all my savings to get everything started,” Klotzman said. “I was by myself in the beginning. It was like going on a tightrope with no net below, so that was pretty scary, as you can imagine.”
When Klotzman transitioned from defending insurance companies to advocating for the rights of policyholders, he understood that pursuing his core values would not be an easy endeavor. Nonetheless, he preferred taking the risk of failing rather than remaining in an industry whose values and culture did not represent him.
“There was this rebuttal among defense attorneys that if you settled cases, it somehow meant that you were weak because you didn’t wanna fight,” Klotzman recounted. “But, if I saw that the claimant had a good case, why wouldn’t I help that person and advise my clients, ‘hey, you are in a bad position; why don’t we pay this claim?’”
Klotzman looked at his plaintiff counterparts with admiration during his years as an insurance defense attorney. Plaintiff attorneys did not just defend a cause that Klotzman regarded as nobler, but they were overall more financially successful. These contrasting realities reassured Klotzman that he had to give a new direction to his career.
“I kept seeing that the plaintiff attorneys were happier and more successful,” Klotzman said. “This was more so because they were more satisfied with their careers and what they stood for. Meanwhile, I didn’t have that feeling.”
Nowadays, Klotzman looks back at the early days of his practice with a sense of pride. Despite the financial challenges he had to overcome to establish Klotzman Property Damage Law, he now enjoys the fruits of his early sacrifices.
Klotzman remains committed to protecting policyholders by helping them obtain the compensation they need to repair their property. With his team’s help, he is confident Klotzman Property Damage Law will keep growing until becoming Florida’s leading property damage law firm.
By Juan Sebastian Restrepo,
With Artistic Initiative Agency
