Get medical care and focus on recovery
Your health comes first. It also drives everything in your case, including the timeline. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things insurance companies use against you.
Orange Park - Jacksonville - Clay, Duval & St. Johns County
North Florida Car Accident Lawyer
The insurance company already has people working on your claim. You should too. Attorney Jeff Soud has handled car accident cases in North Florida courts for more than 30 years, and he signs up most clients personally.
- Free consultation - no fee unless we win your case
- Signed up by the attorney personally, worked by a small senior team
- Evidence fades fast - the sooner we start, the more we can preserve
Call 904-353-9000 or text the SMART Line™ at 904-639-5308 anytime.
Free consultation · No fee unless we win
Evidence disappears faster than injuries heal
Security cameras overwrite themselves. Most commercial camera systems record over old footage within 7 to 30 days. The video that proves what happened at that intersection may already be on a countdown.
Witnesses forget and move away. The details that win cases live in the first days and weeks. Waiting months to get help means working with faded memories instead of fresh accounts.
The burden of proof is on you. Police and accident reports are generally not admissible as evidence at trial. As the injured person, you have to prove your case with witnesses, photographs, records, and documentation. That work starts now, not later.
What to do after a crash
Four priorities, in order. Everything else can wait.
Call or text us early
Reach the office at 904-353-9000, or use the SMART Line™ at 904-639-5308 anytime by voice or text. The earlier we start, the more evidence we can preserve.
Do not give the other insurer a recorded statement
Adjusters are trained to document their file in ways that reduce what they pay you. Talk with a lawyer before you talk with the other side.
Do not panic about the bills
We seek forbearance and negotiate liens and outstanding balances while your case moves forward. Bill collectors are a problem we know how to handle.
From Attorney Jeff Soud
How insurance companies really work
Insurance companies make money by holding your money. They collect premiums and invest them. When you ask them to pay a claim, you are asking them to give up an investment, and that is not something they want to do.
Adjusters are evaluated on how little they pay. The person handling your claim may be professional and even pleasant on the first few calls. Make no mistake: their job is to document the file so the company pays you as little as possible, then move on to the next claim.
I have watched this for over 30 years. I know their playbook, I know where the traps are, and I will not let them pressure you into a cheap settlement. A quick settlement is not the goal. The right result is.
The coverage question nobody tells you about: UM
The at-fault driver may not have coverage for your injuries. Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury coverage for the people they hurt. In my experience, a large share of the cars on North Florida roads do not carry enough coverage to compensate an injured person or their family.
UM coverage protects you when they cannot pay. UM stands for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. It sits on your own policy and steps in when the at-fault driver has too little insurance or none at all. It is one of the most important coverages you can buy.
Ask me how to buy insurance. I am happy to walk you through the coverages I buy for my own family. Advice from a lawyer who reads these policies for a living, not from a salesman trying to close you.
I do not want to sue anyone
Most clients tell me this, and I respect it. Many of my clients, including my Christian brothers and sisters, worry that making a claim means dragging a neighbor into court. In nearly every car accident case, your claim is resolved with a corporate insurance company, not with your neighbor personally.
Making a fair claim is not being sue-happy. You paid premiums every month, and the company accepted every one of them. Asking for a fair and reasonable resolution after a crash is exactly what that coverage is for. Many cases resolve without a lawsuit ever being filed, and if yours needs to be tried, I am prepared to try it.
What a realistic timeline looks like
In many cases, expect roughly six to nine months from the date of the accident before a real opportunity to settle. Your medical treatment drives that timeline, because we cannot value your case until we understand your injuries. Some cases need suit and take longer. I will be straight with you about strengths, weaknesses, value, risk, and timing at every step.
Car accident questions, answered
How much does a car accident lawyer cost?
The consultation is free, and we work on a contingency fee. You pay no fee unless we win your case. There is nothing to pay up front.
How long will my car accident case take?
In many cases, expect roughly six to nine months from the accident before a real settlement opportunity. Your medical treatment drives the timeline. Some cases need a lawsuit and take longer. Every case is different, and we will give you a straight assessment of yours.
What if the other driver has no insurance?
Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury coverage. If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own UM (uninsured motorist) coverage may apply. Bring your policy to the consultation and we will review what coverage you actually have.
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance adjuster?
Not before you talk with a lawyer. Adjusters use recorded statements to document reasons to pay you less. You are not required to give the other side a recorded statement, and we handle those communications for our clients.
I feel fine after my accident. Do I still need to do anything?
Get checked by a doctor. Many crash injuries surface days or weeks later, and the full extent of an injury is often unknown for months. Meanwhile, evidence like camera footage disappears quickly. A free consultation costs you nothing and protects your options.
Will my case go to trial?
Many cases resolve by settlement without a lawsuit ever being filed. But insurance companies pay attention to which lawyers are prepared to try a case. If your case needs to be tried, we are prepared to try it, and we prepare every case with that in mind.
The time to start is now, not later.
Evidence deteriorates and a statute of limitations applies to your case. As soon as you feel well enough, reach out and let us start preserving what proves your case.
Office: 904-353-9000