Car Accident Lawyers in Jacksonville (2025)

How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost in Jacksonville, FL?

Most injury attorneys in Florida, from Orlando to Jacksonville, charge a contingency fee. This fee is “contingent” on the case outcome. This means you only pay a legal fee if the lawyer wins or settles your case. If they lose, you pay no car accident lawyer fees.

A contingency fee is usually quoted as a percentage of the compensation recovered for you. According to The Florida Bar’s 2022 Economics & Law Office Management Survey, the average contingency fee ranged from less than 25% to 40%. The most common fee charged was 33% or one-third of the client’s compensation. Almost half of contingency fee attorneys charged this rate.

How to Hire a Jacksonville, FL, Accident Attorney

Start your search for a car accident lawyer by gathering the names of lawyers who can handle your case. Referrals are a good source because former clients and colleagues know how the lawyer handles real-life situations. They can also recommend against lawyers without strong skills.

Interview your candidates by scheduling some free consultations. During the consultation, ask questions so you can compare lawyers. The following questions will help you pick one:

• How much do you charge?
• Will you work on my case or delegate it to someone else?
• Do you have experience handling cases like mine?
• What outcome do you expect in my case?

As you talk to the lawyer, pay attention to their communication skills. Lawyers must be effective communicators to negotiate with insurers and persuade jurors.

Average Car Accident Settlement in Jacksonville, FL

The amount of your car accident settlement in Florida depends on whether you are limited to a no-fault claim under your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance or if you can escape the no-fault system and file a claim against the at-fault driver.

If you only qualify for PIP coverage, you can receive up to $10,000 in benefits from your auto insurer. However, the insurer will only pay 80% of your medical costs and 60% of your income losses. Thus, you or your healthcare insurer would be responsible for at least $2,000 in out-of-pocket payments to unlock your full $10,000 in benefits. Your net PIP settlement might be $8,000 or less.

However, you can pursue full compensation if you qualify for an at-fault claim against the other driver. Your eligibility depends on the injury you suffered. You can pursue a fault-based claim, including pain and suffering, for the following injuries:

• Significant permanent loss of an important bodily function
• Significant permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Permanent injury according to a reasonable medical probability

Additionally, the family of a deceased accident victim can pursue a fault-based claim against the other driver.

Since fault-based claims are limited to cases involving death or the most severe kinds of injuries, the possible settlements are typically large. According to the agency that oversees Florida’s insurance industry, private passenger auto insurers paid over $6 billion in liability claims for accidents in 2020. However, the regulators do not give the average claim amount.

Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Florida

If you qualify to file a personal injury claim in Florida, your lawyer will prepare a complaint explaining the reasons the other driver is liable for your injuries. Although intentional car crashes occasionally happen, the liability in most fault-based claims is determined using negligence law.

Negligence means the other driver failed to exercise reasonable care. In other words, they acted carelessly compared to the average prudent driver and, as a result, exposed other road users to an unreasonable risk of injury or death.

The complaint and subsequent proceedings will focus primarily on gathering and presenting evidence of the other driver’s negligence. Your car accident lawyer in Jacksonville typically proves negligence by showing that the driver violated traffic laws or did something dangerous, even if it was legal, like brushing their teeth while driving.

How Does a Car Accident Lawsuit Work in Jacksonville?

The lawsuit begins with discovery. This process allows both sides to obtain evidence from each other and third parties. The lawyers for both sides will file motions to determine the evidence that can be presented at trial.

At trial, the victim has the burden of proof. Thus, they must present evidence of the other driver’s negligence and the losses they suffered as a result. The alleged at-fault driver can present defenses, such as contributory negligence, in which they shift some or all of the blame for the crash to the victim.

Types of Car Accident Cases in Jacksonville, FL

Car accident cases can take many forms, including collisions with:

• Pedestrians
• Bicycles
• Motorcycles
• Commercial trucks

You can also categorize crashes by the nature of the collision. For example, distracted driving crashes usually involve different evidence than drunk driving collisions.

Learn More From ConsumerShield

ConsumerShield educates crash victims about their rights and helps them find legal representation. Contact us for a free case evaluation and a referral to a car accident lawyer in Jacksonville.