The Same Overview We Give Every Client
Most people have never hired a lawyer and have no idea what happens after they do. That mystery is stressful, so we remove it. This is the plain-English overview Attorney Jeff Soud has given clients for more than 30 years: your job, our job, and how a case actually gets built.
Written by Attorney Jeff Soud, Florida Bar member. Last updated July 2026. General information, not legal advice.
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When you hire us, your responsibilities get short. These four things are what we ask of every client.
Follow your treatment plan and keep every appointment. Consistent medical care is the key to both a healthy recovery and a strong case. Gaps in treatment are the first thing insurance companies use to argue you were not really hurt.
Tell us about major test results, new symptoms, referrals to specialists, and when your doctors conclude treatment. You do not need to call with every detail - our team checks in with you - but the big milestones shape the timing of your case.
Save bills, receipts, photos, and anything related to the accident or your recovery. Track missed work days. Small pieces of paper turn into real dollars when the demand is built.
Once you hire us, adjusters talk to us, not you. If anyone connected to the other side contacts you, send them our way. That is what you hired us for.
While you heal, this is what the firm is doing with your file.
We establish who was at fault and how to prove it: crash reports, witnesses, photographs, camera footage, and expert analysis when the case calls for it.
We identify every insurance policy that applies - the at-fault party's coverage, your own UM coverage, umbrella policies, and corporate defendants where they exist. Cases are won or lost on coverage nobody else bothered to find.
Economic losses: medical bills, future care, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage. Non-economic losses: pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and your spouse's consortium claim where it applies. All of it, documented and supported.
We work with every treating provider to assemble records and billing, manage liens, and make sure the medical picture presented to the insurer is complete and accurate.
From Attorney Jeff Soud
When treatment concludes, we bring the case together and make a demand. A demand is the complete, documented presentation of your case to the insurance company: liability, medical records, bills, wage loss, and the human cost of what happened. A well-built demand is the product of everything above, and it is what fair settlements are made from.
Most cases settle. Some need a lawsuit. We prepare every case for both. Insurance companies track which lawyers try cases and which always settle. When they see real preparation, offers improve. If the offer is not fair, we file suit and litigate - and you make the final call on any settlement. No major decision in your case is ever made without your approval.
The honest timeline: most cases run six months to a year. From accident to settlement is on average six months to a year, and your medical treatment drives that timeline more than anything else. We will not drag your case out, and we will not rush you into a cheap settlement to move a file. Cases that need a lawsuit take longer, and we tell you that up front.
On average, six months to a year from accident to settlement, driven mostly by how long your medical treatment takes. Cases that require filing a lawsuit take longer. We give every client a straight assessment of their timeline and update it as treatment progresses.
Four things: follow your medical treatment consistently, report major developments to us, keep your records and receipts, and let us handle all contact with the insurance companies. We handle everything else.
A demand is the complete documented presentation of your case sent to the insurance company: proof of fault, medical records and bills, wage loss, and your pain and suffering. It is usually made after your medical treatment concludes, so nothing is left out of what your case is worth.
Most cases settle without a trial, many without a lawsuit ever being filed. But settlement offers are strongest when the insurer knows your lawyer is prepared to try the case. We prepare every case for trial, and you make the final decision on any settlement offer.
Economic damages: medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and property damage. Non-economic damages: pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. In some cases, a spouse has a separate consortium claim. Every case is different, and we evaluate yours honestly.
A contingency fee: we are paid a percentage of the recovery only if we win your case. The consultation is free, there is nothing up front, and we advance the case costs. The fee agreement is explained clearly before you sign anything.
Just had an accident and not sure what to do first? Start with our step-by-step guide: What To Do After A Car Accident In Florida.
You now know more about how an injury case works than most people ever learn. The next step is a free conversation about yours - what it involves, what it is realistically worth, and how long it should take.
Office: (904) 353-9000