Meet Chris Johns
Chris Johns is a Jacksonville Beach personal injury attorney working out of the Farah & Farah office just off 3rd Street South. With more than three decades of legal experience under his belt, Chris Johns’ depth of legal know-how is downright impressive. With a tenacity and work ethic that are hard to replicate, Chris may be one of the most well-respected litigation attorneys we have at the firm.
Being the best he can and giving 100% of his talents and abilities to each case he undertakes, Chris is able to deliver time and again for his clients. That approach has resulted in multiple jury verdicts and settlements in excess of $1,000,000. Over the span of a truly monumental career, Chris has represented thousands of clients in automobile accidents and other personal injury claims. Mr. Johns has also been rated by Martindale-Hubble as an AV Preeminent-rated attorney, which is the highest rating an attorney can receive.
My Journey From Representing Insurance Companies to Owning My Own Client Centered Personal Injury Law Firm
Where It All Began: I Wanted to Be a Trial Attorney
Prior to starting my own client centered accident law firm in 1996, I began my legal career in 1991 as a litigation attorney for the State of Florida as trial attorney for the Jacksonville Public Defender’s Office. The vast and varied experience I received being in Court every day, developed my trial skills and taught me how to be comfortable, knowledgeable and confident in a courtroom in front of a jury. It laid the solid foundation to be the litigation attorney I am today.
Working with Big Insurance Companies: “Knowing the Other Side”
After honing my litigation skills, I then started to represent insurance companies in accident claims against injured individuals.
Working for insurance companies allowed me to learn how they operate from the inside and how they defend cases by those injured through no fault of their own. I learned that the insurance companies and large corporations I represented, including trucking companies and big box stores, will do whatever it takes to pay as little as possible to an injured and deserving person whose life they detrimentally changed forever.
I now use those skills I learned from working for insurance companies against insurance companies to benefit my clients’ financial interest and try to stay a step ahead of the attorney defending the insurance company.
Running My Own Law Firm
My firm handled all types of personal injury cases, such as car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, pedestrian, bicycle and construction accidents in addition to slip and falls, and wrongful death cases. Owning and running my law firm for close to 27 years was a professional accomplishment that I’m very proud of. Perhaps more so because my wife, Kristina, who managed my firm and oversaw all clients, still loves me!
During that time, I represented thousands and thousands of incredibly deserving clients some of which resulted in jury verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars.
These accomplishments qualified me to be inducted as a member of the highly coveted “The Million Dollar Advocates Forum.” Fewer than 1% of attorneys are members of this prestigious organization.
Why Leave My Own Practice for Farah & Farah?
I came to the conclusion that if I worked with Farah and Farah, knowing the very significant financial and knowledge based resources they possessed along with one of the best reputations, that would allow me to do even more for my clients and to expand my areas of practice. I would also surround myself with some of the best personal injury attorneys in Florida that would make me an even better attorney.
I have known Eddie & Chuck Farah since I first started practicing law, decades ago, and can honestly say that Farah & Farah is the only firm I would leave my own law firm to work with. Eddie and Chuck follow my same philosophy, that is, “Always place the Client First!”
My Sole Mission Is to Be the Best I Can Be for My Clients
I am a Jacksonville native and I attended public school unlike many other “attorneys” who came from more polished and upscale backgrounds. My parents were hard-working, honest, blue-collar people. Being raised in humble surroundings taught me to respect all walks of life and that through treating people with dignity coupled with a burning drive to be the best attorney I could be, has served my clients and me well.
After three decades of practicing law, I can say that the key to success is putting your client first in everything you do. Even though I work out of the Jacksonville Beach office, I don’t expect my clients to drive to me at the beach. I will meet them at their homes, the hospital, at one of our other locations or any place that will accommodate their needs.
Being a personal injury attorney is not a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 job. In order that my clients can reach me, when it’s convenient for them, all of my clients have my personal cell phone. I tell every one of them they can call, text or meet me after hours and even on the weekends. I understand that my clients have busy lives too and after all they are the ones whose life has been changed because of their accident and resulting injuries.
I Am a Relationship-Driven Attorney
Something that I excel at in the legal process is building relationships with my clients. I’ve learned over the years that you need to build that relationship or else a client will have trouble allowing you to guide them through the legal process, Aka legal minefield, or even having complete confidence in your abilities.
Strategizing a case, knowing the details, and preparing for any contingency would all be for nothing if a client doesn’t know and trust you. That means spending time with them, listening to them, while at the same time rendering them the benefit of your experience and expertise. I need to understand their expectations and to ensure their expectations are based on the facts and the law of their individual case.
I Will Fight for You!
Another skill that every litigation attorney needs to have is the desire to fight. Simply put, “no one is going to take advantage of my clients.”
Insurance companies routinely want to throw out a lowball offer in the hopes that you just accept it or wear you down. But maximizing your recovery means I need to put in the work and fight to get every penny you deserve. My clients know that I’m on their side. They’ve been hurt and the literal “insult to injury” comes when the insurance company refuses to provide them with a fair offer for what they have been through and how this accident and injury may affect their future health and wellbeing. Are they going to continue to incur medical bills, loss of earnings or need a future surgery after the case is settled. Then what?
Whatever the settlement is it must take into consideration the future losses the client will incur and not just what has occurred in the past.
An attorney needs to think of their role as a protector. You need to almost have a military mindset of being a general directing all of the assets at your disposal in their legal fight. You also need to be an advocate and doing that essentially requires understanding every client as an individual.
Understanding the before and after of what a client went through isn’t something that every attorney at every law firm is willing to do. But knowing your clients’ circumstances, how they are coping after their accident, how they are paying their bills, and all the other day-to-day details is how you obtain the best recovery possible. In every case, there are very real “human costs,” which is how the accident has detrimentally affected their daily lives.
Seeing me stand up for them and fight for them alongside them every step of the way is how I’ve been able to help so many clients get through the excruciating and long legal process and out the other side successfully.
Outside of the Office Is Time Spent with Family, Service, and Playing Music
The law is my passion and is what excites me daily. But, when I am not advocating for my clients my time is reserved for my family, performing missionary work, and playing multiple instruments for relaxation. Don’t worry I’m not quitting my day job. I don’t think any club is going to pay me to play the drums or my saxophone.
My wife, Kristina, and I have been married for 23 years and together for 27 years. We are immensely proud to have raised two wonderful children, for the most part, Sofia and Gabrielle.
For some unknown reason, Sophia desires to be an attorney. I didn’t realize she was listening while I spoke to my clients on my cell phone at night and on the weekends. Yes, even on vacations-sorry Sophia for that.
She is a giver, compassionate and a fighter and will make a fantastic attorney.
