Jim Wilson

Let Me Show You What Client-First Looks Like

When I first started with Farah & Farah, I was coming from a very large national law firm. The atmosphere here emphasizes the personal relationship between me and the client. Every attorney here is courteous, professional, and eager to lend a hand. We are a client-first law firm. That means we’re more about making sure we’re taking care of our clients’ cases and moving them forward.

My style as an attorney is to keep my clients in the loop at all times. With other firms, attorneys are generally expected to meet a heavy quota each month, which can make managing communications difficult—and the client’s experience suffers. At Farah & Farah, each attorney is fully supported from the very top. My experience and judgment are valued enough to let me make the best decisions for my clients based on what I’m seeing in the day-to-day. That’s certainly not true everywhere. 

When our pre-litigation team hands off a case to me, I know I can trust that it has been worked up as it should be. Our team takes the time to get all the facts early in the case, so that I can get into the meat of the case and run with it. That system helps us achieve the best possible results, whether that’s a settlement or taking the case through trial. 

I Help You Bring the Insurance Company to the Table

When I started my legal career, I was representing insurance companies and helping defend them from lawsuits. I did that for over 10 years and worked hard to do my job well. The experience was great, especially for what I do now, but I became disenchanted because I was working to defend a giant company’s interests. The work was more about keeping their fees down and minimizing liability than utilizing my abilities as an attorney. 

Leaving that side, I joined a small law firm in my hometown of Dade City as a partner, where I continued to represent large national insurance companies. Getting into the plaintiff’s side was like a breath of fresh air and, after a few years, I stopped representing insurance companies, and my practice evolved into exclusively representing plaintiffs that had been injured due to another person’s or company’s negligence, which I found very rewarding. The only trouble with smaller firms is that you have to wear a lot of different hats. So, not only was I a practicing attorney managing cases, I also had to perform marketing and administrative tasks.

I’m a client-first lawyer and I wanted to get back into just working up client cases, so I made the leap to a large national plaintiff’s personal injury firm. At first, that experience was fantastic; but as the years went by, the firm became more and more corporate. Metrics replaced decisions based on my experience and the focus shifted towards the numbers, rather than the client. That world may be fine for some, but it is not how I operate. 

Getting to use all of the experience I’ve compiled from across these different firms is a huge strength for each and every case I undertake. I know the insurance companies’ playbook and I use that to seek the absolute maximum recovery my client is due under the law. I’m proud our team in Tampa prioritizes collaboration over competition because it’s all for the client’s benefit. 

As a Litigating Attorney, Preparation Is Key 

I’ve been practicing law for more than three decades now, and I’ve learned that the old adage “poor planning produces poor performance” rings true in personal injury. Premises liability cases and bad vehicle accidents can be intellectually challenging and stretch me to use all of the tools at my disposal. Ultimately, I’m helping my clients navigate a system that is confusing and difficult. People may think they don’t need an attorney for what they see as a small accident, but then they see that their injury isn’t going away—perhaps ever. 

That’s why I start by outlining step-by-step what my clients need to do to see the right doctors and help me understand all of the facts around their cases. I get to know my clients and I don’t want to put them through this process unnecessarily. But my job is to also prepare them for every aspect of the process, including going to trial if that’s what it takes. The truth is, most cases settle before going to trial, which helps clients get their recovery faster. However, we have to be ready to go to trial in a heartbeat if the insurance company wants to lowball or try to play down my clients’ injuries.

To truly maximize the results we’re able to achieve, I need to prepare my clients for every twist and turn a case can take. Part of that process is depositions and mediations, which the other side may use to try and surprise or confuse my client. However, when I outline everything the other side is going to throw their way and my clients feel well-prepared going in, they come out feeling like there were never any surprises. These moments can be absolutely pivotal points in their case. Managing expectations and practicing for events like depositions and mediations means my clients are super prepared and less anxious, and we’re able to maximize the value of their cases. That’s a win-win in my book.

Most People Don’t Want a Hand-Out, They Want a Hand Up

I’ve seen many, many cases over the course of my career. But one that I’ll never forget involved what appeared to be a simple rear-end accident. My client was rear-ended and developed some serious back pain that required surgery. However, before that case wrapped up, he was rear-ended a second time. Bad luck aside, the case suddenly took a difficult turn as there are very specific instructions for the jury about only allocating damages to one particular accident. We went through a litany of negotiations and depositions to get the case moving forward. 

Unfortunately, the other side seized on a particular comment my client made during depositions and tried to use that to get the case thrown out. The judge ruled for the defendant and improperly dismissed the case. So, I immediately filed an appeal for my client. The case went all the way to the 2nd District Court of Appeals, where the opinion reversed the trial court judge, and suddenly the case had life again. We agreed to go to mediation, where a mediator helped review what happened and presented a solution. In the end, I was able to recover more than $400,000 in total for that client between the two accidents. 

What’s better, my client had a disabled son he was helping take care of, but the accident made that really hard for him. We structured the disbursement of the settlement funds so that the client’s recovery didn’t disqualify his disabled son from continuing to receive his disability benefits. My client decided to use the proceeds to buy a house closer to his mother and retrofit it so that he could better care for his son. Seeing someone go through the wringer and come out the other side victorious was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. 

Pinellas County Is My Home Too

In my time practicing law, I’ve learned that downtime is just as important as proper preparation in a case. Time off lets me relax and unwind, which then makes me even more productive at the office. So, if it’s the weekend, you’ll most likely find me and my wife, along with our Golden Retriever, Bob, enjoying downtown St. Petersburg or out at Pass-A-Grille Beach in St. Petersburg to watch the sunset. My wife, Lori, and I have raised three amazing children—Jack, Billy, and Annabelle, whom we love to have visit us whenever they have time. 

Now, if it’s football season, I am an Alabama Crimson Tide fan through and through and will be catching my team in action every time they play. If we have some downtime, I am also a huge movie buff and love music, including musical artists such as Foo Fighters, REM, Tom Petty, Steely Dan, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. My son is actually an amazing guitarist, but he certainly didn’t get his musical talents from me!

“Jim Wilson is one of those amazingly-talented attorneys that has every gift in his legal toolkit imaginable. And yet, he is about as humble and down-to-earth as they come. Behind a friendly demeanor, lies a litigation juggernaut with a huge list of major wins to his credit. However, it is in how Jim treats his clients that his true talents shine. Time and again, I have seen Jim take what can be a fearful process and make his clients feel absolutely secure, knowing they are in the best of hands.” – Chuck Farah, Senior Partner at Farah & Farah

Let’s Talk About Your Case:

Email Me: jwilson@farahandfarah.com                      

Call Me: 813-212-6961

See Me In Person: 5100 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 225 Tampa, Florida 33609